Renewed push to reclaim Moonee Ponds Creek in Docklands

Docklands residents are being urged to help renew pressure on the state government to restore public access and improve the neglected mouth of Moonee Ponds Creek, following an address by former federal MP and long-time creek advocate Kelvin Thomson.

Speaking at a recent Docklands Community Forum on July 8, Mr Thomson said the lower reaches of the creek – where it meets the Yarra River beside Ron Barassi Snr Park – should be recognised as one of the precinct’s most important but underused natural assets.

Mr Thomson, who founded Friends of Moonee Ponds Creek in 1989 and now works as the Chain of Ponds Litter Action Officer, said the creek’s shared path was a “well-loved and well-used public open space asset” further upstream, but entered Docklands in a far less celebrated condition.

“As it enters the Yarra, adjacent to Ron Barassi Snr Park, it is neglected, battling litter, homeless encampments with little signage or recognition,” Mr Thomson said.

“Cyclists don’t know that they’re at the end of their destination.”

He said while Docklands had many urban qualities, the creek corridor represented scarce natural open space in a suburb still searching for more greenery, shade and public amenity.

“Residents of Docklands won’t need to be told of the importance and value of vegetation and public open space, not only as a wildlife corridor, but also for our physical and mental health,” he said.

A major frustration remains the closure of the Docklands section of the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail, which was fenced off during the pandemic to enable the expansion of Docklands Studios.

The path now diverts through local streets, breaking the creekside connection at precisely the point where advocates say the waterway should be most visible and celebrated.

Mr Thomson said Friends of Moonee Ponds Creek and the Chain of Ponds collaboration were seeking local support for the reinstatement of the trail.

“During the coronavirus pandemic, the Victorian Government handed over this open space to Docklands Studios, who fenced it off and put razor wire on the fence as an exclamation mark to the point that the public no longer had access to the path,” he said.

“The path now notionally runs through Docklands streets, where it’s hardly in Moonee Ponds Creek though.”

He said land managers, including the City of Melbourne and the Port of Melbourne, appeared to support reinstatement, while Development Victoria had also been doing work on options.

“But time is not on our side,” Mr Thomson said. “Unless there is a serious, ongoing push to reinstate the path, we fear that access to this area will be permanently lost.”

The call follows years of frustration for the City of Melbourne and community groups over delays to the state government’s long-awaited Moonee Ponds Creek Implementation Plan, which remains unreleased.

The plan has been seen as critical to creating a coordinated governance and funding pathway for the creek’s lower reaches, particularly as Docklands, Arden and Macaulay continue to grow.

At the forum, residents also discussed the creek’s litter problem and opportunities for Docklands-based businesses to contribute through corporate volunteering.

Mr Thomson said his “Adopt a Creek” model had already seen between 70 and 80 individuals and families adopt sections of the creek, alongside community groups and workplace volunteers.

He said the approach was based on the idea that people were “hyper-local” and cared most about the places closest to them.

“It’s not rocket science,” Mr Thomson said. “It’s based on the philosophy that many hands make light work.”

He encouraged Docklands residents and community groups to advocate directly to councillors, state and federal MPs, and to work with land managers on practical improvements. •