Melbourne Water will endeavour to upgrade one of Melbourne’s most important water reservoirs and at the same time, minimise environmental impacts on the beloved park surrounding it.
Melbourne Water has opened community consultation on a major upgrade at Cardinia Reservoir, running through to April 26.
The upgrade will help the reservoir meet modern safety and engineering standards. Works include raising sections of the dam walls, upgrading filters, improving leakage monitoring and collection systems, installing new security fencing, renewing access tracks, and enhancing park amenities.
“As industry standards evolve, we continue to invest in the critical infrastructure that keeps pace with our rapidly growing city,” said Melbourne Water Executive General Manager Service and Asset Lifecycle, Matt Daley.
A key focus of the upgrade is minimising environmental impacts, particularly around the removal of native vegetation to allow access and space for the works. Melbourne Water is supporting an Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation assessment to ensure the project meets national environmental requirements.
“For the Cardinia dam upgrade, we have reduced the amount of native vegetation to be removed by almost half, and avoided areas of high ecological value,” said Daley.
To protect native wildlife and biodiversity during project delivery, Melbourne Water continues to work with Parks Victoria, the Victorian Government, the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, and other agencies and community groups.
Melbourne Water is revegetating other areas of the park, including planting five hectares of carbon forest and 40 hectares of vegetation around the parklands, the equivalent of around 26 AFL ovals altogether.
Construction of the upgrade is scheduled to begin in 2027. During construction, the Reservoir Park and access roads will remain closed to the public.
Cardinia Reservoir will continue to operate throughout the works, ensuring uninterrupted water supply for Melbourne.
Cardinia Reservoir, built in the early 1970s, remains one of Victoria’s most important water infrastructure assets and a vital water source for Melbourne’s south-east.
Water from Cardinia Reservoir can be pumped to the Silvan Reservoir and then transferred to most of the city, or the water can be transferred directly from the reservoir to the CBD and throughout the Peninsula. Cardinia water is also regularly transferred via the Desalination Pipeline to supply communities serviced by Westernport Water and South Gippsland Water.
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