Flowing water in Stage 1 precinct

(December 2021, west of Armidale Central shopping centre)

In November 2021, we conducted a survey of our members to see what they thought of Council’s work plan for Stage 1 of the Creeklands Master Plan.

Note: this Work Plan was written by Council officers and adopted by Council with no opportunity given to our association to comment on it prior to it being put before Council.

We trust that the newly appointed Council will remedy the situation by ensuring that community associations such as Visions for Armidale Creeklands are invited to work with Council - so that the ideas put forward by our members (see below) are given serious consideration - before any Stage 1 Work Plan is implemented.

The results are shown below in a chart of all items ranked from highest to lowest.

• The highest ranked items relate to vegetation changes.

• The lowest ranked item is for the concrete based labyrinth.

Following the chart are a full listing of the comments received from members.

Our association believes that these results show which items got the most support but also, importantly, a considerable level of concern about some items, their costs and the process. This survey supports our suggestion made in our August 2021 blog that Council should engage with community groups in implementing its plan.

Survey of members of Visions for Armidale Creeklands (November 2021)

Ranking of Agreement with 20 items listed in adopted Work Plan (see Appendix below) for Rehabilitation Stage 1 Work Plan of the Creeklands Master Plan

Comments received from members in November 2021 survey about plans for Stage 1 of Creeklands Master Plan

Any comments on the re-constructed cycleway (uncosted)?

• The cycle way doesn’t get flooded often and the money could be used for other projects along the creek.

• Shared cycle way is very important for safety. Very important. More important than labyrinth.  Labyrinth a waste of money and could do a maze with that money.

• Cycleway needs to be above 5 year Average Recurrence Interval but also the roads need to be similarly (say 10 year ARI) designed, as Jessie, Faulkner, Dumaresq and Taylor Sts are closed due to flooding several times a year i.e. ARI less than 6 months. Cycleway needs to be wide for pedestrians too. Rubbish bins need to be provided along the cycleway near road crossings.

• Does this also mean resurfacing the existing sections of the foot path/cycleway that will not be subjected  to relocation. Many sections of the path are in a poor condition and are in need of maintenance

• Perhaps not a priority when including establishment of pools, riffles and pumped recycling of water for Dumaresq Creek.

• Need to know the cost before deciding

23. Please provide any additional thoughts you have about the Indicative Costs for any of the items above 

• I believe I can make a statement or answer these questions but it won’t make any difference to the decisions you have made already and things that have to be done.

• I can’t see on a map what you are talking about sometimes so that is difficult also.

• Most people would have no idea about how much each bit of work would cost, especially when there is no itemised scope of work. Also your survey questions are confusing. E.g. "pedestrian access from Dumaresq st to Markham St, including Dumaresq St". Do you have a plan that shows the extent of pedestrian access and which side of the road?

• Concern that one third of costs are for unknown costs.

• Not qualified to comment on costings.

• I have no idea about costs. Please see my comments about calling for tenders in my answer to Q26.

• Where are the provisions for ongoing maintenance and development?

• The council already have all the facilities to do all the work that is required.

• I am unsure of many of the costs - surely there is a way to get tenders to make sure of value for money?

24. What in your view are the best features of this Proposed Implementation Plan for Stage 1?

• The opening up of the creek and make it more attractive to users.

• A crossing to skate park. Shared bike and pathway for safety. I sometimes feel uneasy on the path when bikes are around. 

• Eliminate weeds, provide native vegetation, improve access.

• Upgrading of western area of creek which has been a problem area.

• Remediation of contaminated soil and clearance of creek.

• I believe that this section of the creeklands requires the upgrading and modernization of facilities and that many of the works proposed will provide greater opportunities for users of the creeklands. The removal of weeds and woody weeds from the creek banks will allow greater access and improve stream flow and water quality.

• VERY hard to determine

• All features have some merit and some are essential (eg Gasworks remediation)

• The aim of developing a 'family friendly' precinct that is likely to get more usage of the creeklands.

25. What in your view are the worst features of this Proposed Implementation Plan for Stage 1?

• Upgrading Labyrinth and working on the Spanish arch. I feel are a waste of time and money that could be spent elsewhere. 

• Too much cost on exercise stations and fixing crumbling ruins.

• Lack of imagination in terms of the creek itself and no consideration of water management 

• Lack of community consultation. Expenditure on exercise stations and labryinth and concern that expenditure is being syphoned into Council's responsibilities.

• 1) I believe that the plan has missed a great opportunity to provide more water in the landscape by the construction of designed water bodies that are connected to the creek that would not exacerbate flooding and would not become stagnant.
  2) I am also disappointed the the plan proposes to use the funding for the construction of a traffic island across Dumaresq Street. Although it is obvious that this structure is required I believe this should be funded through Council's recurrent road budget as it is and has been a safety feature for many years. The foot paths at the causeway on Dumaresq St adjacent to Centro should be the subject of a complete redesign to improve safety and function.
  3) Very disappointed that there wasn't a more enlightened vision for the duck pond with a possible enlargement or a second larger pond closer toward the creek with reticulating water.
  4) Maybe the maze could have been replaced with an Aboriginal cultural feature  and information providing an opportunity to express the importance of the original inhabitants of the area.
  5) There is a wealth of knowledge and resources on the European history and use of the creeklands and no provision has been made to provide interpretative displays."

• One of the interesting features is the amount of detail given to infrastructure works rather than consider the environment value of landscape and water flow.

• Anything associated with walkways

• No pools and riffles. No planting of deciduous exotic trees in areas needing shade in summer and sun in winter while providing a highly attractive environment changing with the seasons.

• The lack of any provision for healthy, aerated water to flow continuously through the precinct even during drought times.

26. Please provide any thoughts you have about Council's decision to use NSW Public Works Advisory and the Soil Conservation Service to carry out the design and management of the implementation of Stage 1

• I think that is okay

• I don’t know enough to answer this question. 

• It seems like an opportunity for government to waste money on themselves. 

• need independent advice

• It would be great for Armidale if locals could be involved and employed for all of this work. It might end up being much cheaper.

• I assume with the issues of contamination within the creek and surrounding soils that the SCS is an appropriate organization to carry out the works within the stream bed and be the project managers for the construction phases of the project.

• Any Government Service is certain to waste time, stuff up the investigation and waste money.

• Unfamiliar with details

• I don't have any experience or qualifications to comment, other than to say ALL work, including project management, should go to tender, with a public, clear and appropriate tender process to select all involved.

• I am unsure of their landscape design skills and commitment to listening to the community

27. Any other thoughts, feedback or suggestions?

• Toilets and facilities around skatepark would be great. Maybe more families would use this area then. 

• I'm concerned that in making the creek more meandering, the slope of the creek will be made flatter (culvert invert levels across roads are at fixed heights), and therefore very little opportunity to have a "bubbling brook". The creek may become more stagnant.

• Council should be encouraged to establish a community group to consult with on the Creek Lands and other issues within the city. With regards the creek lands this funding is only for stage 1. Why wait for years before getting community input in to planning for stages 2,3 and 4.

• The modern definition of consultation is that administrators make decisions then inform the public.  I thought that consultation means consult at the start of the process.

• Nope

• The council should continuously do the required work.

• I hope that Council decides to take a more active role in coordinating things and especially to encourage input from relevant community groups to ensure an outcome that will please the broader community.

Appendix. Rehabilitation Stage 1 Work Plan (adopted by Council on 25 August 2021)

This survey of members preferences for a range of watery images was conducted in September 2021.

The results are shown in rank order (from highest to lowest score) together with the question posed for each image. All images (except the last one) received a positive score.

At the bottom of this page, you can find a summary of the key comments given by survey respondents.

(We acknowledge Terry Cooke photography for many of these images).

(Highest ranked score)

Would you like to see more views like this within Armidale's creeklands (looking north across Mike O'Keefe wetland near Kentucky St)? (ranked score 54)

Would you like to see the creation of more in-stream ponds within Armidale's creeklands (like the Mike O'Keefe wetland north of Kentucky St)? (ranked score 52)

Do you like this view? It is looking west along Dumaresq creek showing casuarinas (RHS) and deciduous colour in autumn (south end of Consett Davis sports fields at UNE)? (ranked score 50)

Would you like to see more extensive ponds and riffles created in Black Gully Creek behind the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place (to expand the number of ponds created behind NERAM by dedicated volunteers in 2016)? (ranked score 50)

Would you like to see one or more scenes like this along Dumaresq Creek (Stanthorpe, Queensland)? (ranked score 50)

Would you like to see views like this with larger ponds along Dumaresq Creek in Civic Park (image taken during flood episode)? (ranked score 48)

Do you like the look of this hypothetical concept with a fountain (NB this is not from the Armidale Creeklands Master Plan)? (ranked score 47)

Would you like to see parts of the Dumaresq creeklands looking natural - like this (Gwydir River)? (ranked score 46)

Do you like the look of these ponds and riffles created in Black Gully Creek in 2016 (behind NERAM)? (ranked score 44)

Do you like how Dumaresq creek looks like when it is full of water - looking south towards Dumaresq St Jan 2004? (ranked score 38)

Do you like the look of this concept sketch from the Armidale Creeklands Master Plan (proposed for Stage 1, near the skate park)? (ranked score 34)

Would you like part of Armidale creeklands to look quite 'formal' - admittedly, smaller, but a little like this (Torrens River Adelaide)? (ranked score 33)

Would you like to see broad, safe, accessible walkways near our creeklands (this one is in Sydney Park, Tempe) (ranked score 31)

Do you like how Dumaresq creek looks like when it is full of water - looking east towards Marsh St bridge Jan 2004? (ranked score 30)

Would you like to see boardwalks something like this along Dumaresq creek - if we could create sufficient areas of wetlands (Sale common, Victoria)? (ranked score 28)

Can you imagine one day seeing a beautiful bridge in Armidale (this one is the Parramatta River bridge)? (ranked score 21)

Can you imagine creating a sizeable pond something like this in Civic Park in Dumaresq Creek (image taken during a flood event)? (ranked score 20)

Do you like how Dumaresq creek looks like when it is full of water - looking west towards Dangar St Jan 2004? (ranked score 19)

Can you imagine recreating something like this in Dumaresq Creek (Blue Hole)? (ranked score 18)

Would you like to see more off-stream ponds like this one adjacent to Armidale's creeklands (looking west across Lake Zot at UNE - near hockey fields)? (ranked score 18)

Do you like this water view, looking west towards Dangar St? (ranked score -2)

“The stone ‘drain’ or ‘gutter’ must be removed and the creek cleaned up and maintained well.
Remove weeds and re-vegetate with a mix of native and deciduous non-invasive trees.
More informality and naturalness in the design of grassy slopes and tree plantings which is pleasing to the eye. Favour “natural” visions typical of a small tableland stream and ponds such as the Mike O’Keefe Memorial area.
Too many corellas can be a nuisance in the creeklands and can damage infrastructure.
Flood mitigation must be considered to limit risk and damage to people and property. Increasing the size of culverts could assist in improving creek crossings and help minimise flooding.
Don’t wish to see large, horrible man-made structures. Concrete walkways are essential, but they need to be well-drained so that they can still be used after rain.
The main challenge is: where is the water going to come from in dry times? We have to either find a source of water for continuous environmental flows through town and/or allow water to be recycled upstream. Otherwise, we will end up with stagnant, smelly, unattractive pools which will be a magnet for more shopping carts!
I am inspired by all of the images of water and can imagine how beautiful Armidale will be for locals and tourists.
The community needs ongoing regular interactions with the Mayor, Councillors and heads of relevant departments of Armidale Regional Council to ensure progress is made with the agreed Master Plan for the creeklands.
Time now to make it happen.”

— Key comments received from this survey of a series of watery images …

Here are the results of our 2nd survey which concerned the many suggestions for our creeklands put forward by our members for consideration. Understandably, members tended to rank their suggestions higher than non-members - but it is interesting that almost all were viewed positively.

It is important to note that this survey did not get as many responses as we would have hoped - perhaps because it was quite a long survey. We will try to ensure that future surveys are more tightly focused and shorter!

RESULTS OF SURVEY 1: LEARNING ABOUT YOUR PREFERENCES

This survey was open to all those viewing this website. These results were received from 50 respondents of this 1st survey of visitors to our web pages. They were asked what they thought of a series of propositions, firstly about the creeklands themselves and secondly, about playgrounds that might be built along the creeklands (to read the full text of each proposition, see the original survey still shown under the SURVEYS tab). 

Firstly, let's see a chart of all responses from both members and non-members. Then, below this chart, you can then read some of the ideas put forward in response to the open-ended question seeking viewers’ thoughts.

Ideas put forward by members:

• “I would like more attention to quality bicycle and walking paths and a venue for outdoor performance - like an amphitheatre.”

• “The creeklands need to be a place of beauty where both residents and visitors want to spend time. Other attractions and installations such as a sculpture park, outdoor performance area and exercise stations should be considered. Improved walking paths and tracks and cycle ways are also needed to encourage users to easily explore further along the creeklands in either direction. An increase in the planting of both deciduous and evergreen trees need to be planted to provide shade, screening and general beautification of the creeklands particularly from Markham Street through to Taylor Street. Higher standard of crossing for both pedestrian and cyclist need to be constructed to encourage people to safely use a greater length of the creeklands.”

• “Definitely need a maintenance plan for ongoing repairs and definitely would like to see a foundation established to guarantee ongoing improvements and continuation of this plan forever.”

• “Remove reeds. Deepen the creek. Have better bridges across the creek in central areas.”

• “I think the playground should be on the higher north Kirkwood Street side of the creek not concentrated in a smallish area on a busy road.”

• “I realise that native trees will possibly attract bats (I like bats by the way).”

Ideas put forward by NON-members:

• “Public transport from town to park.”

• “I have some other ideas also of natural playgrounds for all ages. I will endeavour to send them through to you!”

• “We need bigger playgrounds for young children to play in. Especially toddlers and young children. I think Armidale should use the 2 excellent playgrounds that Tamworth have as an idea as we travel to Tamworth most weekends for my young child to have somewhere to play outside that is exciting, engaging and safe.”

• “Outdoor gym equipment. Better flow of water.”

• “Lighting and security cams. Wifi hotspot.”

• “I would love to see what Tamworth did with their animal park. Not the animals but the park have school or kids come buy a brick or a post and have them put their name on it. Have a day were the whole community can come along and help so kids feel good that they did something to help. Get all the work for the dole people in there building or planting. I hate having to drive to Tamworth just to spend the day at the park as in our parks, our kids are bored after a half hour.“

• “Deciduous trees near water will likely mean that the water will need more cleaning due to leaf litter.”

• “There are ways in which both shade cloth and trees can be useful and in different situations one might be better than the other Water, if shallow and hidden by grass growth, is dangerous because adults supervising children might not realise it is there. Water needs to be obvious to be safe.”

• “I do not feel we need to focus on parking as much as encouraging bike or foot.”

• “Other attractions and installations.”

• “Please get rid of the reeds in the creek which distract from its beauty.”

• “The redesign of Armidales creek lands in relation to Dumaresq creek in its existing state needs a well thought out and staged development process. I absolutely feel the inclusion of recreation areas is of high importance, however children playgrounds only form part of the needs for recreational areas.”