New wetland to boost water quality, add water views at North Orange

The area south of the Telopea Way/William Maker Drive link road, which is an existing swamp, will be replenished with native plant species and furnished with recreational facilities and paved walkways to create the Waratah wetland.

Orange City Council’s Environmental Sustainability Committee Chair Neil Jones said while the new wetland would not be part of Orange’s stormwater harvesting scheme, like the other constructed wetlands across the city, the new project would enhance and beautify the area.

“It won’t be used as part of the storm water harvesting scheme in the way the Ploughmans, Brooklands and the Somerset Wetlands are used,” Cr Jones said.

“The slow movement of water through the wetland will cleanse storm water from the bypass and North Orange housing estates,” he said.

“Local residents mightn’t know, but water from these residential areas will flow from the wetland and then into downstream rivers. This water flows into Golding Creek, then Ploughmans Creek, then the Bell River which joins the Macquarie near Wellington.”

“As well as improving water quality, the main purpose of the new wetlands is to enhance the area for residents as well as provide a habitat for native wildlife.”

The wetlands will be paid for with funds from developer contributions and government grants.

The earthworks stage of the project has begun.

The project is expected to take two years to complete but Cr Jones said it would be worth the wait.

“It will be just as beautiful as Orange’s other wetlands and I’m sure it will be enjoyed by residents,” Cr Jones said.

“We saw many residents, whose properties backed on to the original wetlands, gradually remove their colourbond fences and replace them with see-through barriers that allowed them to take in the water views and I expect this will happen again around the Waratah wetland.”

“Community participation has been a key feature in the planning and development of this project, “ Cr Jones said.

“Council staff have met with local residents and representatives of the Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Orange(ECCO) to discuss community involvement.

"This has included on-site inspections and discussions on future walking paths and how they might be linked to the Orange Botanic gardens and Adventure Playground.”

President of ECCO, Mr Nick King said that ECCO welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the development of such an environmentally beneficial project