The surrounding reservoir park will be closed during construction, from 2027 to 2030. Once this is complete we plan to restore the park. We’re designing the park with local residents and stakeholders, so it remains a valued community space for years to come.

Have your say

Share what’s important to you about the park by Sunday 26 April, 11.59pm.

  • Add to the map: share your ideas, issues or places that you like
  • Complete our survey: tell us what features you value, or express your interest in joining a workshop.

Your answers will shape the park designs, which we’ll share with you for feedback in late 2026.

Map

Survey

  • Talk to us in person

    Join us at Cardinia Reservoir Park to learn about the dam upgrade and ask questions:

    • Saturday 14 March, 10am to 2pm
    • Sunday 15 March, 10am to 2pm

About the dam upgrade

Cardinia Reservoir is a vital source of water for Melbourne’s southeast. That’s why we’re upgrading the dam walls to meet the latest industry standards. These have improved since the dam was built in the early 1970s.

This project is part of our ongoing Dam Upgrade program to ensure continued compliance with the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD) guidelines into the future. Under this program, we have completed upgrades to the Frankston, Tarago, Toorourrong, Upper Yarra and Greenvale reservoirs.

Community impacts

To prepare for this work, the water in the reservoir will be managed at a lower level to complete the upgrade works.

Cardinia Reservoir will continue to service Melbourne throughout the dam upgrade construction.

We must also close Cardinia Reservoir Park for 3 years during construction. This includes all carparks, access roads, walking trails and recreational areas. This protects public safety while large machinery and trucks access the site.

We will be removing areas of native plants surrounding the dam, to create space and access for the dam upgrades.

What we’ll be doing

The dam upgrade involves:

  • raising parts of the dam walls
  • upgrading the filters inside the dam walls
  • improving seepage monitoring and collection
  • installing new security fencing along the crest wall of the main dam
  • upgrading access tracks
  • improving the amenity of the surrounding park.

More information

For more information on this project, visit the Cardinia Reservoir dam upgrade webpage.

Submit your question below, and a member of the project team will reply to you shortly.