Bronte Gully gets a makeover
Waverley Councillor Ingrid Strewe is on a mission to save what she calls the “forgotten end” of Bronte Park.
Cr Strewe’s mission is to turn Upper Bronte Gully into a rainforest reminiscent of the Royal National Park, “right in the heart of Waverley”.
Two weeks ago work began to remove the flat concrete that walls the top of the gully’s water supply and replace it with large sandstone boulders to better simulate the natural environment.
Funding for the project comes from the Waverley Council Environment Levy, a small rate paid by ratepayers to pay for environmental projects that improve the local environment.
Cr Strewe said the Bronte gully project was proof that the money being put into the Levy was being put to good use. “It’s the Environment Levy in action,” she said.
The project aims to reduce erosion, improve the health and stability of the creek system, decrease levels of pollutants flowing into Bronte Beach and enhance the native vegetation cover, improving the aesthetics and ecological value of Upper Bronte gully.
The gully’s most aesthetic feature is a small stream that wends its way from the western end of Bronte Park before dropping through “permeable pavers”. The pavers act as a filtration unit allowing the captured water to be used for watering the park, flushing toilets and urinals and cleaning Bronte pool. It is part of the Bronte storm water harvesting system, which is estimated to save 14 million litres of drinking water per year.
The project is a promising step in the right direction according to Cr Strewe, but she concedes that much more time and effort must be put in to return the gully to its former glory.
The banks lining the stream are choked with weeds and debris, all of which Cr Strewe hopes to see removed and replaced with native Australian trees.
The western end of the park stands in stark contrast to the work being done further to the east where Bush Care workers are busy planting native species of plants, creating habitats that are filling with wildlife.
Cr Strewe pointed out the difference between the two sides – clearly demarcated by native cabbage palms – one filled with the rumble of an excavator and the other with birdsong.
– By Liam Kinkead
