About the project

Connecting community along Federation Trail

Greening The Pipeline is an example of a project supported by Greening The West that is specifically targeted toward improving community health and wellbeing, promoting liveability along this linear park.

Greening The Pipeline longer-term aims to over time transform 27 km of the decommissioned and heritage listed Main Outfall Sewer reserve into a linear park and bike track, creating a green spine connecting the communities of Melbourne’s west to central Melbourne.

Part of this is Federation Trail, a strategic cycling corridor and off-road shared-use path. The project is a partnership between Melbourne Water, Wyndham City Council, City West Water and Department of Transport, with funding from the Victorian Government. A pilot park project of a 100 m section at Williams Landing was completed in April 2017 to showcase the potential for this project.

This pilot project was originally initiated in 2013 by Greening The West, City West Water and Melbourne Water, who won initial Victorian Government funding and identified the site. Shady, vegetated spaces now line the old channel, providing a healthy and enjoyable environment for social engagement and recreational activities in an area that was once divisive and underutilised.

As a demonstration Pilot site for best-practice integrated water management, the park is also fitted with assets to capture, filter and reuse local stormwater to irrigate grass, shrubs and trees. The result is a cooler, more comfortable microclimate and new habitats for native species. Solar lights throughout the park save energy and keep the area active and safe, while a shared-use bicycle and pedestrian path links suburbs from Brooklyn to Werribee, improving liveability and providing physical and mental health benefits.

Thanks to the success of the Greening The Pipeline collaborations, investigations are under way to the entire length of the Main Outfall Sewer into a world-class linear park. Once completed, this 27-km green active transport corridor will represent a project of regional significance, connecting communities of Melbourne’s west to inner Melbourne, creating significant uplift in community health, wellbeing and sense of pride in where they live and work.

Project partners are currently implementing the Zone 5 masterplan: a 3.8-km section of the reserve stretching from Williams Landing to Skeleton Creek in Truganina. This project is funded by the Victorian Government’s Suburban Parks Program.