A plan to ensure Melbourne’s western waterways are healthy and thriving for generations to come has been released, with Sunbury’s Jackson Creek included in the project.
The Victorian government last week released the Waterways of the West Action Plan, a five-year plan that responds to the recommendations of the Waterways of the West Ministerial Advisory Committee and the Waterways of the West Community Vision that had been previously released.
The plan identifies nine directions and 40 actions with short-term actions to deliver results within the first year of implementation and longer-term actions to deliver within five years.
The waterways of the west includes the whole network of creeks and rivers including the Maribyrnong River, Jacksons Creek, Kororoit Creek, Skeleton Creek, Stony Creek and Werribee River and goes through all the inner west and further out from Ballan through to Lancefield.
The plan will drive enduring protection for waterways and their parklands by addressing waterway pollution, waterway amenity and stronger land use planning and development controls and standards to guard against inappropriate development.
Minister for Water Lisa Neville said the ambitious plan included an array of organisations and stakeholders as well as more than 250 community members.
“We’re caring for our rivers, creeks and riparian landscapes as unique, interconnected living systems, protecting them from pollution and overdevelopment,” Ms Neville said.
The directions include recognising the waterways of the west as living and integrated natural entities and the traditional owners as the ‘voice of these living entities.
The aim is to improve waterway amenity to meet community expectations, better protection of the region’s wetland values, identifying opportunities to meet environmental and cultural water needs, protect the waterways from pollution, Increase community connection, education and participation and ensure accountability and transparency for action plan delivery.
