Published on 09 September 2019
Maribyrnong City Council was presented with the Protection of Environment Award at the Keep Victoria Beautiful Sustainable Cities 2019 Awards for conservation work along the Braybrook section of the Maribyrnong River.
The Braybrook river bank, known as a riparian habitat for plants and animals, was infested with noxious weeds such as Chilean Needle Grass and Serrated Tussock, preventing the growth of native fauna that encouraged wildlife to live in the area. In order to increase habitat and biodiversity of native flora and fauna, weeds along the riparian zone were removed by Council.
The community embraced the rehabilitation of the site by planting more than 2000 native plants at National Tree Day events. This year a new record was set with the community planting 1000 plants in under an hour, transforming the site.
The Keep Victoria Beautiful Sustainable City Awards recognise and celebrate positive actions taken by communities in urban areas to protect and enhance their local environments. They encompass initiatives as diverse as litter prevention, recycling, protection of the environment, preserving heritage, community action and leadership and environmental sustainability programs.
To find out how you can get involved in conservation projects around Maribyrnong visit www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/volunteering