A small army of Victorians are set to clean up litter, remove weeds and help make local rivers and creeks more beautiful as part of the State’s plan to keep people working through the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, the Minister for Water, Lisa Neville said over 110 people were to take up roles cleaning and protecting Melbourne’s suburban waterways.
“More than 90 employees will remove rubbish, undertake invasive weed management and improve vegetation along the Yarra, Maribyrnong and Werribee rivers, as well as throughout the Dandenong and Bayside region,” Ms Neville said.
“In addition, more than 20 new employees will work in administration roles for Melbourne Water, supporting the waterway health blitz and other important projects in the greater Melbourne catchment area,” she said.
“A recent series of litter clean-up ‘blitz’ events along the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers saw almost 40 tonnes of rubbish cleaned out,”
Ms Neville said the clean-up helped improve the health of the waterways and made them more enjoyable for Victorians getting out for essential exercise during COVID-19 restrictions.
“The improvement works will be delivered in collaboration with the Yarra River Keeper Association, along with community groups and local councils along urban waterways,” she said.
