A major dam upgrade will see 21 hectares of native bushland cleared and Cardinia Reservoir Park closed for up to three years, prompting concern from nearby residents.
Upper Beaconsfield resident Fabian Josef, whose property backs directly onto the reserve, said neighbours were blindsided by the scale of the project.
“Three years of reservoir reserve closure and 21.5 hectares of clearing just casually dropped on us,” he shared after receiving a letter from Melbourne Water.
“There were some works six or 12 months ago that closed the park for a couple of weeks. In hindsight that was preparation for this, but there was no indication anything like this was coming.”
For Josef’s young family, the impact will be immediate.
“Losing access to the park for such a long time is pretty upsetting. This is our go to walking track and kids playground,” he said.
But beyond access, residents are worried about what will be left behind.
“At the moment it is a beautiful and natural area with limited infrastructure, focus is on the bush and walking tracks around it,” Mr Josef said.
“They’re already talking about clearing significant areas of native vegetation, it will never be the same.”
Some residents say the letter written by Melbourne Water did not clearly outline how wildlife would be protected during construction.
Noise is another major concern for homes closest to the site.
“We have young kids and between my wife and I, there’s always someone working from home during the week,” Mr Josef said.
“If there’s heavy machinery operating in there for 3 years that will be super disruptive for us.
“I understand that infrastructure needs to be maintained, so sure, some work, closure and noise I can tolerate, but this significant and this length of time seems diabolical in terms of impact to the neighbours.”
Previous works linked to the desalination plant pipeline installation left neighbours frustrated.
“We were not informed at all despite our house being a few hundred metres away from the house. Only when I called Melbourne Water was I given information,” Mr Josef said.
“The hours of operation of the machinery were not stuck to and the noise was awful. That was for only a month, I can’t imagine 3 years.”
Cardinia Reservoir, built in the early 1970s, remains one of Victoria’s most important water infrastructure assets and a vital water source for Melbourne’s south-east.
Melbourne Water Executive General Manager Service and Asset Lifecycle, Matt Daley, said the upgrade reflects Melbourne Water’s commitment to proactively managing and protecting the city’s drinking water supply.
“Maintaining healthy, resilient reservoirs is vital to securing Melbourne’s water supply for generations to come. As industry standards evolve, we continue to invest in the critical infrastructure that keeps pace with our rapidly growing city,” Mr Daley said.
Works include raising sections of the dam walls, upgrading filters, improving leakage monitoring and collection systems, installing new security fencing, renewing access tracks, and enhancing park amenities.
The project will require large-scale engineering and construction works, with up to 21 hectares of native vegetation to be removed to make way for construction zones, access and equipment laydown areas.
Residents were advised that technical specialists determined the current construction approach would result in the “least native vegetation removal possible”.
“We work hard to avoid native vegetation removal, wherever possible. For the Cardinia dam upgrade, we have reduced the amount of native vegetation to be removed by almost half, and avoided areas of high ecological value,” Mr Daley added.
To protect native wildlife and biodiversity during project delivery, Melbourne Water continues to work with Parks Victoria, the Victorian Government, the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, and other agencies and community groups.
Melbourne Water is also supporting an Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation assessment to ensure the project meets national environmental requirements.
Construction of the upgrade is scheduled to begin in 2027. During this period, Reservoir Park and access roads will remain closed to the public.
Cardinia Reservoir will continue to operate throughout the works, ensuring uninterrupted water supply for Melbourne.
Melbourne Water has begun doorknocking neighbouring properties and opened community consultation on the project, running through to 26 April 2026.
In-person information sessions: Saturday 14 March and Sunday 15 March from 10am to 2pm
Shopping centre pop-ups:
– 3 March at Wellington Village Shopping Centre
– 5 March at Emerald Woolworths Supermarket and Narre Warren North Village Centre
For more project information and to provide your feedback, visit: https://letstalk.melbournewater.com.au/cardinia-dam-upgrade
