Litter hero joins effort to keep Elster Creek tidy
Melbourne Water and Glen Eira Council have hired a new Litter Action Plan Officer as part of a suite of litter-busting measures to keep Elster Creek beautiful.
Litter hero Hannah is based at Glen Eira Council, which is responsible for managing most of the extensive drainage system in the Elster Creek catchment.
Glen Eira Mayor Simone Zmood said that tackling litter in the Elster Creek catchment is an integral part of the health of the local waterways.
“Reducing litter at the source can make a huge difference to the local wildlife,” she said.
“The best way to reduce litter is changing community attitudes. That’s why I’m delighted the new Litter Action Plan Officer will work with our community, through engagement and education.”
Litter hero Hannah, standing at Elster Creek in Glen Eira.
The dedicated part-time officer will work with the community, the Environment Protection Authority Victoria, and local councils to develop and implement a whole-of-catchment Litter Action Plan for Elster Creek.
In addition, Melbourne Water is increasing its litter clean-up efforts along Elster Creek, from fortnightly to weekly, and will install a floating ‘litter boom’ at New Street later this year. The boom will complement the two litter traps already installed in the Elwood Canal.
Public land and waterway managers, commercial and industrial operators, and the community share responsibility for litter management.
“We’re taking action to clean up the creek, but the litter that ends up in our waterways comes from the streets, so we all have a part to play,” said John Woodland, Head of Waterway & Catchment Services South East.
To really improve how we handle litter, we need to track down where it’s coming from, see how it gets into our stormwater system, and tackle the problem as close to the source as we can.
Mr Woodland said community support is “the final piece of the puzzle.”
More information about the Litter Action Plan and the collaboration can be found at: Elster Creek Litter Collaboration | Melbourne Water
Media contact:
03 9679 7004