The state of our environment in the Dandenong Creek catchment will be the focus of a public forum aiming to bring the up-to-date facts to the community.
The special public forum in April is being held by the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (PPWCMA).
The forum will draw together experts in water, biodiversity, freeway planning and parks to explore the major issues confronting the Dandenong Creek catchment and Port Phillip Bay.
The PPWCMA will also be launching ‘Living Links’, a large scale collaborative program being developed with a number of councils, government agencies and local communities that will create a living network of parks, open spaces, wetlands and waterways to revitalise Melbourne’s south-east region.
Hilary Harper, (774 ABC Radio) will be on hand to interview each expert and draw out the salient issues relating to the health of the catchment.
Everyone with an interest in building a healthier environment is invited to the free half-day seminar on Friday 20 April at the Hemisphere Conference Centre, 488 South Road, Moorabbin (Melways Reference 77 G5). Bookings are essential.
‘There is a great deal of effort put in to environmental improvement by government, industry and volunteer groups, but as a whole community we should always seek to improve our understanding and find ways to better protect the overall health of our natural resources,’ said David Buntine, Chief Executive Officer of the PPWCMA.
‘The Dandenong catchment is a remarkable place; over 1.2 million people live here, which is over a third of the population of the Greater Melbourne area,’ Mr Buntine said.
‘Yet it is also home to some wonderful parks, wetlands and natural resources, so we need to understand the threats to the health and long-term sustainability of these assets,’ he said.
‘If our community better understands the strengths of our catchment, along with the challenges we face from urban development and a changing economy, then we are well on the way to creating a sustainable future,’ he said.
The seminar will give a snapshot of the region’s health and the latest information on issues such as:
* river health and water quality
* native vegetation, biodiversity and threatened species
* urban development and EastLink, and
* park and reserves.
A number of environmental experts, scientists and business and community leaders will be at the seminar, but Mr Buntine said it was important that the wider community was involved.
‘This is about the legacy we will leave our children and grandchildren and this requires tapping in to the strengths of our local community to build a better future.’ |