In 1934 the State Government constructed a flood channel on the River Torrens at Henley Beach South to take flows through the sand-hills to the sea. Breakout Creek - as it became known - was designed to cope with a 1-in-200 year flood. Breakout Creek provides a last vestige opportunity for riparian and water quality improvements before flows within the 162 square kilometre catchment that drains through it reach the Gulf St Vincent.
The vision to create a viable wetland ecosystem within the riparian zone of the Breakout Creek section of the River Torrens – and one that can be accessed and enjoyed by the broader local community – was embedded in the Ministerially approved Catchment Plan for the (then) Torrens Catchment Water Management Board, now operating as part of the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board. Those works now form part of the Board’s Initial NRM Plan for the region.
A Staged Project
The Breakout Creek Wetlands project initially got underway in the late 1990s when it was agreed that an ‘in-stream’, constructed wetland should be developed over a 1.2 kilometre stretch of the River Torrens upstream of Tapleys Hill Road.
Stage 1 commenced in 1998. It encompassed a 500 metre stretch of the river upstream from Henley Beach Road, was completed in 1999 and has delivered on its many environmental and community promises. The project capitalised on a rare opportunity to create a wetland within a highly urbanised environment
Work on Stage 2 Commences
Work commenced in April 2008 on Stage 2 of the Breakout Creek Wetland and Watercourse Restoration Project that will transform the 700 metre / 10 hectare section of the river between Henley Beach and Tapleys Hill Roads at Lockleys.
Greater public access to the River Torrens Linear Park is just one of the outcomes that will result from these major environmental works. The $2.1 million Board-funded project to rejuvenate this section of community land will provide many benefits to the broader community and to the environment. These include:
- an improvement in the biodiversity of the river and an opportunity to recreate aquatic habitats
- creating an extensive variety of habitats for fauna including birds, frogs, native fish and macro-invertebrates
- increased public access to the site through the addition of viewing platforms and walking paths within the wetland
- the planting of more than 60,000 indigenous plants over two years in a joint project with Greening Australia - these plants are currently being grown by volunteers at Greening Australia’s Pasadena complex
- improved flood management of the River Torrens in the wet season
- improved water quality during low flow conditions, and
- restoration of the existing degraded environment which is infested by about 30 weed species.
The initial 12-week construction work on Stage 2 includes the excavation of 60,000 cubic metres of material to shape the wetlands, as well as construction of two concrete weirs. Plans after the wetlands construction is completed include picnic areas, boardwalks and jetties to provide access to the water for fishing and bird watching, and a low level bridge connecting the east and west banks of the wetland.
A brochure on the project can be downloaded here.
The development of the wetlands is consistent with the recommendations of the Torrens Taskforce Report to improve the health of the river.
Stage 2 Community Consultation
The Board has canvassed a range of views on the Breakout Creek constructed wetlands project over more than a decade.
Before detailed planning for Stage 2 of the wetlands project commenced, in 2005 the Board commissioned a Social Impact Assessment (SIA). The SIA involved a range of consultation activities to ensure that the social impact issues and ideas of the community were identified, explored and documented, in particular the impact on horse agistment in this area. That report can be downloaded here.
The Concept Plan for Stage 2 the wetlands project was subsequently released for comment at a Community Information Day in March 2007, followed by a period of public consultation. The Summary Report (click to access) of this process captures the essence of the project, along with feedback and ideas garnered from the submissions and suggestions received from the community.
Community feedback on the Concept Plan mostly focused on themes such as recreation, walkways and viewing platforms, horse agistment and a proposed horse bridle trail linking the Lockleys Riding Club and the remaining 1.6-kilometre horse grazing area between Tapleys Hill Road and the sea.
The Board refined aspects of the Plan to reflect many of the views expressed in the feedback received. The Board also consulted with interested parties and groups – including the City of West Torrens, the City of Charles Sturt, the Lockleys Riding Club and local Resident Groups – to work through a few remaining challenges and arrive at a positive outcome for all.
The Board worked hard with the Lockleys Riding Club to provide their horses with access between existing club facilities at Lockleys Oval and downstream agistment areas via a new bridle trail, and new arrangements have been made between SA Water and the club to agist the horses downstream.