Picnic Point Reserve Playground, Princes Way, Drouin West
A lovely spot beside the Tarago River with covered BBQs, big shelter with three tables, toilets and playground.
The playground structure has a wave slide, cubby, fireman's pole, steering wheel, ladder, shopfront, chain bridge, monkey bars, clock, chain traverse and hanging disk traverse. Also swings and some grassy areas.
Tarago River
The Tarago River is an important river for many native plants and animals, including the Australian grayling, platypus and blackfish. In addition, the Tarago River is a source of water for farmers in its lower reaches.
Tarago reservoir was built in 1968 to supply water to Westernport and Mornington Peninsula. The reservoir changed the river flow pattern as water was stored for supply.
In 2009, the Tarago River Environmental Entitlement was granted. This is a right to water that can be released from the reservoir to help keep the river healthy. Melbourne Water works with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder to manage this environmental water.
The river still receives some natural flows, either when the reservoir spills or from rainfall runoff downstream of the reservoir. Releases of environmental water from the reservoir are delivered to improve conditions for native plants, fish and animals when the natural flows are not enough. If water is released for the environment, sometimes the river level can rise even if it hasn't rained.
We monitor the Tarago River to ensure the water we release from the reservoir is helping to keep it healthy. The river is starting to return to good health and has improved since our first environmental release in 2011. The Tarago River requires more than just water to be healthy. Other actions include fencing, revegetation, erosion control, returning logs to rivers for fish and bug habitat, and installation of fishways to help fish to pass.
Picnic Point Reserve
Picnic Point is a favoured and very popular location for locals and visitors to the region. The Tarago River runs along its boundary and is a pleasant and tranquil location where many people come to undertake a variety of recreational activities from swimming, BBQ's, relaxing, ball games or to simply stretching the legs after a long drive.
Black Saturday
A life changing event happened on February 7th 2009. A number of lightning strikes occurred in the Bunyip State Park starting numerous fires.
Due to the hot and windy conditions of the day, the fire spread across the region affecting many residents and forest areas.
Thirty two houses were lost in the region, hundreds of kilometres of fencing destroyed, sheds and outbuildings lost and peoples lives changed.
Picnic Point was on the edge of the Bunyip Ridge Bushfire on Black Saturday and was used as a staging ground and water point.
Fire Recovery
The Community Recovery Plan, which reflects the view of the community, contains a vision for Drouin West for the recovery process following the February 2009 bushfires.
Baw Baw Shire Council was successful in applying for funding for the redevelopment of Picnic Point Reserve from the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (VBBRA) from the generous donations made by the community and also from the Community Enterprise Foundation - Bendigo Bank.
Tarago River
Why Rivers Matter
Rivers play a vital role in the economy, ecology and social fabric of Victoria. They provide clean water, food, fibre, energy and many other benefits that support economies and livelihoods across the state.
Healthy river systems contribute to:
- high quality water for homes, farms and businesses
- a healthier environment in which to live, relax, swim and work
- an attractive and enjoyable destination for tourists, families and industries
- recreational, tourism and commercial fishing opportunities
- natural processes for breaking down sewage and agricultural runoff
- reduced need for pesticides by supporting insect-eating waterbirds such as ibis
Yet their environmental values are equally valuable. River systems are diverse and complex ecosystems in their own right, sustaining diverse species of native plants, fish and animals, all of which play a vital part in maintaining environmental balance. They
- Move carbon (the product of decomposition of material buried or lying on the floodplain) between the river floodplain and wetlands
- Have healthy river bank vegetation, which stabilises banks and slows erosion
- Contain native fish that move easily up river to feed and breed
- Provide fresh water and food for estuarine and marine fish and shellfish, at the lower end of the catchment
- Provide flows of sufficient depths and duration for waterbeds such as ibis, cormorants and night herons to build nests, breed, and raise chicks
- Replenish groundwater storages and dilute salty water left in wetlands and billabongs alter dry periods
- Have a diversity of habitats supporting a variety of plants and animals
- Provide floodplain vegetation as food for native and domestic animals
- Replenish the floodplains by depositing soil and nutrients on the floodplain
The risks associated with declining water quality can have a substantial impact on urban and 'stock and domestic' water supplies, agriculture and tourism. For all of these reasons, the protection of Victoria's rivers is vital for the state.
Photos:
Location
455 Princes Way, Drouin West 3818 Map
