Liverpool Road Retarding Basin Dog Off Leash Area

420 Liverpool Road, Boronia VIC, 3155


A very large area with two lakes. A gravel track passes through and around the area. The grass is quite long and wet (and prone to flooding), so it is necessary to mainly stick to the tracks. When we were there, part of the main loop track was cut off by high water levels.

There are a number of creeks which run through the area. A full lap around the area is about 1.7km.

There are no bins (although a notice suggests that bins might be provided in the future) and this leads to some poor behaviour where owners don't pick up their dog's poop.

The Liverpool Road Retarding Basin provides flood protection for Dandenong Creek. The Liverpool Road Retarding Basin is owned and managed by Melbourne Water. Built in 1972, it is designed to hold and slow down (retard) water flowing down Dandenong Creek after heavy rain. It protects people and property downstream from flooding.

How the retarding basin works:

• Water flows along Dandenong Creek and under Liverpool Road into lake within the retarding basin.
  
• During normal dry weather, the water level within the lake is maintained by a low-level opening on the concrete outlet structure.
  
• Water released from the lake during dry weather, flows from the outlet structure into and through underground pipes until it reaches the open Dandenong Creek downstream.
  
• In wet weather, water is retained in the lake to slow it down. As water level rises, water flows out of the, outlet structure in a controlled manner.
  
• In very wet weather, the retarding basin can fill up to near the top of the retarding basin wall and cover the entire floor as far back as Liverpool Road.
  
• When the entire retarding basin fills, water can flow around the end of the wall into a spillway near Chandlers Lane. This spillway carries water to an original section of the Dandenong Creek and prevents the retarding basin wall from being damaged.
  
• The retarding basin spillway level is set so that water does not flood Liverpool Road.