Tuesday, 7 June 2022

Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) master plan

Mr KENNEDY (Hawthorn) (19:22): (6405) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Water. The action I seek is for the minister to visit Gardiners Creek in my electorate of Hawthorn to fully appreciate the local issues in relation to the recent investment in the master plan for this vital waterway. In this year’s budget the Andrews government funded the KooyongKoot master plan, which will establish a coordinating committee to oversee improvements to the health and amenity of Gardiners Creek. This committee will be in partnership with the Wurundjeri-Woiwurrung traditional owners. This is a vital project, as this creek is of incredible importance to the Hawthorn community. It is lined with bike tracks, and a walk down it will show you a waterway lined with parks, sporting grounds and vital green space that our entire community enjoys.

I thank my colleague the member for Burwood, currently gracing this chamber with his presence, for his work on this important project, but most of all I would like to thank Graham Ross and the KooyongKoot Alliance. The alliance is made up of 17 groups, like the Friends of Gardiners Creek Valley, who have been re-establishing indigenous flora and habitat in the area since 1992. I thank all these groups that care so deeply for Gardiners Creek for their tireless and often unappreciated advocacy for this vital catchment. If any of my other fellow members here have the chance, I would encourage them to take a walk down the creek during this busy period. I would even be happy to accompany you.

Members interjecting.

Mr KENNEDY: Yes, well, there you go. It simply exhibits some of the best things that Hawthorn has to offer. This investment also signifies our government’s commitment to our waterways. Indeed our landmark Water for Victoria policy has seen us undertake 69 actions to meet the challenges of climate change and population growth. These range from restoring waterways to supporting farmers’ resilience with new infrastructure and skills. Like with our KooyongKoot master plan, we are putting communities at the centre of our water policy, and rightfully so, as we have witnessed the ongoing commitment to the environment by groups such as the KooyongKoot Alliance. Thank you for your good work, and I look forward to the minister’s visit.