Aqueduct Trail Walk
Several members of the ‘Save the Beaconsfield Reservoir Action Group’ gathered last Friday, October 27th, to walk the first section of the Aqueduct Trail walk and consider how we can eventually link this section through to Dickie Road and then on to the second section of the Aqueduct Trail walk which goes through the Beaconsfield Nature Conservation Reserve to Beaconsfield Reservoir, eventually to link up with Bowmans Track in O’Neil Rd. In the future if this has public access, the trail can link up all the way to the Cardinia Creek Track and beyond.
The Aqueduct Trail is very well used but comes to a dead end, several hundred metres from Dickie Road. Local landowner Nathan Russo regularly meets walkers and cyclists crossing his property, inadvertently causing damage to fencing and the bush environment.
Friday was a beautiful sunny day and five ladies and three dogs enjoyed walking the trail spotting an echidna, hearing birdsong everywhere and trying to identify native trees and flowers with limited success! The trail follows the Aqueduct which is a fascinating part of the history of the Reservoir and of Cardinia Shire.
We plan to run another walk in the next month which will include inviting local councillors, landowners, walkers and hopefully the Council Planning Department. We’d like to investigate a proposed plan to link up the Aqueduct Trail and the A. E. Owen reserve with a new path for two hundred metres to enable the two paths to link up.
This plan ultimately would avoid damage to the existing bush and trespassing on private land. It would create a longer walk from the existing trail and we ultimately hope that it will link to the Reservoir. We would also like to see signage that tells the story of the Reservoir and the Aqueduct Trail along the way for the benefit of all visitors. The signage would help to advise walkers of the stunning circular walk in the A. E. Owen Reserve which is currently unmarked. Very few people who have moved to Cardinia Shire are aware of the history of this area, and it would be exciting for them to read about it as they walk along these tracks.
Our group is seeking to improve local walks for the benefit of local residents and to promote access to the bush for all.
Diane Gow
Member, Save the Beaconsfield Reservoir Action Group committee
