FROM sewerage treatment ponds to a vibrant natural environment, the Marrambidya Wetlands project is nearing completion.
Wagga City Council marked the step forward this week with bulky earthworks almost finished and planting 18,000 seedlings under way.
The project includes filling three disused and dry ponds with highly-treated wastewater from the upgraded nearby sewerage treatment plant, the planting of reeds and natural grasses and the construction of bird hides and walking tracks.
Named after the Wiradjuri word for Murrumbidgee, the wetland is on track for its official opening next year.
It is mooted to be a community resource for educational, environmental, cultural and recreational activities.
Wagga City Council’s Manager Environment and Recreation Services Mark Gardiner said it was exciting to see the wetland development take shape.
“The project will redevelop the redundant tertiary treatment ponds into a natural wetland area,” he said.
“The next phase is to complete our outdoor education area, install the bird hides and signs and of course the revegetation work that the Green Army are doing.”
Funded by Council, Riverina Local Land Services and the NSW Environmental trust, the new wetland has links to the Wiradjuri Reserve, Wilks Park and the Riverside Precinct via the Wiradjuri Walking Track.
