We have drafted a plan to restore and protect Edgars Creek. Edgars Creek flows through Wollert, Epping, Lalor and Thomastown, providing natural beauty for our community and an important home for native wildlife and plants.

Our draft Edgars Creek Corridor Landscape Improvement Plan shows how we will work to improve the creek. The plan will help restore and protect the creek, create safer access for everyone and improve our local environment by creating more green spaces, better paths for walking and biking and a healthier creek environment for everyone to enjoy.

Have your say

We are asking residents if the proposed plan, including the proposed improvements, themes and project objectives, meet community expectations.

The plans are available in an easy-to-navigate format below or alternatively you can download the full Landscape Improvement Plan.

📝 Provide your feedback by completing our short survey.

💬 Talk to us in person at a pop up near you.

Project themes and objects

We have identified three overarching project themes.

1. Ecology & Biodiversity
2. Recreations & Accessibility
3. Social & Community Engagement.

Each of these themes have a further three corresponding objectives, which will be used to guide and measure the success of the actions and opportunities set out in the Landscape Improvement Plan.

Edgars Creek Corridor in the City of Whittlesea stretches from Wollert in the north to Thomastown in the south. The creek corridor is divided into six precincts, each with unique characteristics and opportunities, ranging from new residential developments and industrial sites to heritage listed properties.

Click in the map below to see more information about each precinct. You can navigate to each precinct map via the numbers below or by selecting the relevant precinct tab.

To enhance the creek’s appearance, ecological health and community accessibility, several initiatives are recommended.

These include establishing a connected movement network along the length of the creek, enhancing connections to biodiversity corridors, and promoting community engagement with the creek through signage and way-finding features.

Click on the hot spots in the map below to find out more about each initiative.

🔴 = Opportunity (requires further detailed investigations and partnerships)

🟢 = Action (can be implemented by Council once designed)

Precinct 2 is entirely within the Aurora PSP area, encompassing Wollert to the north and Epping to the south. This precinct is defined by its ongoing residential and commercial developments within the Aurora housing estate.

There are opportunities to enhance the creek’s role as a wildlife movement corridor while fostering community engagement. Initiatives such as ‘Bush Schools’ at parks and reserves next to the creek could strengthen these connections and encourage stewardship of the local environment.

Click on the hot spots in the map below to find out more about each initiative.

🔴 = Opportunity (requires further detailed investigations and partnerships)

🟢 = Action (can be implemented by Council once designed)

Precinct 3 is an industrial section of the creek corridor in central Epping. This poses a threat to the hydrological and ecological health of the creek in this precinct, as runoff and contamination are significant concerns.

Several wetlands and waterbodies in this section of the creek corridor provide opportunities to capture and treat potentially polluted water. Additionally, the Legacy Conservation Reserve, just south of O’Herns Road, contains significant native and remnant vegetation, as well as areas of existing and potential future frog habitat.

Edgars Road presents a major barrier for pedestrians and cyclists following the creek corridor, suggesting an opportunity to improve and connect the movement network. It will also be important to provide rest, shelter, and respite areas along the creek in Precinct 3, particularly at key features such as the local waterbodies, as the surrounding industrial and commercial land use creates an inhospitable environment for pedestrians and cyclists. There are also significant opportunities for revegetation projects to support the health of the creek and to strengthen existing conservation areas within this precinct.

Click on the hot spots in the map below to find out more about each initiative.

🔴 = Opportunity (requires further detailed investigations and partnerships)

🟢 = Action (can be implemented by Council once designed)

Precinct 4 which is bounded by Cooper Street and Deveny Road and forms the section of the Edgars Creek corridor running through New Epping. This is a private development that is going through the standard planning process. This area is not included in this consultation.

You can find more information about this project and see the New Epping Master Plan via https://newepping.com.au/masterplan/

Precinct 5 encompasses the portion of the Edgars Creek corridor within Lalor and Thomastown, stretching from Deveny Road to the Metropolitan Ring Road (M80). These established residential suburbs feature some of the municipality’s oldest buildings, including heritage bluestone houses, church structures, and historic drystone walls.

This area features several key open spaces and playgrounds along the creek, including Huskisson Reserve, Kalara Close Playground, Thomas Street Reserve, Main Street Reserve, and Symon Playground. The Edgars Creek Trail runs through much of this precinct.

Therea are significant opportunities to strengthen community connection by enhancing its use as a key space for passive recreation. This may involve completing the missing sections of the Edgars Creek Trail and addressing the sense of disconnection and lack of safety caused by the wall of back fences that line the creek. Community initiatives that open properties onto the creek and increase passive surveillance could be encouraged. Additionally, creek naturalisation and revegetation projects can improve waterway health and provide vital ecological habitats, particularly in the channelised sections of the creek.

Click on the hot spots in the map below to find out more about each initiative.

🔴 = Opportunity (requires further detailed investigations and partnerships)

🟢 = Action (can be implemented by Council once designed)

Precinct 6, Thomastown Industrial Area is land locked by industrial properties.

There is currently no accessible open space. There will be no consultation as there are limited negotiables in this precinct.