Landscape & Wetlands
A major responsibility for ConnectEast is the maintenance and, where appropriate, the improvement of the EastLink landscape. This covers an area greater than the 480 hectares of parks and gardens in the City of Melbourne.
ConnectEast has planted around 4 million native plants, shrubs and trees in the EastLink landscape. We operate our own plant nursery adjacent to EastLink, which grows a variety of native species needed for our maintenance activities.
To achieve Water Sensitive Urban Design principles, all rainwater runoff from EastLink is directed through our natural water treatment system comprising of grass swales, sediment ponds, planted wetlands and bio-filtration ponds.
Following improvements we have made in the management of tunnel water, storm water entering the tunnel is now treated through planted wetlands instead of the trade waste system.
There are 70 permanent and seasonal wetlands, which are now well established and provide habitats for native fauna.
Fact Sheet - EastLink Wetlands (117.4 Kb)