On Tuesday 4 April, Council and 15 diverse organisations formally launched the Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) Regional Collaboration. This newly formed, prestigious alliance will focus on protecting and improving the cultural, amenity, and environmental value of the Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) catchment for the benefit of the community and the environment.
The 16 member organisations are:
• AFL Victoria • Bicycle Network • City of Boroondara • Cricket Victoria • Deakin University • Field Naturalists Club of Victoria • Football Victoria • City of Glen Eira • Golf Australia • KooyongKoot Alliance • Melbourne Water • City of Monash • City of Stonnington • City of Whitehorse • Yarra Riverkeeper • Yarra Valley Water
Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) is an urban waterway originating near Blackburn and flowing through Burwood and Malvern East before following the Monash Freeway to the Yarra River (Birrarung). The wider catchment includes Scotchmans Creek, Damper, and Back Creeks.
Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) is a particularly significant waterway within Stonnington, extending 8.7km in length and featuring five of the city’s seven biodiversity hotspots, as well as many sports grounds, recreation hubs, a key commuter cycling route, highly valued open space, and the Malvern Valley Golf Course. Open space along the waterway corridor accounts for 45 per cent of all open space within the municipality.
The Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) Regional Collaboration has a long-term shared vision, agreed to by members of the Collaboration, that:
● KooyongKoot and its catchment is protected, valued and loved, supporting diverse uses and thriving biodiversity.
● As custodians of our natural environment, traditional owners play a key role in its management.
● Community and all stakeholders are working together to heal, strengthen and ensure the resilience of KooyongKoot and its catchment.
In conjunction with the launch, a prospectus that identifies some of the projects and programs that the Collaboration will concentrate on in the immediate future has been released and is now available.
The Collaboration seeks to form strategic and/or funding partnerships with a diverse range of government, business, community, educational, and not-for-profit organisations to support the delivery of the projects and programs.
The projects and programs include:
- A broad-based strategic plan for the catchment
- A cultural values study and program (with traditional owners)
- A data strategy to collect baseline health data (biodiversity, water quality, etc).
