The Albanese Labor Government is cleaning up the Monbulk Creek in Casey thanks to a $9.6-million-dollar investment.

The funding is part of the Government’s $200 million Urban Rivers and Catchments Program which is restoring rivers and waterways in our suburbs to better protect communities and native species.

The Urban Rivers Platypus Recovery Initiative (The Platy Patch) will improve streambank and aquatic habitats critical for Platypus and many threatened species including the Growling Grass Frog, Australasian Bittern, Southern Bent-wing Bat, Yarra Pygmy perch and many more.

This new project, the Urban Rivers Platypus Recovery Initiative (The Platy Patch) will protect and restore streambank and aquatic habitats critical for Platypus and many threatened species including the Growling Grass Frog, Australasian Bittern, Southern Bent-wing Bat, Yarra Pygmy perch and many more.

It will use innovative ‘smart water network’ technology on Monbulk Creek to reduce stormwater impacts and provide vital environmental flows, helping native species thrive in waterways increasingly stressed by climate change.

The project will be delivered by the Victorian Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek:

“We want to leave nature better off for our kids and grandkids – and that’s why we’re restoring rivers and waterways in our suburbs with a $200 million investment.

“Nearly half of all nationally listed threatened animals and a quarter of our threatened plants are in urban areas, home to 96 per cent of Australia’s population.

“And with so many native plants and animals reliant on our rivers, creeks, wetlands, and estuaries, protecting and restoring the health of our waterways is essential.

“This critical funding is good news for native wildlife and the community – improving the quality of the urban spaces that we all share and love.”

Quotes attributable to Lisa Darmanin, Senator for Victoria:

“This funding is crucial to the restoration of the Monbulk Creek and supporting our community’s efforts to protect the waterway’s habitat that native species dependent on healthy waterways like the Platypus and the Southern Bent-wing Bat that depend on it.

“The $9.6m in grant funding is a vital investment in the future of our local environment and its incredible biodiversity.

“Protecting this significant waterway is critical to ensuring our kids and their kids can continue to enjoy this beautiful part of our local community for generations to come.”

ENDS

Media contact:

Rose Steele 0405 000 680