Sustainability Report 2006/07Educating and informing
Melbourne Water continued to build on our successful education programs, many of which are carried out in partnership with the retail water businesses, community and environment groups.
The second Melbourne Water Yarra River youth conference was held in June, repeating and improving on the success of the inaugural event. The conference provided an opportunity for young people and schools across the Port Phillip and Westernport region to build networks and learn more about the impact our everyday activities have on river health, and on the plants and animals that rely on waterways.
More than 300 students and teachers attended from 40 schools, with 17 schools making presentations on waterways and river health in their area.
A long-term behavioural change campaign aimed at encouraging the community to enjoy, value and protect Melbourne’s waterways was launched in June.
The I Love Living Here river health advertising campaign uses native wildlife (growling grass frog, platypus, blackfish and barking owl) to engage the community in understanding that most stormwater pollution comes from suburban streets and impacts river health and the health of wildlife that live in and around our rivers and creeks.
Of the 400 people surveyed about the campaign, 91% viewed the campaign as important and valuable in the information it provided, and most said they would be likely to change their actions as a result of the advertising.
Our external magazine, The Source, moved online as part of the push towards minimising our ecological footprint. The Source continues to examine issues relating to the water cycle with a focus on how we can ensure a sustainable water future.
More than 9409 people, including schoolchildren and overseas visitors, took part in tours of the Eastern and Western sewage treatment plants. Most visits were to the Western Treatment Plant (7682). The Eastern Treatment Plant open day was not held this year due to construction activities associated with the tertiary treatment upgrade program.
The 1407 visits to the Eastern Treatment Plant included Government and technical inspections of the new sewage treatment and biogas and energy generation technology. There were 1094 visitors to the Winneke water treatment plant.
We continued our partnership with The Age newspaper’s education unit to produce posters on drought, the water cycle and climate change for the community and schools, including a Yarra River super poster and another titled Our Water Future.
And our association with the Melbourne Zoo and the National Gallery of Victoria, through the Melbourne Water Discovery Program at the Zoo and the gallery’s educational Water Trail, provided stormwater and river health education for schools and the community.
Melbourne Water continued to distribute flood education resources such as the animated multimedia interactive web-based Melbourne Water Floods Explorer and Water Water Everywhere, a secondary education textbook produced in partnership with the Geography Teachers Association of Victoria.