Rivulet restoration work begins

The Glenorchy City Council and City of Hobart are collaborating on a $2 million project that will transform the degraded mouth of the New Town Rivulet into a natural, estuarine environment.

The project is expected to take six months and will involve major earthworks and landscaping – almost 45,000 native trees, shrubs, water plants and grasses will be planted.

The current concrete walls lining the rivulet are failing and will be replaced with large boulders and stabilising water plants. The current weir will remain, and its structure improved to prevent bank erosion.

The weir serves to reduce sediment build-up at the rivulet mouth in New Town Bay.

Hobart Mayor Anna Reynolds said this was a game changing project for the city’s waterways.

“Returning the New Town Rivulet outlet from a concrete drain to a natural river water mouth is such an exciting project,” she said.

“More than 300 metres of the rivulet from the Queens Walk Bridge to the mouth will be transformed into a beautiful, natural estuarine environment.

“We are removing the cracked and damaged 60-year-old concrete walls and replacing them with 45,000 plants lining the embankment and esplanade.

“This will be one of the largest mass plantings ever undertaken in Hobart and will include more than 30 different native species going into the ground as part of the project.

Mayor Reynolds said more than half of the plants had been grown at a local nursery.

“We’ve listened to community feedback, which was overwhelmingly positive and included suggestions to widen new gravel paths to ensure they are accessible for people of all abilities,” she said.

“This will be a beautiful natural area for the community to enjoy, improve the water quality and increase biodiversity.”

Glenorchy Mayor Sue Hickey said The New Town Rivulet Project would upgrade the space to a recreational area that all local residents could enjoy.

“We regularly hear from our community how much they value natural areas where families can connect, play and unwind,” Glenorchy Mayor Sue Hickey said.

“The improvements will also have benefits for our aquatic and bird wildlife.

“I’m excited that work has started and look forward to watching the progress on this important project.”