Drabble Park | Waterwise Park Project

• Project typeWaterwise Park Project
• Project scheduleNovember 2023 to April 2025

Last Updated:12/03/2025

The Town is acting on a Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) plan to reduce groundwater extraction by 10 per cent before 2028. This plan aims to rebalance the groundwater system to better match less rainfall in a drier climate. Initiatives promoting reduction of groundwater use are also linked to key actions within the Towns Urban Forest Strategy and Sustainability Strategy.

As a platinum Waterwise council, the Town of Cambridge will implement several projects in the coming years to continually reduce our reliance on groundwater extraction through our open spaces.

Drabble Park or Cobb/Drabble reserve is a shared Park with City of Stirling in City Beach / Wembley Downs, primarily used for dog walking and passive recreation. The park contains irrigation systems on both sides of the Council boundary. The ToC side of the boundary has steep slopes and large areas of natural vegetation embankment. The irrigation system is poor and contains ageing infrastructure which is suffering corrosion.

Drabble Park (or Cobb / Drabble Reserve) was nominated for irrigation decommission as it possesses significant opportunities for improvement, with little impact in the park user experience. There are also significant areas of open irrigated turf space within close walking distance of the site, as well as the northern section of the park within the City of Stirling which will remain irrigated.

Opportunities exist to improve the natural features of the park such as:

• Stabilising steep embankments and improving drainage functions in the park with natural solutions
• Improving and protection natural areas of the park with tree and shrub planting programs
• Improvements to the accessibility and amenity of the park with new pathways and furniture
• Improving biodiversity and fauna habitat
• Addressing concerns of anti social activity in the park

Progress Update

As we are coming towards the end of our first season of having no turf irrigation, some areas of the park are looking quite dry.

The following items are planned for the coming months:

• Trafficable limestone pathway to prevent further damage to the existing turf
• Soil treatment to the eastern turf area to improve growing conditions
• Coir logs will be installed along the edge of the natural area to manage flows down the embankment and encourage infiltration
• A fire break will be cleared and fence repaired at the southeast of the park
• Mulching and revegetation will continue in winter 2025
• A hardstand will be installed at the end of the Colin Road pedestrian path where it has become sandy

View Map