17 May 2007
TURN YOUR AUTUMN LEAVES GREEN
Melbourne Water is calling on gardeners to help keep waterways healthy and drains free from blockages by disposing of autumn leaves in the compost or as garden mulch.
Melbourne Water’s general manager waterways Chris Chesterfield said composting and reusing leaves was the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to deal with them.
“There are lots of leaves lying around at the moment, and if they’re not swept up, they get into the gutter where they cause blockages and result in flooding.
“And if they get washed into waterways, they decompose, using up oxygen and releasing nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous into the water,” Mr Chesterfield said.
“This causes a problem because the high level of nutrients and low oxygen levels can cause algal blooms and harm plant and animal life.
Mr Chesterfield said composting and mulching leaves was the natural way of dealing with this problem and creates an inexpensive way of maintaining your garden.
“Mulch is an effective barrier to water evaporation – and a key way to keep water consumption in the garden down.”
“One in three Melburnians live within one kilometre of a river, creek or bay. So if we all make sure our litter and waste is disposed of correctly or recycled, including leaves, it can make a real difference to the health of our environment.”