Laratinga Wetlands, Mount Barker

Where is it?: Laratinga Wetlands are between Bald Hills Road and Springs Road, Mount Barker. These artificial wetlands have been created to filter the water from the Mount Barker Effluent Works. There is a car park along Bald Hills Road. Public transport (Bus Route 840X) is available from the City to Mount Barker. Alight at Hutchison Street and then catch the Mount Barker East clockwise service (Bus Route 838/838H). The closest bus stop is 69E on Springs Road or 71 on Bald Hills Road with a short walk to the wetlands.

Owner: District Council of Mount Barker.

Laratinga WetlandsProperty summary: Total area c. 34 hectares. Hundred of Macclesfield – Allotments 100 (Deposited Plan 89940), 500 (Deposited Plan 50511), 501 (Deposited Plan 50511), part Allotments 52 (Deposited Plan 45566) and 819 (Deposited Plan 118757). In the Mount Barker District Council Community Land Register only Allotment 500 is designated as Laratinga Wetlands1. The remainder of the land apart from Allotments 52 and 100 are designated as Mountain Glen Reserve2.

Landscape Management Region: Hills and Fleurieu

History: In the early 1990s, a natural treatment system was developed by the Council to enhance the existing Community Wastewater Management Scheme (CWMS). The purpose of this natural treatment system was to naturally clean the wastewater to a standard which is high enough for it to be reused.

Laratinga WetlandsAn artificial wetland consisting of three connecting basins were constructed in 1999 covering a total area of 16.9 hectares. The ponds are incorporated into an area of approximately 10 hectares, holding on average about 100 megalitres of water at any given time. The ponds effectively form a giant filter that cleans the water as it slowly moves through them. Ponds 1-7 are part of Mountain Glen Reserve and ponds 8-11 are in the designated Laratinga Wetlands.

Habitat: There are some large naturally occurring river red gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). Extensive plantings of river red gum, common reed (Phragmites australis), hakeas (Hakea sp. ), wattles (Acacia sp.) and tussocky grasses and sedges have been made.

More information: Mount Barker District Council

Total Species Recorded to Date: 159 (non-passerines 100, passerines 59)

Common Species: Baillon’s Crake, Maned Duck, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, New Holland Honeyeater, Australian White Ibis

Less Common Species: Spotless Crake, Great Crested Grebe, Australasian Shelduck, Latham’s Snipe


References:
 1 Mount Barker District Council (2020). Mount Barker District Council Community Land Register p. 180. 

 2 Mount Barker District Council (2020). Mount Barker District Council Community Land Register p. 254, 256. 


Updated: 25/07/2021

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