FACT SHEET
Central Creek Grassland, Reservoir
Central Creek Grassland is part of Kulin land for which the Wurundjeri, the traditional owners have been custodians for many
centuries. Their living culture and unique role in the life of this region is acknowledged.
Site
Central Creek Grassland is about 13km north of Melbourne directly south of Mahoneys
Road on the east side of Central Creek, a tributary of the Merri Creek, in Reservoir
(Melways Map 8 B12). The area of the grassland gazetted as a reserve occupies 9
hectares. Earlier studies of the biological attributes of the Central Creek Grassland
included a further 6.5 hectares of formerly undeveloped land in the north and east of the
grassland that was developed for housing in 2003.
Land Ownership
It is only in very recent times that the Central Creek Grassland has been reserved for
conservation. Central Creek Grassland was part of the freeway reservation that extended
all the way down the Merri Creek valley. Community opposition led to the revocation of
this freeway, first the downstream section (between Alexandra Pde and Coburg Lake)
during the 70s, and the northern section (Coburg Lake – Mahoneys Rd) in the 90s.
Some of the land that had been covered by the freeway reservation was then sold for
housing – including the land to the south of grassland between Merri and Central Creeks.
Further community-based pressure to reserve the state-significant grassland between
Mahoneys Rd and Bartrop St led, with the support and assistance of Darebin Council, to
a compromise arrangement where degraded parts of the grassland on the north and east
edge have been developed for housing. The rest of the land has been reserved for
conservation. Strict planning and development guidelines aim to reduce the impact of
the newer developments on the remaining native grassland. The reserve was gazetted as
a crown land reserve with Darebin Council as its Committee of Management in 2003.
Ecological
Communities
The Central Creek Grassland includes the following ecological communities:
Significant Fauna:

Plains Grassland, a species rich, largely treeless ecological community now reduced
to less than 0.1% of its former range in Victoria. The community is listed as
threatened under Victoria’s Flora & Fauna Guarantee Act and an Action Statement
has been prepared (Muir, 1999). The community has been nominated for listing as a
threatened community under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act.

Stony Knoll Grassland, dominated by Spear Grasses and a variety of other grasses
and herbs that prefer good drainage. Blackwoods (a species of wattle) are also
prominent, forming low shrubby thickets. This community is found in the northwest corner of the grassland.

Grassy Wetland is found near Central Creek, immediately north of Davidson Street.
Common Tussock Grass, Common Sedge, Soft Rush and Common Swamp Wallaby
Grass characterise this wetland.
National
Growling Grass-frog (Southern Bell Frog)
State
Grassland (Little) Copper Butterfly
Regional
Brown Songlark, Little Whip Snake, Little Grassbird, ,
Large Striped Skink
Other interesting fauna species at Central Creek Grassland include Pallid Cuckoos and Horsefield’s Bronze Cuckoos.
In a review of its habitat values, Williams (2000) considered that the grassland contained good habitat for Fat-tailed
Dunnarts, Striped Legless Lizards and Nankeen Night-Herons, all of which are found in adjacent areas. A small
number of Eastern Grey Kangaroos lived in the grassland till 2003 when development of housing and freeways cut off
access to open space north of Mahoneys Road.
Significant Flora
National
Callitriche brachycarpa
Short Water-starwort
Dianella amoena
Matted Flax-Lily
State
Tripogon lolliformis (rare)
Rye Beetle-grass
Thelymitra sp. aff. pauciflora (Basalt Plains)
taxonomy needs confirmation
Slender Sun Orchid
Regional
Acaena ovina
Juncus pauciflorus
Alisma plantago-aquatica
Lachnagrostis aemula
Amphibromus archeri
Lachnagrostis filiformis var. 2
Amphibromus nervosus
Lepidosperma curtisiae
Arthropodium fimbriatum
Leptorhynchos squamatus
Arthropodium minus
Leptorhynchos tenuifolius
Arthropodium strictum
Lobelia pratioides
Asperula conferta
Lomandra micrantha
Asperula scoparia
Lomandra nana
Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Muellerina eucalyptoides
Austrostipa aristiglumis
Oxalis radicosa
Austrostipa curticoma
Panicum effusum
Bothriochola macra
Pentapogon quadrifidus
Burchardia umbellata
Pimelea curviflora
Caesia calliantha
Pimelia humilis
Calocephalus lacteus
Plantago gaudichaudii
Carex tereticaulis
Poa rodwayii
Cheilanthes sieberi
Poa sieberiana
Convulvulus remotus
Rumex dumosus
Eleocharis pusilla
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (validus)
Eryngium ovinum
Solenogyne dominii
Eryngium vesiculosum
Thelymitra megcalyptra
Geranium retrosum
Tricoryne elatior
Haloragis aspera
Triglochin striatum
Haloragis heterophylla
Veronica gracilis
Hermarthria uncinata var uncinata
Wahlenbergia gracilenta
Juncus holoschoenus
Wahlenbergia luteola
A Significance rating identifies biologically noteworthy species or sites, and the degree to which they are rare or threatened. Ratings are
revised as more is learnt about flora and fauna populations and as ongoing habitat degradation and (occasionally) improvement occur. Very
little of the invertebrate and non-vascular plant biota has been assessed.
Background Reading
Beardsell, C., 1997, Sites of Faunal and Habitat Significance in North East Melbourne.
Frood, D., 1992, Vegetation of the Native Grasslands in the Merri Creek Valley, Outer Melbourne Area.
McMahon, A.R.G. and Schulz, M., 1993, Merri Creek Concept Plan – Flora & Fauna Study.
Muir, A., 1999, Western (Basalt) Plains Grassland Community. Action Statement No 53.
Robinson R. & Duggan, D., 1994, Davidson Street Grassland. A report on the flora, fauna, development
options and management.
Ross, J.H. and Walsh, N.G. 2003, A Census of the Vascular Plants of Victoria. 7th Ed.
Williams, L.M., 2000, Central Creek Project: Review of Flora & Fauna.
MERRI CREEK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 2004