Address:
Main Outfall Sewer (MOS) reserve, along the Federation Trail shared path from Werribee through to Laverton
Phase:
In Progress / Under Construction
Greening the Pipeline

We’re transforming the heritage listed MOS pipeline reserve, along the Federation Trail bike path, into parkland and community space for Melbourne’s growing west.

The project is organised into nine zones, with much of the transformation occurring inside Wyndham City. From Werribee to the City, more trees, parkland, community event spaces, play spaces, and community gardens are being created to improve liveability and sustainability for decades to come.

Greening the Pipeline is a collaborative alliance between Wyndham City Council, Melbourne Water, Greater Western Water, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), the Department of Transport and Planning, supported by Greening the West.

Wyndham City Council is working with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation to ensure Traditional Owner interests and values are embedded into park design and creation.

The project is funded by the Victorian Government through the Suburban Parks Program and More Trees for a Cooler Greener West, Greater Western Water’s Stormwater Harvesting Partnership fund and Melbourne Water’s Living Rivers program.


Budget:

Funding from the Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA):

  • Suburban Parks Program - $8M
  • Integrated Water Management Grant - $1M
  • More Trees for a Cooler, Greener West (Phase 2) – 19,050 tubestock and an additional 2,400 with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation

Funding from Greater Western Water - Stormwater Harvesting partnership fund- $1M

Funding from Melbourne Water - Melbourne Water’s Living Rivers Program - $300k

Key Milestones

Greening the Pipeline - Zone Map

What is the Main Outfall Sewer?

The Main Outfall Sewer (MOS) was built in the 1890s to improve the health of Melbourne. For nearly 100 years, it transferred the majority of Melbourne’s sewage for treatment until 1993. 

In 2005, VicRoads built the Federation Trail for cyclists and pedestrians along the MOS reserve land.

Federation Trail Improvements and Detours

Walkers and riders, the Federation Trail is now open. There are new solar lights along the new Federation Trail between Forsyth Road and the Skeleton Creek Bridge, which now makes it accessible in the evenings. 

Federation Trail Improvements and Detours
Federation Trail

Why is this happening?

We are upgrading and realigning the Federation Trail to a new concrete surface putting in new solar path lighting, new line marking, cycle repair stations, planting over 20,000 new trees.

Zone 5 - Community Education shelter

The Greening the Pipeline Community Shelter is open, offering residents and visitors an exciting new space to explore. Nestled in Zone 5, Truganina, along the Federation Trail, this shelter serves as a rest stop for cyclists, a hub for community learning, and a spot to soak in spectacular 360-degree views.

Positioned between Skeleton Creek and Forsyth Road, the shelter highlights the area's rich history and natural beauty. Educational signage will tell the story of the Main Outfall Sewer (MOS), a monumental 1890s engineering achievement listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. Visitors can learn how this historical infrastructure has been transformed into a vibrant Integrated Water Management asset, fostering liveability and community wellbeing through the Greening the Pipeline initiative.

Surrounded by terraced seating, shaded spaces, and urban forest plantings, the shelter offers easy access to nearby features like the Boulder Amphitheatre, Skeleton Creek Aqueduct, and a new Community Garden. It’s a perfect destination for walkers, cyclists, and families seeking to connect with history, nature, and the local community.

Zone 5 Parkland

Zone 5 West: Forsyth Road to Skeleton Creek Bridge
Work in Zone 5 West began in 2022 and marks the first stage of the Zone 5 development. Spanning Forsyth Road to Skeleton Creek, the upgrades include:

  • Extensive landscaping and tree planting
  • A revamped Federation Trail now open to the public
  • A new community garden
  • An educational lookout
  • An amphitheatre at Skeleton Creek (currently under construction)

Zone 5 East: Forsyth Road to Sayers Road
This area will be upgraded to feature:

  • Landscaping and irrigated garden beds for urban cooling
  • Improved Federation Trail access
  • New play spaces and a kick-a-bout lawn areas

Recent enhancements include the removal of old fencing near Forsyth Road, creating a more open and seamless north-south connection. This area now features 8 custom granite stone seats nestled among existing trees for rest stops along the trail.

By the end of 2023, 30 granite stone seats were installed throughout Zone 5 East, adding even more rest areas for walkers and cyclists. To date, over 21,600 trees and 21,500 plants have been introduced across both Zone 5 West and East, with more planting underway to further enrich these spaces.

Arndell Park Stormwater Harvesting System

Construction is completed in the first stage of Greening the Pipeline’s Zone 5 parkland. The project includes the development of a 22-megalitre stormwater harvesting system, which will provide a sustainable source of irrigation for the new parkland.

With the final phase of Arndell Park Stormwater Harvesting System works set to begin in May 2025 and expected to be completed by mid-2025, the stormwater harvesting and irrigation system will ensure a reliable water source for landscape within the area. This project will not only enhance the availability of green, open spaces but also contribute to urban cooling, addressing climate change challenges for communities in Melbourne's west. 

Additionally, landscape rectifications to areas impacted by these works are anticipated to be completed by mid-2025.

Pilot Park in Williams Landing

The first park of the long-term Greening the Pipeline project, Pilot Park, was built along 100 metres of the reserve at Williams Landing. The park showcases the potential of creating a green linear parkland that takes a more holistic approach to water management.

The project was led by Melbourne Water and supported by Wyndham City Council, City West Water and VicRoads, with a significant funding contribution by the Victorian Government. Construction of the park commenced in December 2016 and was completed in April 2017.

Zone 4 Active Transport Link

Concept Plans were developed and community consultation undertaken on the plans in 2023. Following community feedback, financing of Zone 4 is now being sought. This 1.8km section is expected to include:

  • planting of trees
  • New connecting Shared Use Path Federation Trail connection
  • native grasslands
  • passive rain garden
  • aqueduct deck/mesh walk
  • bicycle repair station
  • seating

Zone 9 – Brooklyn Gateway

Zone 9 is mostly within areas covered by Brimbank City Council and Hobson Bay City Council.

The section between Millers Road and Little Boundary Road in Brooklyn,  is managed by Hobson Bay City Council.

Works are underway to beautify the section and are expected to be completed in early 2024.

For more information visit: www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Council/Current-projects/Parks-Foreshore-Proj…

Zone 5 - artwork

Narrarrang Ngarri

Narrarrang Ngarri (2025) by Kait James

Narrarrang Ngarri is a 50-metre-long suspended artwork, created by Wadawurrung artist Kait James. The artwork is above the new Amphitheatre at the Skeleton Creek Aqueduct and can be viewed from the Federation Trail.

Narrarrang Ngarri pays homage to the deep cultural significance of the Sheoke to the Bunurong, Boonwurrung, and Wadawurrung people. It is conceptualised as a fusion of natural history, cultural reverence, and contemporary art, serving as a bridge between past and present, and between different mobs.

An ancient Sheoke forest once grew throughout the western Kulin Nations, serving as the original green spine, like the pipeline, it connected communities. Amplified by its leafy canopy, the wind whispered news and stories, carrying songs from one mob to another, fostering a profound sense of shared heritage and dialogue among the Kulin peoples. This work, alongside re-planted Sheokes close to this site, offers us an opportunity to consider the confluence of infrastructure, culture and the natural world. 

The artwork focuses on the ethereal qualities of the Sheoke leaves. Imagined as an elongated wind chime, this installation consists of metal leaves suspended along the pipeline walkway near Skeleton Creek Aqueduct, creating an immersive environment for visitors. The leaves, designed in three segments to capture the delicate structure of natural Sheoke foliage, are crafted from thin, cast tubes, allowing them to interlock, move and make subtle sound (and whisper) with the wind.

Narrarrang Ngarri is commissioned by Wyndham City Council in partnership with Deakin University’s Public Art Commission and Greening the Pipeline as part of the renewal of the Federation Trail.  Greening the Pipeline is a partnership between Melbourne Water, Greater Western Water, the Department of Transport, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Wyndham City Council and is supported by Greening the West.

Learn More

Keep up to date with Wyndham City’s capital works projects by visiting the Capital Works Dashboard at https://digital.wyndham.vic.gov.au/capitalworks. If you are a local resident, you can type in your home address to view the status of the works for Greening the Pipeline and other projects Wyndham City is delivering around you.

For more information about upcoming community consultation: https://theloop.wyndham.vic.gov.au/greening-pipeline

For more information about Greening the Pipeline:

Watch a video about this project:

https://youtu.be/mrmfFnZZmck

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