Belle Eden Park Waterway Naturalisation (completed)

The Belle Eden Park Waterway Naturalisation is an exciting and innovative project for the Bundaberg Region, delivering an integrated approach to treating stormwater runoff.

By restoring the Belle Eden Park drainage channel to a natural waterway, the project will improve stormwater quality and treat polluted stormwater runoff which is harmful to sensitive downstream waterways and ecosystems such as Baldwin Swamp.

The project also aims to create an attractive and usable recreational space for residents by providing several new footpath connections, a new pedestrian bridge, a new picnic shelter, new park benches, waterway rock crossings, additional trees for shade and grassed open spaces for active play.

Following community concern, the project will also involve remediation of existing retaining walls which border Belle Eden Park. Recent investigations have highlighted displacement of the walls and Council is undertaking proactive works to rectify their condition.

The project is funded through the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program (LRCIP) and from financial contributions from developers to improve stormwater quality.

Project objectives

1. To improve stormwater quality and treat polluted stormwater runoff which is harmful to sensitive downstream waterways and ecosystems (i.e. Baldwin Swamp);
2. To improve the biodiversity and ecology of the Belle Eden Park Waterway;
3. To improve the connectivity of Council’s active transport network (suitable for those who are mobility impaired) by providing a footpath link from Belle Eden Drive to Gum Nut Drive Park and from Longview Drive to Belle Eden Park (including an additional bridge crossing);
4. To further engage the community with Belle Eden Park by providing a picnic shelter, park benches, rock crossings, additional trees for shade and grassed open spaces for active play; and
5. To improve the aesthetics of Belle Eden Park.

Project features:

1. 1m rock lined low flow channel;
2. Reinstatement of a riparian corridor to reinstate the attributes and qualities of a natural waterway;
3. Several informal rock crossings;
4. New footpath from Belle Eden Drive to Gum Nut Drive Park;
5. New footpath from Longview Drive to Belle Eden Park including a new bridge crossing;
6. New park benches;
7. New picnic shelter; and
8. Many new feature trees.