Melbourne Water is delighted to announce today’s opening of a new 1.5km walking trail along the Little Yarra River following extensive waterway restoration.
The new Little Yarra Trail starts at the Lilydale to Warburton Trail near Lowes Road and continues to the Warburton Highway, near the Blue Lotus Water Garden.
“The revegetation work on the river will protect its banks, provide a new habitat for native animals, and let locals and visitors enjoy this beautiful place in a new way,” said Melbourne Water Acting EGM Service Delivery John Woodland.
The Little Yarra Trail connects to a broader network of pathways throughout the eastern metropolitan region for walking, cycling, and leisure. It features rest stops including a platform with views of the new habitat wetlands; a short walk from a nearby parking area on the Warburton Highway.
The work to improve the health of the Little Yarra River included removing weeds such as blackberry, honeysuckle, and ivy, as well as woody weed species like willow, holly, elm, and sycamore maple.
The weeds were replaced with local, indigenous trees, shrubs, and grasses, which included 14,000 terrestrial and 8,000 aquatic plants.
These works complement other restoration projects further upstream by Melbourne Water, along seven kilometres of stream frontage in the Liwik Baring Landscape Conservation Area, from Gladysdale to the Barrier Creek confluence at Yarra Junction.
Melbourne Water has invested around $3.6 million in the project, including the construction of the trail and restoration of the waterway.
The Little Yarra River is an important drought refuge with intact populations of native fish and platypus, which is why its improvement is treated as a priority under the Healthy Waterways Strategy.
