A heavy duty solution to a significant litter problem
The Patterson River is a waterway with significant recreational and amenity values, but is also at the end of a significantly urbanised catchment, and litter is an ongoing challenge to those values.
Installation of a heavy duty litter trap would contribute to protecting those values, and prevent litter loads entering Port Phillip Bay. Several temporary infrastructure interventions have been trialled in the area but the high flows and access are significant barriers to a permanent solution.
External funding would be needed to develop a permanent solution.
Note: This end-of-system infrastructure project proposal is being complemented by the Lower Dandenong Creek Litter Collaboration which is taking a source reduction and whole-of-catchment approach.
Themes and Local Areas
| Primary Theme: | Waterways |
| Other Themes: | Marine Environments, Coasts, Communities |
| Primary Local Area: | Urban Melbourne |
| Other Local Areas: | Port Phillip Bay |
| Project location: | Patterson River near the National Watersports Centre |
| Scale of the project: | One place |
| New or continuing work: | Building on previous work |
Project partners
| Lead organisation: | Melbourne Water |
| Key partners: | Kingston City Council |
| Registered Aboriginal Party/s relevant to the project or its area: | Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation |
Investment opportunities
| Opportunities for investors within this project start from: | $$$ (Hundreds of thousands of dollars) |
| Estimated scale of investment for full project implementation: | $$$$ (Millions of dollars) |
| Estimated timeframe for full project implementation: | 1-2 years |
Contribution toward targets
| Primary Regional Catchment Strategy target: | Waterway amenity – Achieve an average score for waterway amenity of VERY HIGH for the Dandenong catchment. This would decrease litter volumes at the mouth of the Patterson River and the beaches nearby. Marine water quality – This infrastructure would help reduce volume of litter entering Port Phillip Bay. |
| Relevant Biodiversity 2037 goal: | – |
| Relevant National Landcare Program priority: | – |
More information
Trent Griffiths at Melbourne Water – trent.griffiths@melbournewater.com.au
