Moomba Park Wetlands

Contek was engaged by Merri-Bek Council to construct a new wetland and habitat for the endangered Growling Grass Frog. Situated on the banks of the Merri Creek in Fawkner, the proposed wetland was subject to a Cultural Heritage Management Plan and was to be constructed in an open grassland which was extremely wet and overrun with environmental weeds. With the project cost significantly exceeding the client’s budget, Contek was able to work with the client to utilise alternative methods of construction, reducing costs by approximately 20% to guarantee the project would proceed. Once construction had begun, Contek was able to find further savings which were used to enhance the design and weed suppression strategies guaranteeing future success of the project. With construction beginning as soon as the site was dry enough to access after an extremely wet spring, Contek managed to complete the major earthworks and structures, install the plants, hydrate the wetland clean up and demobilise just before the site became too wet to work on again. Contek was proud to find out the Growling Grass Frog had moved into the wetland and juveniles were witnessed and heard on January 2024.

Main Scope:

• Significant earthworks under a CHMP
• Drainage Connection to the Merri Creek
• 5000sq.m of GCL installed and sealed
• Rock beaching
• Significant Indigenous planting
• Inlet and transfer drainage structures

Client: Merri-Bek Council
Contract value: ~ $950,000
Completion: May 2023