Construction nears on Karaaf stormwater diversion system

ABOUT a quarter of the stormwater flowing from Torquay North will be diverted away from the Karaaf Wetlands under a new system expected to begin construction later this year.

The sensitive saline wetlands between Torquay and Breamlea have been affected by freshwater runoff from surrounding urban development, prompting years of work to reduce inflows and restore more natural water levels.

As part of that effort, Surf Coast Shire has completed detailed designs for a stormwater diversion system and called for construction tenders.

The project will see a new pump installed at the Esplanade Wetland to redirect about 25 per cent of stormwater from Torquay residential areas into an existing drainage network that discharges at the mouth of Deep Creek.

A flow monitoring system will also be installed to track the volume of water being diverted and overall inflows to the Karaaf.

While the diversion will increase the frequency of flows through the Deep Creek outlet, it is not expected to increase the volume or velocity of water discharged.

The shire has monitored water levels in the Karaaf for the past three years as part of broader efforts to return inflows to pre-development levels.

Maintenance of wetlands across the Torquay North catchment has also been stepped up to improve water quality entering the Karaaf, including using boats to remove litter from waterways.

The shire says completing the detailed design and tender process marks a significant milestone in a project developed alongside a community reference group and other stakeholders.

“We have now completed three years of environmental monitoring in the Karaaf and that will provide great baseline understanding of its condition as we progress,” deputy mayor Tony Phelps said.

The federal government has committed $1.9 million to support the works.

Corangamite federal member Libby Coker said the Karaaf Wetlands were an environmentally significant part of the region.