On Tuesday, July 28th, The Gardiners Creek Regional Collaboration successfully launched it’s Catchment-scale Strategic Plan with an event which all it’s wonderful and engaged partners and stakeholders were invited along to.
Over 70 people attended the event held at Bennetswood Bowls Club, adjacent to Gardiners Creek Reserve, in Burwood. Invitees included Members of Parliament, Officers and Councillors from local Government, state Government, water and environmental agencies, Traditional Custodians Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elders and representatives from the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, Deakin University, KooyongKoot Alliance, Fields Naturalists Club of Victoria, Yarra River Keeper, sporting bodies (such as Golf Australia), Native Fish Australia, Landcare Australia, Bird Life Australia, Suburban Rail Loop officers, Melbourne University and Chain of Ponds Collaboration.
Together, we’re moving from strategy to action to create a healthier future for Gardiners Creek.
The event started with a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country performed by Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder Uncle Colin Hunter Junior on the banks of the KooyongKoot. With the tone set for the day, the group headed back to the venue for speeches from the Mayor Of Whitehorse (Cr Kirsten Langford), GCRC Lead (Neil Sutton), KooyongKoot Alliance Catchment Keeper (Graham Ross) and Melbourne Water’s Jesse Barrett.
After the Mayor, Cr Kirsten Langford, introduced the day, Neil spoke to the steps taken to get to the current point in time, the key Flagship Programs identified in The Plan, the transition the GCRC are taking now from strategising to implementation, and the associated Implementation Strategy. Graham talked to the journey the KooyongKoot Alliance has navigated through and its contribution to the Plan, and Melbourne Water’s Jessie linked the GCRC’s work to broader waterway priorities such as the Burndap Birrarung burndap umarkoo and Melbourne Water’s Healthy Waterways Strategy.
The event concluded with a wonderful lunch provided by Mullum Mullum Creations and a tour of key sites along Gardiners Creek Reserve by Whitehorse biodiversity officer Grant McAdam and the KKA catchment Keeper Graham Ross.
It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate years of hard work with the people who matter most, the key stakeholders of the Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) catchment. Thankyou to all who attended on the day and to those who could not attend but have contributed to this Plan or the Collaboration’s work in some way.
