Have YOUR SAY on future plans for Trent Creek Reserve and Bath Street in Trentham.

Hepburn Shire Council has published plans for two specific areas in the centre of Trentham. Trent Creek Reserve is the first one, ideas for which have been circulating and simmering for over ten years. This is the area from Victoria St to High St bordering Bath St to the west. It is essentially a wetland with Trent Creek flowing through the middle. Trent Creek joins the Coliban River before the Trentham Falls and was probably straightened out in this area in the 1930s for flood mitigation, and to assist with the construction of the town swimming pool.

A Management Plan devised in 2009 has guided work on the Reserve since. Of particular significance has been the funding of “A Healthy Coliban Catchment” project over the last three years, aligned with similar work upstream of High St and also similar work on Stony Creek in Quarry Street Reserve. This has involved clearing of woody weeds and other invasive plants followed by assisted revegetation plantings to extend the habitat of the Bright-eyed Brown Butterfly. This is a huge statement about assisted revegetation and habit renewal, the amazing biodiversity of our town.

At the inaugural meeting of Trentham Community Action (November 2024) it was proposed by members and agreed to, that Trent Creek Reserve would be one of three projects which would be developed to form an application to Hepburn Shire Council for funding from the Open Space Levy reserves. Accordingly, Council budget for 2025-2026 allocated $30,000 to draw up plans for this Reserve. Those plans have now been delivered and form part of the Council’s current proposal for this part of town.

The TCA working group has been able to make progress on all three projects. In particular, work has begun this month on clearing the Domino Trail from Station St to Falls Rd. The next stage will be to plan assisted revegetation, order plants and install.

The next stage for Trent Creek Reserve is to apply for further funding from the Open Space Reserve, obtain quotes for specific works and plan a gradual transformation of this space.

This Reserve will act as a ‘bookend’ with Quarry Street Reserve on Stony Creek on the western side of the main town area. These two creek systems are a vital part of the Coliban – Campaspe catchment providing water for downstream towns, as well as being a highly significant part of our local biodiverse environment.

The project for Trent Creek Reserve will aim for recreational spaces for observation and enjoyment of the environmental features, the old town pool area, and providing useful walking tracks right on the edge of the main town.

It is vital that this project is funded and the community’s wishes for this area are acknowledged and acted on. Please give your support to this project in the Council survey or write separately to all Councillors.

The Bath Street plans are NOT part of TCA’s project. It is important to respond to that as it is a separate issue.

For more information, attend a drop-in session at The Mechanics Trentham:

Wednesday 24 June from 10–11:30am &/OR Friday 26 June from 2–3:30 pm.

Read more about the plan here

Have your say and complete the SURVEY here