Project details
UDL Group has partnered with Moremac Property Group since 2017 to advance The Point, an award-winning community of architecturally designed homes surrounded by waterways, a conservation area, and regenerated greenery. Collaborating with landscape architects Tract, UDL Group led a construction program meeting design and sustainability goals for key stages, including:
- Stage 3 Entry
- 13 streetscapes stages
- Town Park – a feature waterway dominating the local landscape and occupying a significant area on both sides of this main section of the waterway
- Numerous waterway works including Phase One and Two of the Swan Bay waterway connection under Fellows Road
- Two entry features
- Enhancements to the existing vegetated areas.
Situated 100 km from Melbourne at Point Lonsdale on a former sand and shell grit mine, the project navigated complex local, state, and federal approvals, sensitive ecosystems, and engineering challenges. UDL Group’s involvement was pivotal to Moremac earning the 2020 UDIA Environmental Excellence Award.
Highlights
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- UDL Group successfully managed the Swan Bay waterway connection project under challenging conditions like sandy soils, salt spray, and tidal influences, ensuring high-quality outcomes.
- Phases One and Two saw the installation of a state-of-the-art tidal flow management system, completed with minimal disruption to the fragile ecosystem. This was evidenced weeks later by sightings of rare fish and successful plant growth.
- UDL Group’s proactive, inclusive approach to community engagement included daily updates and answering residents’ questions about plant species and sourcing, receiving consistently positive feedback.
- To combat prevailing winds and salt spray, materials were securely caged to prevent them from blowing into waterways and protect new plantings.
- Despite challenges with weather and materials, UDL Group maintained swale profiles and delivered quality results through effective programming and expertise.
- This project earned UDL Group the UDIA Victoria Environmental Excellence Award and the Judges’ Award for Regional Victoria.
Challenges
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The Point project faced significant challenges due to complex construction and the need to protect the natural landscape. Key issues included delays from prolonged rain and high winds. While constructing garden beds and turf areas, laser levels were used to cross-reference design drawings with site heights and water edge proximity, revealing risks of water inundation.
This required multiple site meetings, negotiations, and design adaptations. The team also worked up to 2.5m below sea level in waterlogged, sandy soils and managed a fluctuating water table, especially when programming work around the Bellarine Highway crossing swale system.
