Reimaging Bendigo Creek Project
A plan has been created combining the Dja Dja Wurrung’s traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary water sensitive urban design to heal a heavily degraded creek.
The plan sets the goals to heal the catchment, enhance cultural values along the water and build connections to the creek.
By healing the catchment, the greater Bendigo community can proactively adapt to climate change and avoid local biodiversity loss. The is catchment to be progressively retrofitted with thousands of frog ponds and swathes of native grasses so that the catchment acts as a sponge.
This sponge will hold water in the landscape longer and reduce flood risk while improving water quality. The urban waterways will progressively be returned to a chain of ponds and planted with appropriate native species, providing greater habitat for native fish and platypus to thrive. The Dja Dja Wurrung, City of Greater Bendigo, government agencies and the community are on a collective journey to heal country and restore the creek’s biodiversity.
Changing the community’s hearts and minds about the creek is a first step to achieving this.
Objectives
We acknowledge and respect Victorian Traditional Owners as the original custodians of Victoria’s land and waters, their unique ability to care for Country and deep spiritual connection to it. We honour Elders past and present whose knowledge and wisdom has ensured the continuation of culture and traditional practices. We are committed to enabling self-determination for all Aboriginal people and aim to work closely with the Aboriginal community to drive action and improve outcomes especially in the context of a changing climate.