FRIENDS OF THE MARIBYRNONG VALLEY INC.

Reg No. A10136

Aims, Achievements & Grants

::NEW::  MELBOURNE WATER COMMUNITY GRANTS  ::NEW::

March 2010

We wish to acknowledge the continued support from Melbourne Water River Health Incentives Program and the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Authority. 

We wish to say goodbye and thank you to Mat Kindred, our River Health Officer, who has moved to another area of Melbourne Water and welcome to Megan Jericho who will give us our support for this next stages of all our projects. A thank you to Brenton McMahon our Partnership Support Officer for his help and support at all stages of the grant process.

This year we have received funding through the Community Support Grant for Stage 3 of the Revegetation of the Maribyrnong River Floodplain between Steele Creek and the Tea Gardens on the Avondale Heights side of the river. This project has developed into a community project through the funding made available to us from MELOURNE WATER. Parks Victoria and Moonee Valley Council have also been in partnership in this project and in 2009 the Green Corps and Conservation Volunteers group also joined with us to provide what we believe to be a real difference to this wonderful area. If you have not taken a walk along the river lately we invite you to appreciate the hard work all our volunteers have done in restoring this wildlife corridor.

Funding for Stage 2 of the Lily Street Escarpment Maribyrnong River restoration was also provided through the Community Support Grant. This funding is for a steep area and we wish to say thank you to our environment contractor Simon, from Basaltica, for his hard work and continued support of our group. This work area is only in its early stages, but already we can see an improvement. 

Funding was again provided through the Support Grant for our general administration costs e.g. our Post Office Box and the Promotional and Development Grant which provides funding for this website site and our quarterly newsletter amongst other items. 

We wish to say thank you to everyone at Melbourne Water and the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Authority for all of their help and support over a long period of time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FMV Aims

• To raise public awareness of the potential of the Maribyrnong River and its valley as a natural and recreational resource.
• To try to safeguard this natural asset from over-development, noxious and introduced vegetation, pollution and further loss of indigenous plants and animals.
• To prevent misuse and degradation of the Maribyrnong Valley and assist in its rehabilitation.
• Communication with councils and government departments on environmental issues and development proposals in the area including the north Maribyrnong Defense Site. Representation on consultative and advisory committees. and liaison with other environmental and land care groups within the area.
• Participation in community activities including “Clean-up Days”, festivals and fairs.
• Tree plantings—from the bush to the bay, outings—river sight seeing cruises, visiting locations of interest, special projects—preparing leaflets and other promotional material including our bird book, video and heritage signs.

FMV Notable Achievements

• Canning Street Escarpment - Over a period of three years, a volunteer taskforce from FMV has transformed a section of the Canning Street Escarpment, between the sports oval and the Tea Gardens. They have almost cleared the area of Boxthorn, English Broom, Scotch Thistle and Fennel and have replanted the site with a variety of shrubs that enjoy conditions on the riparian slope. With special aftercare watering and weed control the plantings are now well established and soon going to transform the appearance of the whole area. This is an ongoing project and new volunteers to help with future activities here.
• Birds of the Maribyrnong Valley—this beginners guide to local birds and their habitat was produced by the group with funds from the Department of Conservation & Environment.
• The Other River (1989)—an educational kit comprising of a 24 minute informative video and a teachers guide.
• Heritage Signs—with illustrations and text depicting historic places and events in Keilor, Sunshine, Footscray and Essendon, these signs were designed in collaboration with the local historical societies and are located along the river.
• Grimes Flemming Bicentenary—a re-enactment of the first navigation of the Maribyrnong River by Grimes and Flemming in 1803 was staged in collaboration with Living Museum of the West.

~  Contact FMV ~