More funding announced for a cleaner and healthier Elster Creek
Melbourne Water joined Federal Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, and the City of Port Phillip Council to announce new funding for Elster Creek in Elwood.
The $1.7 million contribution from the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program to the City of Port Phillip is an initiative aimed at improving the health of urban waterways and to improve Elster Creek’s aquatic habitat and water quality.
The funds will also be used to harvest stormwater to reduce stormwater volume and pollutants going into both Elster Creek and Port Phillip Bay.
Stormwater harvesting systems reduce the water flow and pollutants entering our waterways by collecting, cleaning, and storing stormwater for reuse.
Elster Creek feeds water into the Elwood Canal and water levels in the canal system rise and recede more rapidly than in other parts of the city.
The new funding further builds on continuing works to replant sections of the creek with native vegetation. Replanting helps to manage the speed and volume of stormwater - and pollution - entering the canal system during heavy rain.
Member for Macnamara Josh Burns said it was important to restore and conserve Elster Creek as almost half of all nationally listed threatened animals and a quarter of our threatened plants occur in urban areas.
“This funding is crucial to restoring Elster Creek so our kids and their kids can continue to enjoy this beautiful part of our local community for generations to come.
“The City of Port Phillip will be working to improve water quality and conditions for our native species, including plants, turtles, fish and birdlife.”
"Elster Creek is well-loved by the local community and, as an area within a highly urbanised catchment, it has its challenges from what comes off the catchments upstream and into our waterways and drains,” said Melbourne Water Executive General Manager of Service, Asset and Lifecycle, Craig Dixon.
"This is why Melbourne Water, local councils, and the Environmental Protection Authority are working with communities throughout the catchment to deliver the Elster Creek Litter Action Plan (ESLAP).”
The ESLAP aims to prevent the pollution of Elster Creek and Port Phillip Bay and to pave the way for a cleaner, healthier environment.
Melbourne Water is also building a 660-metre-long underground stormwater drain from Elster Creek to Port Phillip Bay to provide further mitigation against flooding for the Elwood community.
A wetland planned for Elsternwick Park will also enhance water quality before it reaches the canal by acting as a natural filter that removes pollutants, improving the overall health of the waterway.
With new and ongoing funding sources, Melbourne Water, The City of Port Phillip, and state and federal governments are working together to build a lasting and positive legacy for the whole of Elwood catchment.
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