It could be impossible to re-naturalise some of the lower sections of Albury's Bungambrawatha Creek due to flood risk, but there's good potential in the upper areas, say those behind a feasibility study.
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Alluvium Consulting will investigate the constraints and opportunities of returning the waterway, which runs from the hills north of Albury to the Murray River, to a more natural state, whilst ensuring it still mitigates floods.
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Albury Council's David Costello said from north of Heathwood Park there was more opportunity to undertake biodiversity works due to the amount of space around the creek, but further south there was an increased flood risk due to the narrowness of the waterway and the close proximity of some houses.
"In the lower section we've got a concrete lined drain that functions more essentially as a storm water discharge point," he said.
Alluvium project manager Ben Walker said some parts of the creek, such as the section near the Gertrude Colquhoun Park, might not be able to re-naturalised significantly.
"There's parts where it may just not be possible, so I think that's really important to understand that we are here to do a feasibility study," he said.
Mr Walker said lower sections of the creek could perhaps be re-naturalised at the base.
"So trying to allow water to pond, get a bit of vegetation and rocks in there and that's just to bring a bit of life into the creek," he said.
But Mr Walker said it was "definitely" possible in other parts of the creek to remove concrete linings.
"Particularly when we think about right at the top of the catchment where we first come into concrete," he said.
"We've got the Union Road retarding basin up there, plenty of room to open that out, so that gives us a lot more opportunity to slow the water down and create that much more naturalistic outcome."
Community members can have their say on the Albury Council website, or attend a drop in conversation session on Friday from 3pm - 5pm at Gertrude Colquhoun Park, Albury.
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Victoria Ellis
Victoria Ellis grew up on the Border and loves reporting for her home community. She is a University of Wollongong Journalism graduate. In 2018 Victoria was awarded the Bruce Gordon Scholarship for Journalism and completed a 10 week internship with WIN News Illawarra. In 2019 she was awarded The Border Mail's Cameron Thompson Scholarship, where she completed a three week internship, before taking up ongoing employment in 2021.
Victoria Ellis grew up on the Border and loves reporting for her home community. She is a University of Wollongong Journalism graduate. In 2018 Victoria was awarded the Bruce Gordon Scholarship for Journalism and completed a 10 week internship with WIN News Illawarra. In 2019 she was awarded The Border Mail's Cameron Thompson Scholarship, where she completed a three week internship, before taking up ongoing employment in 2021.
