FIVE hundred metres of the Tuggeranong Creek stormwater concrete drain will be replaced with natural elements, in a move the ACT government says will improve the natural quality of the water going into Lake Tuggeranong, which will reduce the amount of nutrients that cause the growth of harmful blue-green algae.

The government will also modify 54 street kerbs across East and West Kambah to direct stormwater flows across existing green spaces. A stormwater recycling infrastructure at Kambah Playing field is also planned.

The government says it plans to make drains and stormwater infrastructure more natural by removing concrete and introducing plant life. It says using natural drains do a better job of preventing floods but also help protect plants and animals.

Specially designed water plants will be planted in these areas to trap sediments and absorb nutrients from garden clippings and fertilisers otherwise destined for waterways without compromising the area’s stormwater capacity.

Access to the channel, west of Tharwa Drive and adjacent to the Calwell Playing Fields, will be fenced off during construction. Access from Richardson to the Calwell High School and Calwell Playing fields can be made via Johnson Drive and Were Street from the west and Tharwa Drive and Were Street from the east.