Riverkeeper News

The Werribee River Association (WRivA) is a not-for-profit organisation which has worked as a waterways protector for the Werribee River since 1981. WRivA hosts the Werribee Riverkeeper who acts as the voice of the river, its catchment and its local waterways. Our recent election statement to all candidates covered planning, access, forests, water quality and flows, and litter.   PLANNING: Planning needing to ensure the future health of the Werribee River and the requirements of a rapidly growing human population. COMMUNITY ACCESS: There is a need for consideration for special funding and innovative arrangements to raise the standard of water quality, waterway management, planning, allowing increased access and health giving open spaces around the waterways to the satisfaction of a community which has low levels of public space and requires outdoor exercise and recreation, wild play places and experiences.  OUR FORESTS: The Werribee River is a major waterway in the urban growth expansion area to the west of Melbourne. The headwaters of the rivers must be protected by declaration of the recent Victorian Environmental Assessment Council ‘Central West Investigation’ recommendations. Parks Victoria should be permanently and securely funded to become the well-resourced guardians of those headwaters. WATER QUALITY: Water quality in most areas of the Werribee Catchment is very poor to only fair at best. Farm runoff and stormwater are proving to be the greatest threat to the health of waterways, and the ability of people to fish or swim, or use the waterways in any way is greatly inhibited. Despite urban sensitive water design initiatives, our waterways are continuing to deposit nutrients and too much water too quickly into our waterways. WATER EXTRACTION: Storage of water from headwaters for irrigation in Pyke’s Creek, Merrimu and Melton reservoirs, leads to unnatural river flow in summer and none in winter or spring. Environmental flows need to be given higher priority and desalinated water at a very reasonable cost to the farmer will provide health for the Werribee River. LITTER: Litter threatens water quality, amenity, tourism, platypus, fish, birds, community good-will and threatens the life of the river itself. We need improved litter-smart legislation for manufacture, selling and disposal of packaging to make manufacturers, retailers and users accept more responsibility, increased assistance to local government, and a container deposit scheme.    

On Saturday 20 Oct from 8am we will be surveying birds at Werribee River Park. Participants will need gaiters, long pants and stout shoes. Be sunsmart, bring water. Binoculars and camera are suggested. The survey takes up to 4 hours and involves walking four kilometres.

Werribee River Association are conducting their Annual General Meeting on Thursday 25th October in the Wyndham Central College auditorium, Shaws Road Werribee, from 7pm. Hear of our successes from the past year, see a presentaion of our work and meet our people. All are invited to attend.

You are invited to the Wyndham Source Reduction Plan catch-up workshop on Wednesday 8th November 2018. This is a follow up from a previous project which took place in Wyndham in 2017. Places are limited, so registrations are essential. Register here: https://tangaroablueworkshops.eventbrite.com.au       Heidi Taylor will present about the changing landscape of litter in Victoria over the last year, since the previous workshops took place; as you are probably aware, lots of exciting changes have happened across the board! We will look at the project that was chosen and implemented, and what the outcomes and learnings were You will get a comprehensive update on the state, national and international litter/marine debris issue We have an updated, interactive litter map, showing additional clean up efforts to date There will be time for networking and sharing a meal together If participants are keen on doing more on the project, or something related, we can brainstorm it. However, the aim of this workshop is to get together and celebrate rather than producing another project.