This Federal Election, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association is asking all candidates to support actions for a healthy, protected and loved Yarra, Birrarung. By supporting the five key election commitments outlined below, candidates can support their local communities and the river they love.

Five Election Commitments : 

1. Provide Federal resources to support the conceptualisation and implementation of the Great Birrarung Parkland
2. Address polystyrene pollution in the Yarra, Birrarung (through legislation, regulation and/or specific programs)
3. Provide Federal resources to increase the capacity of environmental organisations, like the YRKA, to advocate, coordinate and support river health
4. Undertake national water policy reform, to consider climate change and population growth
5. Extend the legal rights of Australia’s rivers, through Protection Act and legal personhood

 

UPDATE : 

As of 11 May 2022, the following commitments to healthy rivers have been made:

Overall commitments 

Australian Labor Party – $200m Urban Rivers and Catchments Program

https://www.alp.org.au/policies/urban-rivers-and-catchments-program

Grants for community groups, local and state government to fund projects which deliver improvements to water quality and the local environment. This includes:

• Creating wetlands to slow water flow and filter stormwater before it reaches our rivers
• Citizen science and education projects for pre-schoolers and school age children
• Removing cement walls and returning them to natural riverbanks
• Revegetation and tree planting.

 

Australian Greens – $24.4 billion Green Australia Plan

https://greens.org.au/platform/enviro

$24.4 billion over the next decade to restore wildlife habitat, plant 2 billion trees by 2030 and re-establish green space in our cities, regions, and suburbs. This includes:

• Protecting natural environment and wildlife from land clearing, pollution, and destruction by strengthening Environment Protection Laws and creating an independent Watchdog to enforce them
• Making rivers swimmable by 2030, Melbourne’s Yarra, Birrarung.
• Stopping the extinction crisis through setting a goal of Zero extinction by 2030 and investing in a mass greening and restoration program, to ensure habitat protection for native animals and plants.

Individual electorate commitments

HIGGINS (Australian Labor Party)

$3m Higgins Kooyongkoot and Tooronga Park Restoration Project (part of $200 Urban Rivers Program)

• Construction of new wetland in Tooronga Park
• Kooyongkoot regeneration work

 

HIGGINS (Liberal Party of Australia)

$1.8m Glen Iris Wetlands Project

• Decreasing stormwater runoff from carparks
• Enhancing biodiversity and canopy cover

 

Australian Labor Party – Jaga Jaga

$1.7 million Annulus Billabong Watering Project

• Stormwater diversion and wetland creation
• Increased environmental watering of Annulus Billabong

 

Liberal Party of Australia – Kooyong

$200,000 to support the Yarra Riverkeeper Association’s core work

• Healthy rivers
• Regeneration