Upper Yarra STP Habitat Restoration

Upper Yarra STP Habitat Restoration is an environmental planting project located at the Upper Yarra Sewage Treatment Plant in Launching Place, approximately 55km east of Melbourne, Victoria. Registered in May 2024, the project covers 27 hectares of land situated within the Yarra Valley, a region renowned for its viticulture, grazing, and high-value agriculture. The site sits on the floodplain of the Yarra River, characterized by a cool temperate climate with reliable rainfall and fertile alluvial clay-loam soils.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology, which involves establishing permanent native vegetation on land previously cleared for agricultural use. In this specific instance, the project is a high-profile biodiversity initiative designed to restore swamp forest habitat for two of Victoria's critically endangered faunal emblems: the Helmeted Honeyeater and the Lowland Leadbeater’s Possum. The planting design includes a mix of native woodland and wetland species intended to mirror the natural ecological niche of these animals.

A unique feature of this project is its integration with the water utility's infrastructure. Yarra Valley Water is utilizing recycled water from the treatment plant to irrigate the site, ensuring the wetland and swamp forest remain resilient during dry periods and can support the release of captive-bred populations of the endangered species. This project forms part of the corporation's broader strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2025.