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Ground mammal refuges along Merri Creek
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- Category: Waterways
- Hits: 5967
In my recent walks along Merri Creek and Yarra Bend Park I have seen three Swamp Wallabies. Two were in the inaccessible western bank of Merri Creek in southern Reservoir, and one was in Yarra Bend upstream of the Studley Park Boathouse.
I find it very exciting to think that the two wallabies (definitely different individuals) I saw in close proximity in Reservoir are evidence that there is a breeding population there. I am sure there is in Yarra Bend, and has been for some time.
30 years ago, when I started on Merri Creek restoration, I imagined that getting large ground mammals back along the Creek was fanciful. Surely I thought, with cars and dogs and narrow links along the Creek at major road bridges there was no chance. There you are, I was clearly wrong, as there is a reproducing population of Eastern Grey Kangaroos at Ngarri-djarrang, a grassland reserve along Merri Creek's tributary Central Creek, and now I believe there is a breeding population of Swamp Wallabies. What is their future?
Lots of leaking water mains?
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- Category: Yarra Valley Water
- Hits: 2210
On my walk along Merri Creek today I observed and reported another 4 drains which to me looked like they were running with water from a burst water main. The water was clear, flowing profusely, not smelling like a sewer, but perhaps with a hint of chlorine. This is in addition to the one I reported in January which as of writing hasn't been fixed.
I suspect these leaks generally go under the radar because the water is flowing underground into a drain and then into Merri Creek, and so not causing local chaos. Leaks bubbling up in a road or someone's front yard are much more likely to be reported and promptly fixed.
Merri Creek valuable up to 1.3km away according to real-estate advertising
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- Category: Uncategorised
- Hits: 3857
I have long wanted to get a handle on the value of Merri Creek, as a way of arguing for more investment in the Creek and its parklands. There are many aspects to its value of course, value for habitat, value for users, value for neighbours...
One way to measure value is through property value. I believe there is a premium on real-estate near Merri Creek, and want to get an idea of what that premium is. And how far from Merri Creek is the value felt? I have often been boggled by for-sale signs that boast "Near to Merri Creek", even if the property isn't what I would call near. But what would I know? Real Estate agents must have a pretty good idea how close to Merri Creek a property has to be to make it worth putting this on a sign.
Quick response from Darebin
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- Category: City of Darebin
- Hits: 2629
Thanks to the fantastic Snap Send Solve app on my phone, within a week of reporting the really untidy (weedy and rubbishy) frontage of the Northcote Golf Course to Normanby Avenue, it was cleaned up! Well done City of Darebin for a quick response.
I sent the request on 11 April, and the work was done by the 19th. I said in the message "The Northcote Golf Course nature strip is really messy with rubbish and weeds. Anyone else would be expected to maintain their nature strip, but this doesn't look like it is ever cleaned up. Especially ironic given the lovely 'Welcome to Darebin' art".
Fire service leakages - the system is broken
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- Category: Yarra Valley Water
- Hits: 2460
How could it take over 3 months to fix a water leak into Merri Creek that is wasting around 5 million litres of water each month? The system is broken that's how.
I reported this discharge to the EPA in mid January, who passed it onto Yarra Valley Water who found it was a leaking fire service (a tapping into the main to run sprinklers etc) and therefore was the property owner's responsibility to fix, even though the leak was under a main road. Three and a half months after my report the leak was finally fixed. 17 million litres of water down the drain, which will be replaced by desalinated water.
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