Jennifer Pittorino
Work at the Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre will begin this year, with early works planned for centre in HD Graham Reserve in Altona Meadows.
Hobsons Bay council has committed $1.5 million to the project which will establish a temporary activity hub for the Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre (HBWC), while council continues planning and advocating for the long-term vision for the site.
The council said the early works will include an activity and meeting room for Wetlands Centre volunteers and the community, undercover outdoor activity space, offices, toilets, early landscaping and walking paths.
The council is calling on the state and federal governments to partner with it to bring to life the dream of an urban oasis in Hobsons Bay.
Wetlands centre committee chair Dr Marilyn Olliff said the team are pleased with this first step.
“We are thrilled that council is supporting our vision for the centre,” she said. “It has been a long time coming so we look forward to welcoming everyone to this special place where everyone can connect with nature.”
The HBWC group was formed in 2018, working with several other organisations on getting the project off the ground.
“We have a memorandum of understanding with eight partners including council and Deakin University,” Dr Olliff said.
“Our role has been building the organisation to be an environmental community education organisation.
“We provide nature based activities for the community.”
Currently operating from the Truganina Explosives Reserve, HBWC has spent the last five years lobbying for the centre.
“Once the hub is built we will be able to operate from there, but for now we are quite happy to be at the first stage, as time goes on that will of course change,” Dr Olliff said,
While council gets working on the centre, the HBWC encourages residents to attend workshops and activities.
Hobsons Bay mayor Matt Tyler said the HBWC will be one of the city’s great assets.
“These works will help us showcase our vision for the site, which will be a state-of-the-art wetlands centre near the internationally recognised Ramsar-listed Cheetham Wetlands,” he said
“When it’s finished, the Wetlands centre will be an incredible environmental education centre and ecotourism hot spot for our region.”
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