Go Yarra Flow
When the eyes of the world turned to Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games in March 2006, the Yarra River was its main star.
Fireworks shot colour across a twighlight sky from the corrugated metal fins of 72 amazing fish sculptures that floated on the water near Federation Square. Thousands of people watched. It was a moment to be proud of.
So why has the Yarra River been allowed to suffer?
The Yarra River provides us with some of the best drinking water in the world. In an average year, 70 percent of Melbourne’s freshwater supplies are sourced from its upper reaches. And we don’t just drink its water. We use it to flush our toilets and irrigate our farms. Some 400 billion litres of water are taken every year from the Yarra to meet our needs.
It’s left the river high and dry, with its health under increasing stress from overuse. Right now, the Yarra’s flow is only a fraction of its natural level – threatening the birds, fish, frogs and platypus that make the river their home.
Go Yarra Flow!
Our campaign aims to send a strong message to the Victorian Government that the people of Melbourne value a healthy Yarra River. Together with the Yarra Riverkeeper Association, we’re urging the government to:
- Honour their commitment to deliver life-giving environmental flows to the Yarra River
- Commit to making Melbourne a water-sensitive city by adopting the recommendations outlined in our vision for Melbourne’s water future.
Get involved!
Let the Victorian Government know that you value a healthy Yarra River.
For more information, contact Ian Penrose, Yarra Riverkeeper on 0409 510 766.
(What’s Ian’s story anyway? Check it out)
We’ve been pretty busy. Check out some of our adventures below
Melbourne water restrictions eased
Monday, 23 August 2010
Edwina Scott, Brisbane Times
Melbourne residents will be able to turn on a hose to green up their gardens any time of the day in a pre-election sweetener environment groups say will come at a cost to river...
moreHoses at the ready: stage 3a restrictions to end
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Paul Austin, The Age
Melburnians will be able to water their gardens at any time and wash their cars at home for the first time in four years when restrictions are eased next week.
From...
moreGood rains mean 10bn litre boost for Yarra
Friday, 23 July 2010
Richard Willingham, The Age
The health of Melbourne's Yarra River will be given a boost with the allocation of 10 billion litres of environmental water.
Solid winter rainfalls, more efficient...
moreBaillieu’s plan a further blow for the Yarra
Wednesday 14 October 2009
In response to the Victorian Liberal Party’s claims today that more water should be pumped from the Yarra into water storages, Environment Victoria’s acting CEO Mark Wakeham said:
...
moreGovernment actions push Yarra’s native fish to the brink
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
The Victorian Government’s ongoing failure to provide adequate environmental flows to the Yarra River has pushed the endangered Macquarie Perch to the brink of...
moreSmart water solutions still needed
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Victoria’s peak environment group today raised concerns about the Brumby Government’s long-term water strategy for Melbourne following today’s announcement of the desalination plant proponents./...
moreCommunity calls on Richmond MP to revive ailing Yarra
Friday, 5 June 2009
Concerned community members, together with Environment Victoria and the Yarra Riverkeeper Association, today gathered outside Richard Wynne’s electorate office to remind the Member for Richmond...
moreDrought-stressed Yarra and Thomson need more water
Friday, 22 May 2009
Environment Victoria and the Yarra Riverkeeper Association were today disappointed with the Water Minister’s decision to consider taking more water from the already stressed Yarra and Thomson...
moreStudents, green groups call on Melbourne MP to keep promise and save the Yarra
Thursday 21 May, 2009
Concerned local students, together with Environment Victoria and Yarra Riverkeeper Association, today gathered outside Bronwyn Pike’s electorate office to remind the...
moreEnvironmental flows audit shows the gaps between promises and performance
April 2009
The Victorian government has made commitments to set aside water for environmental flows to improve the health of our river systems. Environment Victoria decided to take a look at how...
more
Twitter
Stay on Target 155
And tell the government not to ease water restrictions
Starting today, Premier Brumby has eased Melbourne's water restrictions from Stage 3 to Stage 2. So starting today, you could see your neighbours out and about, water hoses akimbo. It couldn't be worse for our...
more
Bringing the Water Act into the 21st Century
It’s time we got our Act together
On Saturday I was in the foothills of the the Great Diving Range, just outside Seymour at Commonground – a fabulous meeting venue for talking about and planning for change.
We were joined by rivers advocates from...
more
Water debt paid off
But Snowy still shortchanged
The governments charged with returning water to the Snowy River have at last made a decision that will actually provide some flows for the river.
The Victorian, NSW and Commonwealth governments have reached an...
more
A little drop of water goes a long way
Environmental Water and the new River Red Gum parks
Well, I’m six months into my stint here as Healthy Rivers campaigner working to Rescue Our Rivers.
I’ve been helping to draw up policies that will help give our rivers a drink. We...
more
Happy World Environment Day!
Celebrate by getting involved in one of these local actions
From Hollywood stars to schoolchildren, millions of people on every continent will take action for the planet on 5 June for World Environment Day/a...
more
Flickr
- Victoria: green and growing |
- Water Security, Healthy Rivers: Our Vision for Melbourne |
- An Audit of Seven Environmental Bulk Entitlements – Recommended, Planned, and Actual Release of Environmental Water to Victoria’s Stressed Rivers |
- Submission to 2009 Biennial Assessment of progress in Implementation of the National Water Initiative |
- Environment Victoria’s submission to the draft Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy |
- Inquiry into Melbourne's Future Water Supply |
- Environment Victoria submission to Environment Effects Statement for the Victorian Desalination Project |
- Submission to the EPBC investigation of the Sugarloaf Pipeline |
- Environment Victoria submission to Project Impact Assessment of the Sugarloaf Pipeline Proposal |
- Submission to Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy Discussion Paper |
