Remix Raingarden network expands within Fishermans Bend

Over the last few months, a new environmental feature has been added to the Port of Melbourne’s Education Centre with the installation of two new Remix Raingardens. 

Led by Alex Felson with Maria Bulmaga and  the Urban Ecology and Design Lab (UEDLAB), in the Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning at University of Melbourne, the project extends the original  Remix Raingarden project, winner of the 2022 Fishermans Bend Innovation Challenge and first piloted on Turner Street with Amira Moshinsky, Andreas Baruhas and Ema Hagihara through a student led effort.

Located outside the Port Education Centre on Lorimer Street, Remix Raingarden v2.0 will use rooftop runoff from the Port Ed site which will be flow into the raingardens and be filtered through recycled materials.  The raingardens are planted with native species supplied by the wonderful team at Westgate Biodiversity, and wrapped in colourful artwork by Emma Ismawi, a Sarawak Malay/Australian artist, who leads Ismawi Design,  creating an engaging demonstration of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) for visitors and staff alike.  

The project has been developed through a collaboration between several schools across the University of Melbourne, Port of Melbourne, and partners across industry and government. Regular monitoring is under development to assess the performance of recycled materials on water quality of these small habitat patches. .

Going forward, the team hopes to expand the Remix Raingardens into a network of installations designed as experiments around Fishermans Bend, demonstrating how runoff water from buildings, streets and other urban surfaces can be treated before entering the stormwater system, and ultimately the Birrarung. 

Beyond improving water quality, the project demonstrates how partnerships across public and private land can strengthen urban resilience, enhance biodiversity and contribute to healthier waterways. The support of Port of Melbourne has been instrumental in prototyping and testing this innovative approach.  By advocating for an extended treatment chain and bridging gaps between private and public domains, the project seeks to foster a more holistic water management ecosystem.

Want to see if for yourself? 

Visit the Remix Raingardens at Port of Melbourne Education Centre, located at339-343 Lorimer St, Port Melbourne.