This area is an ephemeral wetland: sometimes it’s wet and sometimes much of it is dry.
There are usually two separate areas of water: one almost permanently wet and supporting a community of aquatic and water loving plants and the other places at the outlets from storm water drains which can dry out after a few months without rain. These small basins collect a lot of rubbish off the streets, are quite subject to weed invasion and require regular bushcare attention.