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The project being led by a well-respected community member has enabled greater buy-in.

Eastbank Lake Revitalisation

Goulburn Valley Water

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  • Precinct enhancement with multiple benefits: greening, cooling, amenity, environmental and health outcomes
  • Showcase project: capacity building and education of local stakeholders

Project Overview

The Eastbank Lake Revitalisation project is a stormwater harvesting and reuse scheme for Shepparton, using a section of the Goulburn River anabranch. The project includes using treated stormwater to substitute potable water for irrigating local parks and gardens.

It also aims to increase the recreational value of the area and to encourage public access to the river from the CBD. These works include construction of a new boardwalk, a turtle viewing deck, a large linear raingarden and ornamental pond to store treated stormwater.

Stakeholder engagement:

The stakeholder engagement started in 2013 and included two phases. After the first phase of engagement the concept designs were developed and presented for Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP). In the functional design development phase the engagement process was done through two rounds of workshops: Workshop 1 to identify objectives/values and Workshop 2 to present back the objectives/values, the technical constraints and opportunities and the functional design. During Workshop 2 the stakeholders were given the opportunity to vote for the design that best represented the values and objectives defined for the project.       

The following organisations were involved in the stakeholder engagement workshops:

  •     Greater Shepparton City Council
  •     DELWP
  •     Goulburn Valley Water
  •     Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority
  •     Goulburn Murray Water
  •     Shepparton RSL
  •     Shepparton Swans Football Club
  •     RiverConnect
  •     Goulburn Valley Environment Group
  •     Committee for Greater Shepparton
  •     Parks Victoria
  •     Ethnic Council of Shepparton
  •     Shepparton and Mooroopna Urban Landcare Group

Drivers and Objectives

The project aims to ensure community connection with the Goulburn River and its environment and to create an entry getaway in Shepparton, a destination where both locals and tourists would go to enjoy a range of recreational activities. Through city greening and increased biodiversity the Eastbank Lake Revitalisation project delivers improved community health and wellbeing. Creating a showcase project for capacity building and education of local stakeholders and community is also part of the key objectives.

Organisations

Collaborative partnership:

  • Goulburn Valley Water
  • City of Greater Shepparton
  • DELWP
  • Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority
  • Spiire

Project Outcomes

Environmental benefits:          

  • Improved water quality of the Goulburn River
  • 35 million litres of drinking water saved per year due to stormwater harvesting and reuse for irrigation
  • Improved community health and wellbeing through city greening and increased biodiversity

Social benefits:

  • Reconnecting Shepparton CBD to the Goulburn River
  • Exceptional stakeholder engagement – the community’s ideas have been used to develop project
  • Destination hotspot

Economic benefits:

  • Adding to Victoria Park Lake and the Shepparton Arts Museum (SAM) to create a tourist destination
  • Developments in the Eastbank area encourage government and private sector investment
  • The project is part of broader revitalisation plan for Shepparton, including: SAM, Victoria Park Lake, CBD revitalisation

Lessons Learnt

  • Power of community leadership: project led by a well-respected community member; diverse input of diverse stakeholder groups (community groups, non for profit organisations, government agencies)
  • Providing a clear picture: stakeholders were provided with renders early in the design process to enable easy engagement; exploring the history of the precinct and the community’s perception of the Goulburn River and Shepparton were essential
  • Using IWM principles as the basis of design: the proposed precinct enhancement has the potential to deliver multiple benefits: greening, cooling, amenity, environmental and health outcomes

Project Cost

The capital value of the proposed works were estimated at $3.7 million.

Timeframe

2013 - present

Acknowledgements

Regan Flanagan, Alan Tyson, Damien D'Aspromonte (Goulburn Valley Water)