FRIENDS OF MERRI CREEK NEWSLETTER APRIL 2002
Darebin City Mayor Vince Fontana, in his opening speech on 25 March,
"I will commit this Council to working in partnership with our community and the Friends of Merri Creek in a campaign over the next year to prevent the Merri Freeway. We will develop a joint campaign plan, commit resources and work together to protect our creek and community. We will strongly advocate for environmental, economic and socially sustainable development."
Strong anti-freeway vote in inner-northern suburbs Council elections
Candidates who opposed the Merri Creek freeway and supported protection of the Merri Creek were overwhelmingly elected in last month’s Council elections in Melbourne’s inner northern suburbs.
There was a strong vote in Moreland, Darebin and Yarra Council elections for green Labor, Greens Party and green independent candidates. This sends a clear message to local Councils that the environment, and in particular the Merri Creek freeway, will continue to dominate local Government politics in the inner north.
Friends of Merri Creek congratulates all the successful candidates and we are looking forward to campaigning strongly with Moreland, Darebin and Yarra City Councils to see an end to the Merri Creek freeway proposal.
The results of the Council elections also have important implications for the State election.
The strong anti freeway vote in inner northern suburbs, shows that the State Government must re-think its position on the Merri Creek freeway. The very high vote for Greens Party, green Labor, and green independent candidates puts a large question mark over a number of Victorian Labour-held seats in the inner north.
We are seeking meetings with the State Government to discuss the Council election result and to urge that they adopt the alternatives to the freeway which will solve the traffic problems without destroying the fragile Merri Creek environment.
What you can do
Please write to your local members of State Parliament and urge them to push for a re-think on the freeway. There is no better time to remind your state parliamentarians of your concerns. We are now in the lead up to the State election – expected towards the end of the year or early next year – a time when politicians often find their hearing improves!!
See our web site for details of your local MP; or phone the office on 9240 2394.
Linda Parlane
Federal Government concedes in court on freeway
Friends of Merri Creek have won the first phase of our legal battle to overturn the Federal Government’s decision to fund the Merri Creek Freeway. The Commonwealth Government has conceded all points in the case and has agreed to pay our legal costs.
Friends challenged the Federal Government’s refusal to release its reasons for its decision to fund the freeway. Friends believed that The Minister for Transport was obliged, under Section 13 of the Commonwealth Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act provide reasons for their decision to approve the funding for the Freeway.
Initially, the Minister refused, claiming that Friends of Merri Creek was “not a person aggrieved” by his decision and did not have standing to request his reasons.
We have played a key role in the restoration and protection of the Merri Creek and its environs stretching back over more than a decade. To claim we are “not a person aggrieved” was just not credible.
Finally, three months later, confronted with the details of our case, the Commonwealth seemed to realise its claims were too flimsy to stand up in Court and it conceded on all points.
The Commonwealth’s stalling was a disgraceful waste of tax payers money – forcing a small community organisation to go to court simply to get information to which we were legally entitled.
The issue of legal ‘standing’ can be very problematic in environmental and other public interest cases, and can stall or even stymie legal proceedings.
Our victory now opens the way for further legal action challenging the lawfulness of the Commonwealth’s funding for the Merri Creek freeway. We are determined to do everything possible to protect the Merri Creek from the freeway – including further legal action if necessary. Along with our lawyers we are currently considering the Commonwealth’s reasons and will shortly decide on any further legal action.
Friends of Merri Creek would like to thank the legal team at the Environment Defenders Office, as well as our Barrister, Mr James Johnson.
What project would you like to see on the Merri ?
Is there a certain site on the Merri Creek that you would like to see be revegetated? Or do you have an idea for a special project? Or is there a particular “disaster area” that you would like to see fixed up? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, we want to hear from you!
The Friends and the Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) both want suggestions for future funding applications to Parks Victoria and other funding bodies. Please ring Ray Radford or Barb Miles at MCMC on 9380 8199 or send an email to
A Faithfull Farewell
On March 28, Tony Faithfull left the Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) after almost 13 years service, including over five years as Manager. When Tony started at MCMC, there was only a total of 4 staff . Since then he has had an incalculable role in the protection and revegetation of the Merri Creek, in the growth of MCMC and in the very positive way that MCMC is viewed by the general community.
Among his many accomplishments at MCMC, Tony put in a huge amount of work fighting the Freeway, writing submissions and putting highly researched arguments in defense of Merri Creek to government inquiries. Tony is taking a well-deserved break after which he hopes to pursue new directions.
Tony’s departure was celebrated by a farewell party at CERES on 27 March, attended by the MCMC staff, many Friends members and lots of Tony’s work associates. Friends members also played a central role in the proceedings, with Linda Bradburn compering and brief speeches from Trevor Hausler (MCMC President), David Redfearn (MCMC Treasurer) and Max Sargent (Friends President). In recognition of Tony’s work the Friends presented him a compass and copies of Homer’s ‘Iliad’ and ‘The Odyssey.’ He was also made an Honorary Life Member of the Friends.
The Friends wish Tony farewell and happy travels. At the same time we also welcome the new MCMC Manager, Luisa Macmillan.
Ray Radford(Secretary)
Eagle-eyes at Galada Tamboore;
Galada Tamboore Bird walk 17th March
On a beautiful, balmy evening over twenty Friends and Campbellfield locals attended a bird-watching tour. Neil Macumber, an experienced birdwatcher and tour-guide volunteered his time to lead the walk. This activity was part of the Parks Victoria funded grant ‘Gaps, Cracks and Crevices’ which concentrates on restoration of four native Escarpment sites along the Merri Creek. Galada Tamboore provided the venue for a wonderful evening stroll although the tranquillity (and birdwatching) was somewhat disturbed by helicopter joy-rides over the valley from the festival at the Whittlesea Public Gardens at ten minute intervals!
The highlight of the evening was the acrobatics of a pair of Little Eagles. These were pursued by a determined gang of Little ravens and several Black-shouldered Kites for an extended period, allowing all to have excellent views through several pairs of binoculars people had brought. Neil was able to explain about the different colour phases that the Little Eagles showed and how to identify the smaller male from the larger female.
Seventeen native birds and five introduced birds were seen over the two hours that we spent. The walk also prompted locals to talk about the birds that visit their own backyards, many of which back onto Galada Tamboore.
Native Birds / Introduced BirdsAustralian Magpie / Blackbird
Australian White Ibis / Common Mynah
Black-shouldered Kite / Feral Pigeon
Brown Goshawk / House Sparrow
Brown Quail (heard) / Skylark
Dusky Moorhen / Starling
Golden-headed Cisticola
Little Eagle (Dark and light phase)
Little Grassbird (heard)
Little ravens
Magpie Lark
Musk Lorikeets
Red-browed Firetail finch
Richard’s Pipit
Silvereye
Superb Fairy Wren
White-plumed Honey-eater
Article supplied by Merri Creek Management Committee
Turning a new leaf in the Native Grasslands.
Late Summer and Autumn are busy times in the grassland for MCMC crews.
Funding from Parks Victoria grant ‘Seen and Unseen, Restoring Merri Creeks Native Grasslands’ allowed MCMC to conduct ecological burns in February at Central Creek Native Grassland in Reservoir and Jukes Road Grassland, Fawkner. MCMC also contributed to the planning of a large ecological burn at Cooper Street Grassland in Campbellfield that was conducted by Parks Victoria’s fire crew.
Regrowth from summer burns is rapid and this time is valuable for intensive eradication of difficult to kill weeds such as Chilean Needle Grass and Gorse. Mapping of the burns using satellite technology (GPS) has also taken place, essential for maintaining a history of burnt areas for ecological management. Friends will have a chance to take part in mapping exercises on the planting day at Jukes Road Grassland on June 16th. Intensive mapping of vegetation quality within the burn areas in 2002 will provide information for assessing past works and planning future works.
Article supplied by Merri Creek Management Committee
Friends Network Conference
There is always something interesting to be learnt from environmental get-togethers and the Victorian National Parks Association Friends Network Conference at the Organ Pipes National Park on 23 March was no exception.
Paul Prentice and I attended on behalf of the Friends and we were pleased to witness an unprecedented event as four people from the one organisation, the Friends of Woodlands Park, won the “Best friend” Award for 2002.
Grasslands expert, Colin Hocking, from the Victorian University, told us how grasslands need people in order to survive so we need to re-think how we involve people in maintaining our grasslands. Colin also said that native grasses are very good at locking up the huge amounts of nutrients stored underground in basalt plains, while weeds need nutrients on top of the soil. This is why disturbed soil attracts weeds.
It was difficult to choose a workshop, but I punted for the geological tour, where I learnt some amazing things. For starters - the basalt lava cools at right angles to the cold, so vertical columns like the Organ Pipes were cold at the top and bottom, while the circular “Rosette Rock” had cold all around because it formed in a lava cave.
For seconds - Silurian Sandstone is over 400 million years old and was on the surface of the earth when there was no life on land, including plant life, as there was no oxygen.
Then the clincher - each human is an ecosystem that preserves one of the oldest life forms from the Silurian period by protecting them from oxygen. Our DNA and will die if exposed to oxygen. So now you know your real purpose in life! Ray Radford (Secretary)
Friends’ Life Members: Ann & Bruce McGregor
Below is the first in a series of short histories of the Friends Life members, taken from interviews conducted and recorded by historian, Leslie Fraser
.
Ann and Bruce McGregor are founding members of the Friends of Merri Creek and they continue to be extremely active members with Ann as the current Vice President.
Ann’s interest in the environment began when she was young. Her parents had a weekend house in the Dandenongs, where she started bird-watching. Later, she did a Town Planning degree and was one of the first people to complete a Master of Environmental Studies. From 1975, Ann worked on research projects at the Centre for Environmental Studies.
Bruce was brought up in the country and became interested in environmental issues in secondary school. He enjoyed the outdoors and spent lots of time bushwalking. Bruce completed a degree in Agricultural Science at Melbourne University and started work for the Department of Agriculture.
Ann and Bruce McGregor moved into Brunswick after they were married in 1976 (having met while at University). The soon became involved in the Brunswick Merri Creek Action Group, formed in 1976, and meetings were held at their house. The group’s main concern was about developing parkland along the Merri Creek in Brunswick, but of course it was also part of the local community opposition to the proposed freeway right along the Creek valley.
Letters from the Action Group resulted in Fitzroy Council calling a meeting in October 1976 to form the Merri Creek Coordinating Committee (MCCC). In due course the MCCC was established in 1976. Ann was the hardworking Honorary Secretary for seven years from the late 70s. From 1980 to 1989, Bruce was the Vice President. Ann and Bruce both played a major role in getting the Councils to apply for funding for revegetation and parkland development projects.
The local action group's first planting was in 1977 between Moreland Road and the Brunswick Velodrome, but Council practices were different then. No weeding was done before or after the planting and as Ann said, “We just marched in and dug a hole and planted the plants.” Unfortunately, any protecting stakes were removed by kids or for use as fire wood, and the small plants were mown over. One area around Clara Street Brunswick was filled with garbage so that, as Bruce puts it, “You’d go to dig a hole with a mattock or whatever and you’d put it through eight sheets of rusting iron.”
At the time, the Merri was neglected, weedy with lots of rubbish and it was very common to see the dumped remains of animals that had been slaughtered in backyards. There had been a progression towards using indigenous plants, so that by the time the MCCC was formed, there was agreement that only indigenous plants would be planted along the Creek. The MCCC had no works team, so groups such as the Brunswick Merri Creek Action group did the planting. However, because of the poor survival rate due to lack of maintenance, mowing or spraying the plants, it soon became obvious that a properly trained workforce was required to make real progress.
Ann and Bruce both saw the Merri Creek as “a damaged asset that just cried out to be restored, not only for people but also for birds and animals.” Bruce said that the Creek groups had a broad range of interests including planning issues, revegetation, restoration, recreation, heritage, and flood management, and all the issues were interrelated. The Merri Path became a key issue as people needed to have access to the potential recreation area along the Creek, in order to build support for its protection and restoration.
Ann said that the Merri Path was one of the greatest achievements of the MCCC. This involved obtaining funding for coordinated design and construction across eight municipalities. Another big effort was put into securing large areas of creek frontage for public ownership, through negotiation, donation or purchase. A further achievement was at Merri Park Northcote, where the then Board of Works proposed a 3 metre high floodwall right beside the Creek, with the land behind the wall (owned by the Board) being sold off for development. Bruce was part of MCCC deputations to State Government Ministers and to Northcote Council, which resulted in the construction of a levee bank for flood control, and creation of the parklands that we enjoy today.
Bruce was involved in the Steering Committee which established the Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) in 1989.
Ann and Bruce have continued to be involved in MCMC, with Bruce as the Secretary during the 1990s and with Ann as the current Secretary. Ann works with Context Pty Ltd as an environmental planning consultant, and Bruce works with the Department of Natural Resources & Environment. The couple has two daughters, Freya (14) and Karen (12) (in April 2002).
Edited by Ray Radford,
FREEWAY SITE TOUR
On March 9th, Brendan Casey took us for a guided tour of key sites along the Creek which will be affected by the freeway.
Our first stop was at the Craiegieburn grassland, home to a many species of threatened plants and animals. The Merri Creek there is hardly 1m wide and there are signs of siltation due to erosion further up its catchment.
With surveyors’ pegs on the flat just above the Creek, can we be possibly asked to believe that there will be no impact on the rest of the reserve? That no dirt moved by heavy machinery or oil from cars won’t come down the Merri? That the noise of a freeway won’t disturb the wildlife?