A thousand trees and about 10,000 plants now form the wetlands that cover part of the Fiskville CFA training site.
The planting project, completed last month, has created a new wetland to filter and clean stormwater before it enters the Beremboke Creek, which flows into Lake Fiskville. The vegetation was recommended by a Ballan-based botanist.
CFA chief executive Mick Bourke said the wetlands would improve Fiskville’s ecology, beautify the previously barren south end of Lake Fiskville and create a habitat for birds, frogs and other aquatic species. “These latest improvements will give our members confidence they have access to one of the best training facilities in Australia,” Mr Bourke said.
He said the works were an important component of a CFA and Environment Protection Authority clean-up plan.
The CFA was slammed in December 2011 after firefighters claimed they had developed cancer from chemical exposure at the site. In July 2012, a report by Professor Robert Joy found that residues from fire suppression foams previously used in training were present in dams at Fiskville.
“It’s been two years since we’ve used this water, which was historically used for firefighting and training … we’ve been using the town’s mains water as we work to establish a new water recycling system,” a CFA spokesman said.
