In an effort to improve Lake Ginninderra water quality and reduce the likelihood of blue-green algae blooms, the ACT Government is proposing to construct the Territory’s first subsurface wetland on one half of the Belconnen Oval.
Thirteen new Healthy Waterways assets are planned to be built across the ACT, including the proposed first subsurface wetland on Belconnen Oval, Minister for Water, Shane Rattenbury said in a statement today.
The subsurface wetland will help remove pollution from the Emu Creek Catchment stormwater and improve the quality of stormwater entering Lake Ginninderra.
The projects are part of recent ACT Government funding to extend the Healthy Waterways program, which has been running since 2014.
“The aim of the Healthy Waterways program is to improve the water quality of the ACT’s lakes, ponds, and waterways by reducing the amount of pollution entering from stormwater systems. This is important for protecting the environmental and social values of these locations,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“The proposed construction of the subsurface wetland on Belconnen Oval would be an innovative and attractive solution for improving water quality while also improving amenity and building our understanding of waterway health.
“Based on water quality modelling, the subsurface wetland in Belconnen could intercept and filter around 30 per cent of the total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus coming from the Emu Creek catchment before they enter Lake Ginninderra. This is a significant reduction and will help to reduce the likelihood of blue-green algae blooms.
“This project is part of a holistic approach to improving water quality through delivering infrastructure such as this proposal, implementing process improvements such as street sweeping and litter trap cleaning, and running community education programs on healthy waterways. I encourage those wanting to learn more about the subsurface wetland and comment on the proposal to attend an information session,” Mr Rattenbury said.
Four two-hour information sessions are scheduled to be held at Belconnen Library Community Room with officials from the ACT Government’s Healthy Waterways team in attendance: Tuesday 11 October 11am–1pm and 5.30–7.30pm; Saturday 15 October 10.30am–12.30pm and 2-4pm.
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