Five years ago the wetlands, off Ploughmans Lane, looked like a hole in the ground, propped up with sandbags, but now has a thriving biodiversity.

One of the site’s biggest fans is Luka Smith who would prefer to run around the wetlands with his friends than sit inside playing video games. 

Luka is lucky enough to live close by.

“We come here at least once or twice a week,” he said. 

Luka’s favourite pastime is finding the various species of birds who make the Ploughmans Wetlands their home. He said once he saw a seagull and had spotted a pelican a few times. 

Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Orange president Nick King said the event was organised as part of World Wetlands Day, which was earlier in the week, but the Orange event was held on the weekend to give more people the chance to attend. 

“You can see just how much has grown here in five years,” Mr King said. 

The Ploughmans Wetlands are one of four wetlands around Orange.

The others are the Burrendong Wetlands, Somerset Park Wetlands and The Escort Way Wetlands.

Mr King said the day doubled as a chance to show Orange what had been achieved in five years, while explaining to visitors how Orange’s stormwater harvesting scheme worked. 

“This is the top of the Murray Darling catchment and part of Orange’s award-winning stormwater harvesting scheme,” he said. 

The Ploughmans Creek Stormwater Harvesting Scheme follows on the heels of the multi award-winning Blackmans Swamp Creek Stormwater Harvesting Scheme. This scheme will transfer a portion of the storm flows from the Ploughmans Creek catchment into Suma Park Dam where it will supplement the city’s water supplies.