Welcome to ecocentre west gate park

Westgate Project

Westgate Park is located just 2Km from the CBD and is one of the largest tracts of open space in the inner urban region. It is a former rubbish tip that has been transformed since 1985 into a nature space and has several lakes in it of varying levels of salinity.

Parks Victoria is the statutory authority that manages Westgate Park with the key hands on action being undertaken by volunteers of the Friends of Westgate Park.

The Friends of Westgate Park , an Ecocentre affiliate are supported by the Ecocentre through coordination of significant sponsorship from Holden Ltd. (Holden Community Programs)

The organizational structures of the ecocentre enabled the this funding of significant value which wouldn't ordinarily be able to be handled by a smaller group.

Getting the Kids involved

Due to the Holden Ltd's sponsorship and Ecocentre's co-ordination groups of School children have been able to indulge their mind, body & souls by actively planting native plants with much enthusiasm and enjoyment for the Growling Grass Frogs environment.

The kids get to practice and learn first hand about their environment . They learn to grow plants from seeds, identify different bird, frog and lizard species while looking at a wide range of eco systems and how to manage and interact with it.

The kids help to regenerate and benefit the environment through education and experience that will stay with them throughout their lives and assist them in their environmental ethic.

Our kids are the leaders of tomorrow and this type of education they can only positive for the future.

Supporters/Partners

Holden , Landcare Australia, Parks Victoria, Friends of Westgate Park, Port Phillip EcoCentre, City of Melbourne, City of Port Phillip, St Kilda Indigenous Nursery Cooperative.

Further information

Neil Blake Port Phillip EcoCentre
0409 138 565 or 9534 0670
Alice Molan Port Phillip EcoCentre
0411 055 991
Naomie Sunner Friends of Westgate Park
0415 941 629

Westgate Park Frog Protection Project

Westgate Park is a unique urban nature park bordering on the Cities of Melbourne and Port Phillip. The area was originally characterized by the freshwater flows of the Yarra River meeting the saline waters of Port Phillip Bay.

Where different ecosystems meet there is inevitably a zone of rich diversity. Bird life and frogs were abundant in the coastal dunes and marshland that ultimately were mined for sand for the construction of early Melbourne.

The resultant hole in the ground was filled with various forms of waste materials before eventually being turned into parkland in the mid 1980s.

Lying below Westgate Bridge and adjacent to the Yarra River and Melbourne Port Corporation's Webb Dock, Westgate Park incorporates two lakes (one brackish and one highly saline), smaller wetlands, native grassland, salt marsh, thickets of native (mostly non-indigenous) trees and shrubs and open expanses of mown 'lawn.'

Besides being a pleasant and popular recreational venue (the bike path being part of the Port Phillip Bay trail), the park has a significant sculpture collection and from time to time hosts cultural events in the park amphitheater.

The park is important habitat for birds and amphibians. The growling grass frog (a threatened species) has been recorded at Westgate Park as recent as 4 years ago.

Despite the prolonged drought conditions experienced by much of Australia in the recent past; and a decline in urban frog populations generally, several frog species are still resident at Westgate Park.

Current strategies to maintain and enhance frog habitat at Westgate include diversion of storm water run-off from neighboring areas and creation of new ponds and associated plant communities.

The Friends of Westgate Park (affiliated with Port Phillip EcoCentre), has been instrumental in significantly enhancing the habitat values of the park and supporting Parks Victoria's management activities.

The group conducts monthly community working bees and coordinates a work-for-the-dole program two days a week. Their work has been supplemented over the past 2 years by the Port Phillip EcoCentre's coordination of a frog habitat project sponsored by Holden and Landcare.

In addition to ongoing re vegetation and schools activities a community photo exhibition is being planned to raise public awareness and involvement in the frogs project and the park generally.