CLIMATE READY

#03 CLIMATE READY

WHAT IS CLIMATE READY?

While greening the suburb looks at minimizing the risks of urban heat and sustainable use practices, climate ready looks at the unique challenge Northcote faces in terms of inundation and flooding. This is due to low lying land contours surrounding Merri Creek and across smaller portions of the suburb. Climate Ready aims to combat future risks of extreme weather events in these areas and combat issues flooding may pose to storm water run-off and managment.

OBJECTIVE 3.1

Future proof Northcote to flooding.

Global trends highlight that population growth and economic development in flood prone areas threaten to exacerbate the rising global flood risk trends. Thus, flood risk and storm water management must be integrated into Northcote’s climate resilient future. it is integral that storm water and inundation risks are managed with a holistic approach across the suburb, thus these actions outline integrative complete strategies to create an adaptive and flood proof Northcote.

NORTHCOTE’S ADAPTATIONS TO FUTURE FLOOD RISK.

KEY

INDUSTRIAL LAND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

CATALYST PROJECT SITE

RAIN WATER GARDEN

DEVELOPMENT IN EROSION ZONE

Redevelop drainage systems using rainwater gardens and urban design along key residential and commercial floodways to limit future risks.

This action ensures a holistic integration of storm water management across the suburb of Northcote. The action strongly coincides with existing actions presented by the City of Darebin Council Plan (2017) outlining an aim to “install rain gardens/ water sensitive urban devices to improve the condition of our waterways.” Rainwater gardens will improve ecology by reusing water. Rainwater garden installation across key streets (see map page 51) will minimise inundation of local streets and main roads such as High Street and Arthurton Road following extreme weather events. This action will also improve water quality that can be reused to support and maintain local ecology and park land, or be sent into Merri Creek free of storm water remnants. Find on objective map

PRECEDENT: PHILADELPHIA INTEGRATED STORM WATER DESIGN

This year the City of Philadelphia released a comprehensive storm water management plan which aimed to minimise the risk extreme weather effects had on water quality across the city (2020). A key goal within the pan was the installation of integrated stormwater design initiatives such as storm water gardens. This are aimed to be installed within major civil spaces and along key roads to limit storm water run-off and achieve a more sustainable

balanced city.

Transform industrial land adjacent to Croxton Primary school into a water sensitive green space sport facility.

CATALYST PROJECT: FLOODWAY RESILIENCE PROJECT

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BUILT FACING PARK TO INCREASE SAFETY

STEPPED RECREATIONAL SPACES, CREATES GRADUATED FLOODING LEVELS

NATIVE VEGETATION

MERRI CREEK BOULDERS CREATE PERMEABLE INTERFACE FOR WATER COLLECTION UNDERWATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM CONNECTING WATER TO STORM WATER DRAIN SYSTEMS

RECREATIONAL SPACES WITH UNDERGROUND WATER COLLECTION SYSTEM

ROAD SET AT RAISED LEVEL TO STOP FLOODING OVER ROAD

ROAD PROPERTY

This action focuses on a large-scale innovation project outlining the redevelopment of industrial land along Merri Creek currently subject to high inundation and flood risks. The action will create an integrative recreational space, that provides increased outdoor space for the community, particularly students at Croxton primary school. This stepped system will allow for flooding at specified intervals that can than be stored and removed of contaminants before going into Merri Creek. The space will also be integrated with newly design rain-water garden s across the precinct to minimise flood risks along High Street and Arthurton Road by redirecting storm water into this strategized catchment. The activation of green space in the area will also increase open space accessibility for the north western portion of the suburb.

The main precedent of this project was flood resiliency projects in parks around New York, following the damage attributed to Hurricane Sandy (2018). These projects considered the replanning of park spaces to be resilient against future flood risks in these areas.

Create a cohesive storm water management plan to facilitate the protection of Merri Creek and help mantain open space.

Northcote holds significant natural assets such a Merri Creek, which have been attentively revitalised in recent decades. This action aims to protect the rich water biodiveristy and natural ecology within Merri Creek through the design of strategic storm water management plan. This plan will integrate the proposed rainwater gardens and innovative floodway sports facility as storm water storage areas.. The plan will also attribute to the reuse of storm water to maintain open space and increased canopy cover throughout the suburb.

PRECEDENT ARDEN STRUCTURE PLAN

A key precdent of this action is the approach taken within the Arden Structure Plan (2020) as it prioritises significant planning to storm water management processes through an integrative deisgn approach. This was achieved through administering storm water management standards within planned open space.

ACTION 3.1.4

Establish strong erosion management strategies to protect existing mixed use and social housing within the erosion boundary.

Future developments such as Walker Street Housing Development and Meri Green are located within Northcote’s erosion zone. To ensure Northcote is climate resilient to future environment risks this action highlights a thorough revision of current erosion management strategies. The revised strategy should integrate the potential of mid and high density development to be located within Northcote’s erosion zone and how building recommendations and regulations can minimise risks erosion potentional has on built form. Figure 47, Integrative strom water managment plan for the future of Northcote.

ACTION 3.1.5

Require all new developments to meet the City of Melbourne’s waste management guidelines.

This action aims to ensure the minimsation of pollution and rubbish across the suburb. This is an integral response to waste management and is important in ensuring that future storm water run-off contaminants are minimised.