The City of Onkaparinga has been awarded $5 million for the ecological restoration of the Panalatinga and Serpentine Creeks. This Urban Creek Resilience and Recovery Project will remove hard stormwater infrastructure and weed infestation, and replace with appropriate low environmental impact alternatives and native plant species.

The project seeks to restore the health and ecological resilience of Panalatinga and Serpentine Creeks, along with key tributaries, across a 5.3 kilometre stretch through the suburbs of Happy Valley, O’Halloran Hill, Reynella East, Old Reynella and Woodcroft.

Pertinent baseline studies include:

• Erosion assessment: the Urban Creek Resilience Recovery Project Creek (UCRRP) Erosion Assessment Report addressing existing creek conditions, including erosion hot spots, pollution pathways, fish passage challenges, and vegetation integrity

• Invasive species mapping: the weed survey baseline 2024 identifies the distribution and density of exotic, declared and invasive plant species that compete with native vegetation 

• Tree assessment reports: mapping of trees on the site, including condition assessments. Spatial data is provided via Tree Plotter for the Panalatinga Creek. A report, Fountain Valley Tree Assessment, has been provided for Serpentine Creek (refer to Appendix E and F).

• Cultural heritage surveys: cultural heritage surveys and recommendations for both creeks have been undertaken. Refer City of Onkaparinga Urban Creek Resilience and Recovery Panalatinga Creek, Cultural Heritage Survey Report; and City of Onkaparinga Urban Creek Resilience and Recovery Serpentine Creek, Cultural Heritage Survey Report; both attached as appendices.

• Flood map data: informs water-sensitive and risk-aware decision making, and this spatial data has been attached as an appendix.

Additional baseline reports and surveys include:

• Terrestrial invertebrate assessment: capturing baseline data.

• Freshwater macroinvertebrates surveying and EPA aquatic ecosystem assessments: capturing baseline data.

• Bird surveys: https://birdata.birdlife.org.au/

• Frog surveys