This weekend the $8.7 million McIlwaine Foreshore upgrade is officially being opened. This is a great example of integrating ecological concepts and design into a parkland and foreshore area. This remediation is an effort towards naturalising the river bank, though in a fairly stylised way. One of the aims of the project is to improve water quality of the river.

The foreshore now includes:
Rockpools: These are fairly large intertidal pools several metres long and with a possible depth of around 30 cm. The depth will most likely depend on rainfall and tidal flow over the top of the pools.

Saltmarsh: There is a small area that is a little bit separate from the other spaces which has been planted with saltmarsh (possibly beaded glasswort?). Saltmarsh is a sensitive plant, that generally grows well in low lying ground exposed to tidal inundation. It can be found in areas around Badu Mangroves in Sydney Olympic Park and around the Parramatta River Walk.

Sandstone seawall: The sandstone seawall is very similar to the designs we have seen installed at Barangaroo. It uses natural material - sandstone, to replicate natural materials found in the environment. The porosity of sandstone ensures that it serves a positive purpose in water absorption and retention as in natural environments. However, the repetitive block design of the seawall is not as beneficial as a habitat as the randomness and diversity of sandstone shapes found in nature which have been weathered and eroded over millions of years. There are quite big gaps between the sandstones blocks of a couple of inches which may be beneficial in providing nooks and crannies for aquatic organisms to live.