Help protect our rivers and creeks
4 October 2005
With the footy finals over and the weather warming up, many Melburnians will soon be turning their attention to those DIY jobs that have been mounting up over winter.
Melbourne Water has therefore issued a timely reminder to everyone who is about to cut the lawn, trim the hedges or pick up a paint brush that whatever you put down the stormwater or drainage system is ultimately discharged into local creeks, rivers and eventually the bays.
Melbourne Water Managing Director Rob Skinner said that it is important that people remember that a few steps as simple as painting out brushes or rollers onto scrap material, choosing water based paints and raking up grass clippings can have a real impact on our environment and help protect and improve habitat for native animals such as fish, frogs and platypus.
"We all have a responsibility to protect and improve our rivers and creeks. Many people simply do not realise that most of the pollution in our rivers, creek and bays is caused by everyday activities," Mr Skinner said.
"By doing a few simple things like making sure that litter cannot blow or fall out of bins or recycling containers, picking up dog droppings, starting a compost heap for leaves and grass clippings and avoiding applying fertiliser and pesticides in areas where they could wash into drains, we can all make a difference."
Melbourne Water invests $26 million annually on projects to protect and improve rivers and creeks across Melbourne and $5 million a year building wetlands which act as nature's filter by removing nitrogen and other pollutants from stormwater.
Melbourne Water's system of natural and built wetlands will help to reduce the amount of nitrogen entering Port Phillip Bay by 100 tonnes a year by 2010.
Melburnians will soon have the opportunity to learn more about the valuable role wetlands play in the ecosystem following the announcement of a $3 million Melbourne Water Wetlands Discovery Centre at the Edithvale and Seaford Wetlands.
It is expected that construction of the centre will commence in early 2006.
Visit www.melbournewater.com.au for more tips on how you can help protect Melbourne's rivers and creeks.