Park future secure

By Dion Teasdale
PARKS Victoria has moved to reassure Healesville residents that the Maroondah Reservoir Park has a future, amid rumours that it has been earmarked for closure.
Healesville resident Helen Brown said she had heard that the park was being closed because of sewage problems at two toilet blocks.
“I heard trucks were being brought in to unload the septic tanks at the toilet blocks because sewage was leaking into the Watts River,” she said.
“I’m concerned that, with the poor state of the park and now the sewage problems, that Parks Victoria will now close the park.”
Yarra Ranges National Park ranger-in-charge Ian Roche firmly denied there were any plans to close the park.
He was also adamant that sewage from the toilets in the park had not leaked into the Watts River.
“There are some potential issues with the toilets in the park and as a precaution measure we’ve been pumping out the septic tanks during the peak visitation period over summer,” he said. “However, we would like to reassure the community that the park is functioning as it should and that there is no possibility of sewage leaking into the Watts River.”
A Melbourne Water spokesperson confirmed water quality monitoring at the Watts River failed to detect evidence of a sewage leak.
“Melbourne Water undertakes regular water quality monitoring tests in rivers and creeks around Melbourne, including monthly testing of Watts River,” he said.
“There has been nothing in recent test results that could indicate a sewage spill.”
Mr Roche said Parks Victoria had commissioned an engineer’s report to investigate the need to upgrade the septic system at the toilets in the park and that the report was being evaluated internally.
“Upgrading the septic systems in the park is a high priority for us and we are hoping to get this work included in priorities for the next financial year,” he said.
Ms Brown said the level of maintenance carried out in the park also led her to believe the park might be earmarked for closure.
She described the park as “shabby” and “run down”.
“Fifteen or 20 years ago the park wasn’t like this. The grass was mowed and there were flowerbeds. Now they are letting it run wild,” she said.
“We need to know what Parks Victoria are planning to do about it. Do they have any plans for the future of the park?”
Mr Roche said he was aware of concerns in the Healesville community about the maintenance of the park. “We have a good sense of the community’s concerns about the park and we are working to address these,” he said.
Mr Roche said the park presented a number of management challenges that Parks Victoria was committed to overcoming.
“The exotic or European gardens that were established in the mid 1920s have reached a climax and have gone into decline,” he said. “There will need to be changes in the park, to reinvigorate and update it, but at the same time we don’t want to lose the exotic feel.”
Mr Roche said Park Victoria’s objective was to maintain the park’s exotic landscape and introduce more native Australian plants.