NEW PLAN TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE YARRA
13 January, 2006
From the Acting Premier and Minister for Water
$270 million of new initiatives to improve the health of the Yarra River, the Maribyrnong and tributaries were announced today by Acting Premier and Water Minister, John Thwaites.
The initiatives were announced as part of the Yarra River: Securing water quality for a Healthy Future Action Plan, bringing recent total funding for improving the river to $580 million.
"The Yarra Plan includes initiatives to reduce stormwater pollution, install reticulated sewerage, reduce litter and increase community involvement in River works," Mr Thwaites said.
Mr Thwaites said this week's high levels of bacteria after Tuesday night's rain, following a dry spell, demonstrated the effect of stormwater on river health.
"A key new initiative of the Plan is an additional $20 million to tackle stormwater pollution, including $10m specifically allocated to the Lower Yarra," he said.
"The Plan builds on initiatives already in place including more litter traps, the Commonwealth Games litter barge, the Yarra Watch monitoring program and the Hotspots program.
"The monitoring program provides the first comprehensive publicly available water quality data for the River."
"The three year, $930,000 Hotspots program announced last year, has already identified two significant sources of pollution which will be eliminated."
The first was a Council solid waste transfer station drain inadvertently connected to the stormwater system that was elevating pollution levels in the Prahran Main Drain. Once found the drain was sealed and waste diverted to the sewer.
The second involved identification of the Harper Road Drain in Abbotsford as having extremely high ecoli readings. Works, to be funded from the $20 million stormwater program, are now planned to divert this contaminated water from the Yarra to the sewer in the short term. Further investigation will identify the source of the pollution.
A report from the public also resulted in the discovery and repair of a sewer leaking into an old World War 2 tunnel that was in turn polluting the Merri Creek.
Mr Thwaites said improving water quality required action to address a range of contamination sources and the priority projects outlined in the report include:
- $20 million to tackle stormwater pollution, including $10 million for the lower Yarra. Projects will include wetlands, litter traps, filters and flow controllers.
- Approximately $250 million over 20 years to accelerate the replacement of around 18,500 septic tanks with a reticulated sewerage system in rural areas and outer suburbs;
- A Yarra Riverkeeper boat to promote river-based community education and awareness programs;
- Approximately $300 million over six years for the Northern Sewerage Program, announced last year, to minimise local pollution in two key Yarra tributaries;
- $930,000 over three years to track down and rectify key sources of faecal pollution from sources including blocked sewers and illegal connections between the stormwater and sewerage system;
- $1 million to develop a Regional Water Quality Improvement Plan for Port Phillip and Westernport catchments; and
- As announced, $3.8 million over three years for community groups and education programs to encourage community support and involvement in caring for the Yarra catchment and $4.3 million to reduce litter before and after the Commonwealth Games.
Mr Thwaites said an independently chaired Yarra Coordinating Committee would oversee implementation of the Yarra Plan and work closely with Melbourne Water, the caretaker of river health in the Port Phillip and Westernport region.
The Committee - to be chaired by Professor Barry Hart, Director of Monash University's Water Studies Centre - will comprise the heads of Melbourne Water, DSE, EPA Victoria, the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, Parks Victoria, Yarra Valley Water and the Department of Human Services.
Mr Thwaites said improvements in water quality would boost protection of threatened fish species - including a population of the nationally endangered Macquarie Perch at Templestowe.
"This species has disappeared from most of its former habitat across the State but the Macquarie Perch population in the Yarra is the healthiest in the State and appears to be growing in size.
"Scientists anticipate that the Yarra population could be used for re-stocking and breeding programs in other waterways."
Mr Thwaites also said a further $120,000 study into fish and eel health in the Yarra would be carried out, as recommended by a recently completed pilot study.
The pilot study found contaminants found in fish were within the Australian and New Zealand Fish Standards, with only two eels found to exceed the standards.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer, Robert Hall, said the two eels exceeding the limit was not cause for alarm but said people could reduce eel consumption as a precaution.
A copy of the Yarra Plan is available to download (PDF 3677.4 kb) from Melbourne Water's website