By CASEY NEILL
RUBBISH is ruining Mile Creek in Dandenong, say residents.
Bob Malcolm lives near the waterway’s intersection with Cheltenham Road and regularly walks past.
He said garden beds planted with shrubs and trees had “really beautified” the area.
“The problem is everybody throwing their rubbish over,” he said.
“In among all the plants is an accumulation of rubbish.
“No-one ever seems to do anything about cleaning it up.
“There’s a little fence that goes along the footpath so people can just chuck their stuff over into it and it can’t be seen from the road.
“It’s only when you walk along the footpath that you see it.”
Mr Malcolm said someone should regularly clean the site.
“You put all these plants and shrubs in, you shouldn’t just neglect them and forget about them,” he said.
“It’s a shame because they’ve done a very good job. Driving down the road, it looks quite good.
Councillor Roz Blades raised the issue at the 15 March council meeting.
“We get this complaint a lot. Who is the responsible authority?” she asked.
The council determined Melbourne Water was responsible for keeping the creek clean and is “working with them to resolve the issue”.
Melbourne Water’s south east waterways and land manager John Woodland said it was disappointing to see the community asset used as a rubbish dump.
“A lot of work is done by us and others to look after Melbourne’s rivers and creeks,” he said.
“Litter and pollution are a big threat to our waterways and the plants and animals that live there.
“They affect water quality, decrease oxygen levels in the water, stifle plant life and create physical traps for animals and birds.”
Mr Woodland said everyone could make a difference by disposing of rubbish appropriately.
“Not only is littering environmental vandalism, but it needlessly diverts our resources away from our works to improve the condition of Melbourne’s rivers and creeks,” he said.
“With 8400 kilometres of waterway to maintain, our maintenance crews are continually working across greater Melbourne.
“While it can be difficult to respond immediately to rubbish dumping, we will act on reports as soon as possible.”
