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ACT Healthy Waterways

The ACT Healthy Waterways program began with help from both the ACT and Commonwealth governments. The program aims to protect and improve water quality in the ACT and the Murrumbidgee River systems.

The program also helps:

  • teach our community about water
  • repair the areas around rivers
  • research and monitor our water
  • create new ways to help us check water quality.

Between 2023-2025, we'll use the results of these projects to improve places like Lake Tuggeranong and Lake Burley Griffin. These improvements will help us reach our goals for cleaner water and get input from First Nations people and interested community members.

Stage 1 projects

The 20 infrastructure projects below (and 2 research projects) are from Stage 1 and took a lot of planning and working with the community.

These projects are now complete, but some need time for water-quality plants to grow. This is the process where a plant becomes accustomed to their new habitat. We’ll keep monitoring them for 2 years to ensure they grow strong.

We've put up nets around some of the projects to keep the new plants safe from birds. Netting protects young plants from birds who regularly eat and trample on new plants. The nets will be removed once the plants are stable and grown enough to not be at risk from birds.

If you see a bird stuck in the nets, please contact ACT Wildlife.

Priority projects

Lake Tuggeranong Catchment

Project IDProjectLocationSuburb
n/a Rectify gross pollutant trap Village Ck downstream of Athllon Drive Kambah
TG011 Wetlands Isabella Pond Monash
TG010 Rain garden Upstream from Upper Stranger Pond Isabella Plains
TG008 Rain garden Athllon Drive between Langdon Avenue and Fincham Crescent Wanniassa
TG029 Rain garden Fadden Pines Reserve Fadden
TG012 Waterway restoration Between Corlette Crescent and Charleston Street Monash
TG030 Pond Between Kett Street and Drakeford Drive Kambah
TG017 Rain garden Gowrie Playing Fields Gowrie

Lower Molonglo Catchment

Project IDProjectLocationSuburb
LM013WetlandsBetween Dixon Drive and Cotter RoadHolder

Yarralumla Catchment

Project IDProjectLocationSuburb
YA016Rain gardenFlood Memorial site near Service StreetCurtin
YA020PondAthllon DriveMawson
YA001Waterway restorationYarralumla Creek, Lady Denman DriveYarralumla
YA002Waterway restorationMcCulloch Street and Cotter RoadCurtin

West Belconnen Catchment

Project IDProjectLocationSuburb
WB004WetlandCorner of Ginninderra Drive and Copland DriveMelba
WB009WetlandCroke PlaceEvatt
WB010Waterway restorationTattersall CrescentFlorey

Fyshwick Catchment

Project IDProjectLocationSuburb
FW012WetlandEyre StreetKingston
FW019WetlandBetween Matina Street and Monaro HighwayNarrabundah
FW025WetlandJerrabomberra Creek, Dairy RoadFyshwick

Upper Molonglo Catchment

Project IDProjectLocationSuburb
UM001Waterway restorationUpstream of the confluence of the Queanbeyan and Molonglo    Rivers, Oaks EstateOaks Estate
UM004Rain gardensAlanbar Street and Kenneth Place, QueanbeyanQueanbeyan

Research projects

Project IDProjectLocationSuburbCatchmentStatus
ResearchIn-lakeLake TuggeranongN/ALake TuggeranongMonitoring underway
ResearchPondWest Belconnen catchment, Lower Molonglo catchment, North CanberraMultipleMultipleComplete