New Town Rivulet to be rewilded and restored as part of significant $2 million project
A Hobart rivulet is being returned to its natural state as part of a $2 million project that will include one of the largest mass plantings ever undertaken in the city.
Tasmania
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Work has begun on a $2m project to restore the New Town Rivulet to its natural state, transforming the waterway into a picturesque and vibrant recreational area for the community to enjoy.
About 45,000 native trees, shrubs, and grasses will be planted as part of the initiative, while degraded concrete embankment walls will be replaced with large boulders and stabilising water plants.
The existing weir will remain in place, with its structure to be improved in order to prevent bank erosion.
The project is expected to take about six months to complete and is being jointly funded by the Hobart and Glenorchy city councils.
It’s said the works will benefit local marine and birdlife, while also improving the River Derwent’s estuarine health.
New gravel paths will also be installed along the rivulet and will be accessible to people of all abilities.
The project area extends from the Queens Walk Bridge to the mouth of the rivulet, covering 300 metres of the waterway, which is located on the cusp of the Hobart and Glenorchy municipalities.
Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the mass planting would be one of the largest ever undertaken in the city.
“[It] will include over 30 different native species going into the ground as part of the project,” she said.
“More than half of the plants have been grown at our own nursery, and some of the plants we will be planting are rare in Tasmania and have been grown from seed collected from the area.
“This will become a new go-to place in Hobart and Glenorchy. It’s here on the border of our two fantastic cities … [and will] really turn this from being a pretty unattractive place to being a wonderful new place for people to come and enjoy what the New Town Rivulet looks like.”
Glenorchy Mayor Sue Hickey said her council was contributing about $400,000 in funding for the project, which she described as “magnificent for lots of reasons”.
“[It’s] going to draw people to go outside, have a walk, think about the things they’ve got going on in their life, and find some peace. So we’re really, really happy that we can do this as two councils together with the same intent,” she said.
“I’m just so grateful the two councils have worked together and all of the staff have put in so much effort to create something that’s going to be special for generations to come.”
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