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Hello MRWA Friends,
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Welcome to our first newsletter as a stand alone organisation. We are excited to share with you our news and the events, projects and advocacy we have been working on over the past few months.
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Where Two Rivers Meet
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It’s official, the Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association (MRWA) takes flight as a standalone organisation. On 10th July we had a beautiful transition ceremony between the Board and staff of both the Yarra Riverkeeper Association (YRKA) and MRWA. The event took place at Pier 35 Bar and Grill which overlooks the confluence of our two great rivers - the perfect location!
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Janet Bolitho (YRKA President) graciously handed the reigns to Helen van den Berg (MRWA Chair) in a moving exchange. Staff from both organisations poured water from the Yarra/Birrarung and the Maribyrnong/Mirrangbamurn into a shared bowl to signify our ongoing commitment to working together.
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Dear Maribyrnong Catchment Friends,
Inspired by the success of the Yarra Act, we've worked, since 2017, with Friends, Landcare, and resident groups to advocate for our waterways. Notable achievements include: community legal workshops; funding for impactful reports; and the establishment of the Ministerial Advisory Committee for the Waterways of the West. I’m grateful to all those who worked hard to achieve that. It has shown me that a well-informed, determined and generous community is a positive force for change.
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Knowing we have strong community support made it easy to accept being the Chair of the MRWA Board. Our newly elected Board is made up of dedicated individuals who understand the many challenges facing our beautiful catchment in a drying climate. We know our multiple objectives align with current government policies, and we are committed to seeing those actions delivered in a timely fashion.
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This work requires a professional organisation with a skilled staff devoted to voicing the community's aspirations. We are committed to sharing our community’s valuable insights on how to achieve the changes urgently needed.
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Chair, Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association
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Our Commitment to Traditional Owners
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We invited Wurundjeri Elders Uncle Dave Wandin and Karen Jones to share a boat ride with us down the Maribyrnong/Mirrangbamurn River. The purpose of this trip was to feed into a report that is being prepared for us by the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Corporation about significant sites along the Maribyrnong River that they are willing to share with the wider community.
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This project is one of the ways we are building an ongoing relationship with Traditional Owners. We are committed to ecologically regenerating the Maribyrnong Catchment and sharing the cultural stories of the waterscapes and surrounding country in partnership with First Nation peoples. Stay tuned for updates over the coming months.
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Advocacy
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The Maribyrnong river and its waterways urgently need advocacy. Here we share
with you how we are advocating for change across the range of statuary bodies
that are responsible for healthy waterways.
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Environmental Flows
The Maribyrnong River has been a focal point of several environmental flow studies aimed at improving its health and sustainability. Beginning with an initial study in 2006, followed by an update in 2016, these assessments evaluate the flow requirements for the freshwater reaches of the river system.
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Melbourne Water's environmental flows technical panel examined flow-related opportunities and risks. They set objectives and provided environmental flow recommendations. The release of the Healthy Waterways Strategy in 2018 and the Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy in 2022 further refined these goals, including a water recovery target of 7 GL (7 billion litres) and plans to upgrade the Rosslynne Reservoir outlet. Strengthened relationships with Traditional Owners, the Wurundjeri and Bunurong, through the release of DEECA's "Water is Life" Roadmap have further supported these initiatives.
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Despite these policies, the Maribyrnong River still faces significant challenges. We are disappointed in the timelines set for achieving the base flows and environmental water entitlement. We are still waiting! We appreciate that the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) purchased 262 ML (million litres) of water, delivered as a series of freshes over summer and autumn. However, the river system continues to confront the impacts of climate change, necessitating ongoing adaptations and updates to previous flow studies.
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MRWA participated in the Project Advisory Group meeting for the Maribyrnong environmental flows study update. We will continue to advocate for increased base flow for waterways in our catchment also ensuring that the water released is of excellent quality.
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For more information about environmental flows visit these websites:
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A Neglected River
We all want to see the Maribyrnong and its tributaries flowing as they should. Lack of water imperils the survival of platypus. MRWA is prioritising advocacy for the long overdue base flow and the autumn and spring freshes that support platypus habitat and migratory species.
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The Maribyrnong Catchment has endured neglect since colonisation. Therefore MRWA will work with all authorities and community so that we pass on healthy, protected waterways for future generations to enjoy. Healing Country will take time and it won’t happen without adequate investment by governments at all levels. We know governments will invest where there is strong, informed community support.
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Voice of the community is needed
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The Waterways of the West Action Plan promises improved planning controls, reduction in pollution, improved community access to the waterways and better-quality open space for our communities. We will be working with government agencies and lobbying politicians in our catchment to ensure adequate funding for the timely implementation of that plan.
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The mid-term review of the Healthy Waterways Strategy is a complex 200+ page report. The take home message from our perspective is that the Maribyrnong Catchment is way off the targets that were set back in 2018. It outlines why these are difficult to achieve and highlights the need for collaboration if we are to tackle the complex issues facing our waterways.
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For true collaboration to happen, community involvement and participation in the care and restoration of the river must be enabled and facilitated.
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We are committed to playing a role in this process. Without the community, the community vision for the Maribyrnong will not be achieved. Together, we can promote a living river with flows from the mountain to the sea that support the habitat and food web of our platypus, fish, water bugs, frogs, and birds. We can revive the Maribyrnong River and we invite you to join with us to achieve this goal.
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There is an urgent need for water literacy education in our community. We are in the process of developing an education program that focuses on key messages related to stormwater, litter and environmental flows. We are also experimenting with arts-based, nature connection activities to create opportunities for people to build meaningful connections with their local waterway through feeling, touching and sensing their relationship with the environment. Below are a few examples of how we are exploring possibilities.
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Microplastics Audit - Community Workshops
This year we have held two events focused on educating the community about the microplastics in the Maribyrnong River. One in Ascot Vale (February) and the other in Footscray (July). These sessions were quite literally eye opening as we sorted through the materials collected from the Maribyrnong River litter traps to find the tiny microplastics (nurdles, polystyrene balls, fake grass and degraded fragments of hard plastic just to name a few).
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Shout out to Anthony Despotellis from the Yarra Riverkeeper for showing us the litter trap on the Maribyrnong near Footscray Community Arts Centre and for helping us sort through and identify microplastics from the haul.
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Anthony’s report on this litter project is almost complete. He says the solutions are there, we just need the political will to implement them. Stay tuned as we will share his report and strong recommendations for action far and wide.
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Arts-based Interventions
One of the key ways we engage community is through arts-based interventions that help people to connect with our waterways meaningfully. Art is a potent tool in engaging people to understand and act on the environment. Earlier in the year we worked with artists Live Particle to create a Supersize Nest artwork as an instrument to draw in community for deeper conversations about how our waterways need support and how arts-based nature connection offers therapeutic benefits.
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In this hand-crafted Supersize Nest, (constructed from locally found sticks, bark and leaves, recycled trampoline frame, string, and rope) community members were invited to engage in the contemplative action of seedpod, mandala-making - a nurturing and therapeutic inter-generational activity that is a natural partner with advocacy.
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Here it is featured as a collaboration between ourselves, Moonee Valley Sustainability and artists Live Particle at the Moonee Valley Festival in February. Below you can see it featured at Moonee Valley City Council's National Tree Day event down at Fairbairn Park in Ascot Vale.
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River Therapy
Our Maribyrnong River Therapy program combines nature connection with water literacy education, offering therapeutic sessions along the Maribyrnong River to promote physical and emotional wellbeing while educating the community on sustainable water management practices. Our unique program facilitates practices drawn from a range of proven methods that improve physical and emotional wellbeing such as forest therapy, mindfulness meditation, nature connection, eco-somatics, art therapy and Qigong.
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The natural environment along the Maribyrnong River provides a serene setting that promotes relaxation, stress reduction, and mental clarity. By integrating water literacy education into the experiences we hope to empower participants with knowledge about the urban water cycle and sustainable water management. This dual focus not only enhances personal health but also fosters a deeper connection and sense of responsibility and stewardship towards the local environment.
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Collaboration
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Water Think Tank
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Formed in February 2023 the Upper Maribyrnong Catchment Water Think Tank is a vital platform for addressing water management challenges through community engagement, education, and collaboration with water authorities. By working together, our aim is to
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develop sustainable solutions to ensure the long-term health of our water resources and ecosystems. The future of water management depends on informed community action and effective partnerships. See below a list of the topics we have covered.
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Session Summaries
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Session 1: Who Does What in Water Management GWW’s responsibilities and limitations in water treatment, sewage collection, recycled water production, and small water storage management.
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Session 2: Role of Water Think Tank Importance of community opinion, education, and a dedicated organiser for effective water management advocacy.
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Session 3: Wastewater Treatment Insights from Matt Cunnington (GWW) on local treatment plants, regulatory standards, and the potential for improving treatment systems.
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Session 4: Waterway Health Presented by Richard Akers (Melbourne Water), discussing goals, data, and the need for community engagement with Waterwatch data.
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Session 5: Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems Sarah Gaskill (Melbourne Water) highlighted the impact of groundwater extraction on ecosystems and the need for sustainable management practices.
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Session 6: Gisborne Recycled Water Plant Mark Langley (GWW) on integrated planning and the future of wastewater treatment.
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Session 7: Stormwater Management Collaboration between Melbourne Water, MRSC, and E2Design on drainage authority roles and the need for stringent Integrated Water Management guidelines.
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Session 8: Creek Stories Riddells Creek Landcare’s initiative to share stories of local creeks and their caretakers, raising awareness through media.
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Session 9: Garden Hut Creek Karl Kny (Newham Landcare) and GWW discussed the impact of reservoir drawdown on creek health and potential mitigation strategies.
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Session 10: Environmental Water Advocacy for securing environmental water entitlements and addressing waterway health, supported by community data and regulatory challenges.
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These sessions take place on a monthly basis. If you are interested in attending please get in touch with us and we’ll add you to the Upper Catchment Water Think Tank mailing list.
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We are also planning to kick start a Lower Catchment Think Tank in October. We will explore the same topics above. Let us know if you are interested in being part of this group and we'll invite you to our upcoming events.
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Contact: info@maribyrnongriver.com.au
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