Thursday, 26 May 2022

Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) master plan

Mr FOWLES (Burwood) (17:13): (6391) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Water, and the action I seek is for the minister to visit Gardiners Creek in my electorate of Burwood to gain a full appreciation of the local interest in the recent investment in a master plan for this important waterway. First, I wish to make a note on the name that I intend to use throughout my contribution this evening. The original name for Gardiners Creek was KooyongKoot, which comes from the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri-balluk group. It translates to ‘haunt of the waterfowl’, which has a certain poetic character to it. I support usage of the name KooyongKoot for the waterway rather than Gardiners Creek, so I will be referring to it by this name.

KooyongKoot is over 30 kilometres in length. It rises in Blackburn, where small creeks and gullies converge around Blackburn Lake. It then flows through Box Hill South, Burwood and Ashwood. Near its junction with Scotchmans Creek in Malvern East at the Malvern Valley Golf Course, it turns north-west and flows through Ashburton, then Glen Iris, Malvern and Kooyong, before flowing into the Yarra River in Hawthorn. The creek spans five separate LGAs—Stonnington, Whitehorse, Boroondara, Monash and Glen Eira—and as many state electorates, most of them Labor. And for every government body that has an interest in the waterway you will find three more community organisations who have an even greater interest in this important environmental and cultural asset. There were at last count 17 friends groups and other organisations associated with the creek. The groups have formed an alliance to work for the betterment of the KooyongKoot, and through their work together the KooyongKoot Alliance has developed as a strong independent voice for the waterway.

Since being elected in 2018 I have had many conversations with constituents and stakeholders about KooyongKoot. As a result I have also had many conversations with caucus colleagues, including the Minister for Water, about the need for a coordinated plan for this waterway—as, I should also note, have my parliamentary colleagues who proudly represent the electorates that KooyongKoot passes through. I was ecstatic on budget day to contact the KooyongKoot Alliance with the announcement that the 2022–23 budget is delivering $250 000 to support the KooyongKoot master plan development in partnership with the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung traditional owners.

We need new approaches to managing and protecting our iconic rivers and creeks. Earlier this year the minister launched the Yarra Strategic Plan, which builds on the Victorian government’s landmark Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017. And last year the Andrews government launched the Waterways of the West Action Plan, a plan to protect the iconic rivers and creeks in Melbourne’s western suburbs, with traditional owners’ voices at the centre of decision-making. The work in KooyongKoot builds upon this legacy of protecting and improving Melbourne’s waterways, and I look forward to the minister’s response.