HUNDREDS CONVERGE ON ELSTER CREEK TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT
1 December 2004
More than 200 students, teachers and councillors will converge on Elster Creek on Monday December 6 in a show of support for the urban creek.
Grade four students from Bentleigh West Primary, grade five and six students from Elwood Primary, and grade six students from Elsternwick Primary will receive their own water monitoring kits and certificates of participation to celebrate the conclusion of the Elster Creek Catchment Waterwatch Project.
The Elster Creek Catchment Waterwatch Project was supported collaboratively by the Cities of Bayside, Port Phillip and Glen Eira. Melbourne Water, the Department of Primary Industries and the Natural Heritage Trust support the Waterwatch program across Melbourne.
The Melbourne Waterwatch program is a free water quality monitoring and river health education program that helps schools and community groups assess the health of their local rivers, creeks and wetlands.
The students will now undertake their own regular monitoring of the creek, and report the findings back to Waterwatch, the community and local councils.
About 15,000 people in 274 groups currently monitor 356 sites as part of the Melbourne Waterwatch program. This is a 50% increase in participation on last year.
Melbourne Water's $23.3 million annual Healthy Rivers Program aims to protect and improve Melbourne's rivers and creeks. The program is funded through drainage rate contributions.