Terrys Creek Restoration Project

Photo of Terrys Creek

Terry’s creek is an important waterway in the City of Ryde it also joins both Ryde and Parramatta City areas. The area around the creek contains the critically endangered Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forests and provides an important wildlife corridor between the two councils. Sadly due to increasing urban pressures and land use, Terry’s creek has significantly degraded over time and has since caused the creek to lose function in areas. 

Council has been monitoring water quality in Terrys Creek and 4 other major waterways in Ryde for over 7 years and in 2013 Council conducted a Riparian (creek vegetation) Study assessing creek health and providing suggestions for improvements. The findings found identified areas of high erosion from water events and areas that would benefit from stormwater and water quality improvements to improve the creek and water quality function.

In 2015/2016 the City of Ryde won a grant to seek to address these waterway issues in several areas including Forrester’s and Jim Walsh parks areas to improve the creek. The creek works focused on stabilising creek banks, addressing erosion of channels, restoring the area through revegetation planting, improving long term water quality and providing improved general creek amenity for community using these parks.

These improvements will provide protection to the creek and surrounding vegetation in high water events, improve water quality through water aeration and by using natural structures and vegetation planting and materials and improve general amenity of the creek for all to enjoy.

Ryde partnered with Parramatta City Council (formerly Hornsby Council) to work together to improve the Forrester’s park site through natural creek geomorphic engineering approaches. Creek restoration works in Jim Walsh Park were then completed in 2015/2016 and complimented by a supporting National Tree Day planting by community in 2016.