Supporting, sustaining and creating community connection: proposed actions

8.1 Manage existing planted and remnant indigenous vegetation patches to optimise their habitat value, primarily through managing environmental weed species to improve vegetation structure, species diversity and habitat quality

8.2 Incorporate the use of suitable indigenous species into street tree replacement planning along street sections that fall within the biolink

8.3 Incorporate water sensitive urban design features into street renewal projects that fall within the biolink

8.4 On residential properties within the biolink, residents can create habitat in their gardens with information, advice and support provided through participation in Council’s Nature Havens* program

8.5 Participating landholders in Council’s Nature Havens program can extend their contribution through the creation and ongoing maintenance of understorey habitat on their adjacent nature strip. A suitable planting plan and permit from Council are required.

8.6 Design public lighting, especially lighting of shared trails, to be wildlife-friendly by minimising light spill and potential impacts on nearby habitats

8.7 Through pre-application meetings and internal referrals to Environmental Planning, encourage elements of new developments to contribute to the functioning of the biolink (eg indigenous landscaping)

8.8 Introduce planning and development controls (eg an Environmental Significance Overlay over the entire biolink) that:

1. encourages new developments adjacent to the public creek reserve to face the creek rather than turn their back on it (incorporating design templates)
2. requires large setbacks from the creek reserve and landscaping with indigenous plant species that mimic the EVCs
3. encourages building and landscaping designs that contribute to the biolink function (eg biodiverse green roofs, indigenous landscaping design templates and species lists, incorporation of artificial hollows)
4. protects the biolink from future development and construction that may impact on its function 
5. collects development contributions to support larger scale stormwater treatments

9.1 Provided additional, specialist staff resources are made available on an ongoing basis. Maroondah City Council to take on the role of Committee of Management for the unreserved Crown land within the Mullum Mullum Creek Biolink to serve the functioning of the biolink

9.2 With the creation of substantial new areas of indigenous vegetation and habitat identified through this plan, and the unique and complex nature of managing waterways and wetlands, one or more specialised waterway biolink positions be added to Council’s Bushland Team specifically to maintain riparian and semi-aquatic vegetation and habitats on public land within the Mullum Mullum Creek Biolink and along other waterways within Council’s responsibility.

9.3 Create a role within Council to coordinate all actions associated with creek-based biolinks and liaise with relevant external agencies

9.4 When opportunities arise, engage the Wurundjeri Narrap Team to help maintain the Mullum Mullum Creek Biolink

9.5 Residents within the biolink that have, or wish to create habitat in their gardens to be provided with information, advice and support through Council’s Nature Havens program

9.6 Yarra Valley Grammar to initially seek advice on managing their bushland from Council’s Bushland Team

9.7 Yarra Valley Grammar to explore options for ongoing specialist management of their bushland to protect and optimise its habitat values

9.8 Eastland to pursue options for improving and maintaining the habitat values of their land, particularly for lizards and other small ground dwelling fauna

9.9 Ensure future development of the Maroondah Highway Restricted Retail Precinct incorporates measures to:

1. protect existing habitat within the precinct
2. incorporate Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) features that enable stormwater flows (from the precinct, as well as the wider catchment) to be slowed, pollutants removed, and soil infiltration increased before it reaches the creek
3. contribute to the biolink by creating habitat patches that build on and extend from adjacent habitat - eg landscaping that provides habitat values (terrestrial and wetland), incorporate biodiverse green (and blue) roofs into design of new buildings

9.10 ConnectEast to explore potential for re-design of landscaping along Eastlink to provide more habitat opportunities (without increasing the risk of exposing flora and fauna to threats posed by proximity to vehicular traffic)

9.11 Council’s Bushland Team, Local Laws and Communications and Engagement Teams to design and deliver community education programs around the use of snail and rat baits, and the need to keep dogs on leads and cats indoors

9.12 Individual businesses within the Maroondah Highway Restricted Retail Precinct to maintain their washdown areas, interceptor traps and other legally required pollution prevention measures to the minimum required standards

9.13 Individual businesses within the Maroondah Highway Restricted Retail Precinct to manage employee and contractor understanding and behaviours to prevent pollutants being added to stormwater drains

9.14 EPA to provide education services on environmental duty of care and follow up compliance inspections and reporting of businesses within the Maroondah Highway Restricted Retail Precinct

9.15 ConnectEast to ensure regular inspection, maintenance and reporting of their stormwater runoff treatment wetland 

9.16 Eastland to ensure regular inspection, maintenance and reporting of their litter trap

9.17 Establish a Mullum Mullum Creek Biolink Action Plan oversight group to:

1. Monitor progress with implementing actions
2. Help resolve issues with action delivery
3. Regularly review and reassess priorities
4. Identify and agree on potential new actions (consistent with achieving the vision)
5. Track agreed measures of success
6. Identify opportunities to promote progress and successes
7. Oversee a review of the action plan after 5 years

10.1 Create learning opportunities for students of Yarra Valley Grammar

Design environmental studies programs with a focus on the school’s bushland reserve, potentially incorporating:

1. Collecting data on the reserve’s flora and fauna
2. Monitoring of owl nest box use
3. Engaging external ecological expertise and educational programs

10.2 Create learning opportunities for people using the trails through the biolink:

1. Refresh (or replace) the existing cultural heritage interpretive trail (eg update existing signage, refresh yarning circle space, link to interpretive brochures and/or story telling through audio guides). Involve Wurundjeri in selecting the themes and drafting the content, and options for artwork to be incorporated into their design
2. Incorporate Wurundjeri art, language, stories and other cultural elements into wayfinding signage along the trails
3. Add interpretive signage and audio guides to existing trails that provide information on habitats, flora and fauna (including the focal species), and ecology of the biolink (eg linked with wayfinding signage at trail entry points)
4. Create creek nature viewing areas (eg a hide to overlook but not disturb, a platypus refuge pool)
5. Incorporate public art installations that feature elements of the biolink

10.3 Create learning opportunities for people living within the biolink

1. Prepare and distribute promotional material about the benefits of creating habitat in gardens, and the offer of information, advice and support from Council’s Nature Havens program
2. Deliver community education programs around use snail and rat baits, and the importance of keeping dogs on leads and cats indoors

10.4 Create learning opportunities for people visiting the biolink

1. Design and deliver community events and activities in the biolink that showcase, celebrate and help people learn about the creek, the biolink and its biodiversity (potentially through reinvigoration of the Mullum Mullum Festival and/or the Friends of Mullum Mullum Valley)
2. Design and deliver community events and activities in the biolink that showcase, celebrate and demonstrate Indigenous/Wurundjeri culture, language, stories, people and practices - Involve MMIGP and Wurundjeri in designing activities and events that utilise the yarning circle and other locations in the biolink

10.5 Create opportunities for people from across Maroondah and beyond to contribute to sustaining the biolink

1. Provide support to volunteers wishing to help build and maintain the biolink
2. Provide citizen science opportunities for data collection and monitoring of different aspects of the biolink - for example observations of flora and fauna using the biolink (including the focal species), water quality, water sampling for eDNA testing
3. Deliver photography competitions, “treasure hunts”, or similar that focus on, highlight and help promote elements of the biolink

10.6 Promote the biolink to raise awareness, and build community support and involvement

1. Establish a Council webpage dedicated to the Mullum Mullum Creek biolink, including information on:

• this action plan, its vision and the stakeholders who developed it
• updates on the progress of actions in the plan
• observations of flora and fauna - especially focal species
• community activities and events focused on the biolink
• volunteering opportunities, including Nature Havens program
• volunteer groups actively involved in maintaining the biolink