Bicycle Network has joined forces with 15 other organisations focused on protecting and improving the amenity and the environmental and cultural values of the Gardiners Creek catchment.
The catchment plays host to several the key bike routes through Melbourne’s East, including the Gardiners Creek and Scotchmans Creek trails.
Like many of Melbourne’s popular trail corridors, the management of the environment and facilities along the waterways has been bedevilled by the multiplicity of authorities and agencies responsible for planning and upkeep.
The new alliance hopes to change that by using strategic and/or funding partnerships with a diverse range of government, business, community, educational and not-for-profit organisations to support the delivery of catchment projects and programs.
Known as the Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) Regional Collaboration, the alliance comprises:
- AFL Victoria
- Bicycle Network
- Boroondara City Council
- Cricket Victoria
- Deakin University
- Field Naturalists Club of Victoria
- Football Victoria
- City of Glen Eira
- Golf Australia
- KooyongKoot Alliance
- Melbourne Water
- City of Monash
- City of Stonnington
- Whitehorse City Council
- Yarra Riverkeeper
- Yarra Valley Water
Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) is an urban waterway originating near Blackburn and flowing through Burwood and Malvern East before following the Monash Freeway to the Yarra River (Birrarung).
It plays an important role in providing open space, offering highly valued active and passive recreational opportunities as well as water and biodiversity values. The wider catchment includes Scotchmans Creek, Damper and Back creeks.
The Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) Regional Collaboration has agreed on a long-term shared vision that:
- KooyongKoot and its catchment is protected, valued and loved, supporting diverse uses and thriving biodiversity.
- As custodians of our natural environment, Traditional Owners play a key role in its management.
- Community and stakeholders are working together to heal, strengthen and ensure the resilience of KooyongKoot and its catchment.
The projects and programs the Collaboration will concentrate on in the immediate future will be released soon. They will include a broad-based strategic plan for the catchment, a cultural values study and program (with Traditional Owners) and a data strategy, to collect baseline health data (biodiversity, water quality etc).
Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack says the Collaboration is a good example of a community-led initiative that can bridge the gaps between the authorities managing the catchment.
"We believe it will result in better co-ordination and control of the development and maintenance of facilities and the natural environment. Our organisation has worked on a number of such initiatives, and we are privileged to offer our knowledge and experience to this project,” McCormack says.
"Paths for bikes and pedestrians are the perfect way to link these wonderful environments and give the public low-impact access to them."