News

Vegetation Survey along the Werribee River – by Thomas Matthew
As a volunteer of Werribee River Association, I had the opportunity to join Wyndham City Council in surveying native vegetation along the Werribee River between

Werribee River featured in the Streets Discovered documentary
The Werribee River is one of three stories featured in Luke Buesnel’s locally produced video, which challenges outdated stigmas and redefines Werribee as a vibrant

World Wetlands Day at Grahams Reserve
Celebrate World Wetlands Day on Sunday 2nd February! Join Conservation Volunteers Australia and the Werribee River Association for a family friendly day of discovery and

Celebrating our Volunteers
On December 19, 2024, WRA hosted its end-of-year gathering at Leo’s Pizzeria, bringing together our dedicated community to celebrate our collective achievements in enhancing the

Contaminants and risks to water security
WRA members had the pleasure of attending the Victoria University Water Advisory Board as one of the partners and engage in discussions around the theme

Holcim partnership day achieves record result at Riverwalk Estate
On Thursday 28 November, the Werribee River Association partnered with Holcim and Wyndham City for a massive clean up, working along the Werribee River in

Rain Down the Drain
Throughout Term 4, 2024, 500 students from six schools and homeschool groups participated in Werribee River Association’s “Rain Down the Drain” Program. Each school began

Melbourne Water seasonal water releases – November 2024
Due to protracted dry and warm conditions, and declining dissolved oxygen values in the lower Werribee, Melbourne Water will deliver a small spring low flow

Winner of the Tidy Towns & Cities Sustainability Award in Litter
The Werribee River Association (WRA) is very pleased to announce that it has been selected as the winner of the Tidy Towns & Cities Sustainability

A Review of “Earth Law Futures”
Susie Talbot is a 2023 Churchill Fellow, international human rights lawyer and the founder of the Anima Mundi Law Initiative, set up in 2020 as

Platypus surveys in the Werribee River
The Werribee River is home to one of Australia’s most extraordinary and elusive creatures, the platypus. With many urban rivers seeing declines in platypus numbers,

United Nations’ Special Envoy on Water
The United Nations (UN) has 17 Sustainable Development Goals which are the cornerstone of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda is the

Cap Hack: Tethered Caps Will Slash Waste and Litter
WRA is joining environmental groups in urging Australian Governments to mandate tethered bottle caps, stopping millions of bottle tops from being landfilled or littered, after

Bird Flu H5N1 requires early detection and surveillance
Australia’s Biodiversity Council held a webinar at the end of August 2024, to discuss the imminent arrival of bird flu H5N1 in Australia and the

Freight terminal scrapped is a win for the community & environment
Pacific National have canned their massive 550-hectare freight hub proposal right in the heart of Little River. The Werribee River Association are pleased for both

Werribee River Litter Blitz program is shortlisted
The Werribee River Association is very pleased to be announced as a shortlisted recipient in the 2024 Tidy Towns & Cities Awards in the Litter

Member story – Margaret Campbell
When one of our Association members requires a home visit to collect their membership fee, as they are not equipped to pay online, this can

Seal the Loop Bins in Werribee South
Three new Seal the Loop Bins installed around the Werribee South jetty and boat ramp to collect old fishing line, hooks and sinkers. Local Werribee

Rain Down the Drain Schools Program
Calling all schools and STEM classes to be part of our Rain Goes Down the Drain education program in Term 4 2024! Sign up to

Swimmable Cities
The Swimmable Cities is a movement that is gaining momentum, and recently a group of leaders from around the world, including the International Waterkeeper Alliance,

Learn online
Ever wanted to expand your nature knowledge? Here are some suggestions… The United Nations offers a range of free online courses and there are over

Celebrating our Volunteers!
On Wednesday May 22, The Werribee River Association celebrated their annual Volunteer Week Thank You Dinner. The dinner is an opportunity for WRA to say

Werribee Riverkeeper on ABC radio
On 14th May John Forrester was invited to speak with Richelle Hunt on 774 ABC Melbourne, in a segment discussing the changes to Werribee. Interviewees

Werribee River dredging
Where the Wirribi Yaluk/Werribee River meets Nerm/Port Phillip Bay, the estuary mouth changes shape and depth over time as sand drifts along the shore from

Werribee River platypus surveys confirm platypus population in in the heart of Werribee City Centre
The recent results of platypus surveys conducted in the Werribee River indicate a moderately healthy population of platypus living in the urbanised waterways near Werribee

Fish ladders
When we think of animal migrations, perhaps we picture a huge herd of wildebeest, flutter of monarch butterflies or flock of shearwaters travelling en masse.

New podcast episode delves into the psychology behind littering!
Why do people litter? And what can we do about it? These are questions we grapple with daily as we continue to encounter discarded picnics,

Green Links funding for Werribee River Park
The Werribee River Association is thrilled to be one of the Victorian State Governments Green Links Grant recipients. With the Victorian Government investing $10 million

Pollutant spill into the Werribee River
A concerning liquid pollutant spill into the Werribee River near the Maltby Bypass, Werribee, took place on Tuesday 19 March, with the source likely to

Skeleton Creek Receives Microsoft Support for Environmental Conservation and Restoration
The Werribee River Association (WRA) is proud to announce a funding award from Microsoft designed to help bolster conservation and restoration efforts along Skeleton Creek,

PFAs Accountability Act in the USA
We concur with the Waterkeeper Alliance in endorsing the PFAs Accountability Act in the USA, which will hold manufacturers responsible for PFAS pollution and the

Embracing bugs
If you’ve ever shared a picnic or summer evening outdoors with annoying insects, found a spider in the shower, or had your vege patch demolished

Sediment run-off wipes out native fish in Sydney
The new reports about the Climbing Galaxias fish being potentially wiped out from its habitat in Sydney due to sediment runoff from a construction site

Electric Vehicle Policy for City of Wyndham
It’s great to see Wyndham City Council’s draft Electric Vehicle Policy that envisions comprehensive support from a local government level to accelerate the transition to

Navigating the Storm: Understanding the Impact of Stormwater on River Water Quality
Some years ago a friend and I organised to take our kids snorkelling and then have a sleepover one summer weekend. It had been raining

Possum Friendly Gardens: Part Two
As our cities expand, trees get felled, concrete increases and food sources for our native wildlife decreases. This is causing a decline in numbers for

Possum Friendly Gardens: Part One
Due to a combination of habitat destruction, introduced pest species and more traffic, our local possum species are in decline! With less habitat available to

Celebrating our team!
On Monday 18 December we hosted our End of Year Celebration, a fun night where the Association’s board, staff, volunteers, members, and supporters came together

Summer activities in Wyndham
Looking for a summer adventure on the coast? Join us for one of our Coastal Discovery Walks, run in partnership with Summer By The Sea.

Regen Recap 2023
Undertaking a second year of planting as a part of the State Government initiative More Trees for a Cooler, Greener West; we planted another 5,000

Recycle Right in Wyndham
There are many household items that, although can not go into your home recycling bin, can still be recycled if taken to the right place.

Cat Conversations: Be a cat lover and a nature steward
Werribee River Association hosted a webinar this month on Cat Conversations, where Wyndham resident Tamika Jones shared her experience about responsible cat ownership, and how

Perched on the threshold
Have you heard about the fish stocking strategy? It’s part of the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) management plan to provide recreational fishing opportunities, and support

Pacific National’s proposal for Little River
Pacific National have lodged plans with the Victorian State Government to build an intermodal container terminal, that will result in concrete to over 350ha of

Launch of 2022-2023 Annual Report
On Wednesday 18 October we held a special stakeholder and member event at Victoria University Werribee Campus, launching our Annual Report 2022-23 with presentations of

Launch of the Waste-Free Wyndham Map
The Werribee River Association launched their Waste-Free Wyndham Map at the inaugural River FEST on Sunday September 24. As prominent feature of the War on

Werribee River Association’s submission to the Wyndham Housing & Neighbourhood Strategy 2023
As one of the fastest growing municipalities, Wyndham City Council prepared a draft Wyndham Housing and Neighbourhood Character Strategy 2023 to guide housing change across the municipality,

Missing marsupials
When it comes to quirky animal names, the fat-tailed dunnart would have to be up there with the sarcastic fringehead and screaming hairy armadillo. They’re

Be a volunteer grower of native plants
Members and supporters of WRA are invited to assist with the propagation and growing of native seedlings for our organisation’s use in 2024. In partnership

Our work receives an Award of Excellence
The Lower Werribee Waterway Amenity Action Plan has won the Award of Excellence in the Land Management category of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects