COOKS RIVER. OUR RIVER. OUR RIVER. COOKS
FUTURE. NOW. THEN.
OurRiver partners In collaboration with For more information
Ashfield Council NSW Environment Trust T: (02) 9748 9635 Bankstown Council Cooks River Foreshore Working Group E: [email protected] City of Canterbury Monash University W: www.ourriver.com.au Hurstvillille Council Marrickville Council Rockdale Council Strathfield Council
City of Sydney
Tell your friends what you’re doing you’re what friends your Tell -
conserve water resources. resources. water conserve
to you to
improve Cooks River water quality and and quality water River Cooks improve
Tell council that a clean river is important important is river clean a that council Tell -
helped construct 11 on-ground works to to works on-ground 11 construct helped -
after each rain storm storm rain each after
and workshops and
river the into washed are bottles and
tours education community hosted -
bags plastic of masses – bags shopping . River Cooks the reaches stormwater
produced 6 local management plans plans management local 6 produced -
Carry reusable drink containers and and containers drink reusable Carry - which at speed the slow and/or water,
engaged approximately 3,000 residents residents 3,000 approximately engaged -
areas, install a rainwater tank) rainwater a install areas, conserve stormwater, of out pollutants
OurRiver has OurRiver -
paved minimize (e.g., property your filter that partners federal and state
of councils and the community. the and councils of
Minimize how much water washes off off washes water much how Minimize - with works on-ground Constructing -
water resources, and build the capacity capacity the build and resources, water
drought-tolerant plants in your garden) your in plants drought-tolerant Streamwatch. and
aims to improve river health, conserve conserve health, river improve to aims
dishes to water your plants, plant native native plant plants, your water to dishes Riverscience through river the of
, which which , Initiative Sustainability River
showers, use the water from washing washing from water the use showers, health ecological the Monitoring -
OurRiver – the Cooks Cooks the – OurRiver for funding
Conserve water (e.g., take shorter shorter take (e.g., water Conserve - partners. federal and
projects, most recently obtaining obtaining recently most projects,
the stormwater drain drain stormwater the DECCW) Water, Sydney (e.g., state with
The CRFWG has initiated regional regional initiated has CRFWG The -
down goes water only ensure Help - riverbanks the of parts Naturalising -
River Foreshores Working Group. Group. Working Foreshores River
Join a local bushcare group group bushcare local a Join - groups. bushcare Supporting -
Eight councils are part of the Cooks Cooks the of part are councils Eight -
What you can do to help out: help to do can you What doing: are councils What Working together Working - Then. Now. Future. Over the last 200 years, the Cooks River The parks and paths along the length As a part of OurRiver – the Cooks River Catchment has been densely developed of the Cooks River provide a unique Sustainability Initiative, the residents, and has been severely degraded by plant recreation and potential habitat council staff and other stakeholders removal, concreting of the riverbed in corridor in an urban setting. However, of six local areas developed visions many areas, and the use of the river as a the Cooks River is polluted with very for their area in 20 to 30 years time. drain for sewage, waste, and stormwater. poor water quality. To try and change Achieving these visions of attractive, this – community groups, councils, and safe, sustainable areas with a healthy 1780 Cooks River Catchment Aboriginal state and federal agencies have many natural environment is possible with population approximately 1500 projects to improve river health by the commitment of the community 1830s Settlement spreads along the river removing rubbish, restoring riverbanks and political leaders to continue as European population grows and bushland, filtering stormwater, etc. supporting efforts to improve river health. 1848 Noxious trades banned from Sydney, polluting industries move “...the naturally flowing to the Cooks River Cooks River supports a 1850s - Industries, especially tanneries, thriving ecosystem..” 1900s dump waste into the river Ashbury Subcatchment (Ashfield and Canterbury) 1896 Outbreak of typhoid fever among children swimming in the river “We are leaders in attributed to sewage from streets entering the river sustainable practice and innovative design.” 1925 Cooks River Improvement League Eastern Channel East Subcatchment founded (Marrickville) 1928 Government begins concreting upper reaches of the river “...our community
1950s Cooks River Valley Association understands how water formed works and plays an active role in its management.” 1991 State Government establishes Munni Street Subcatchment (City of the Cooks River Catchment Sydney) Management Committee
1998 Formation of the Cooks River “...our parks and streets are Foreshores Working Group safe, accessible and 2000 State government disbands sustainable living spaces Catchment Management that connect the Committees; forms Catchment community and the Management Boards instead, environment.” which cover larger areas Rookwood Road Subcatchment (Bankstown) 2005 State government disbands Catchment Management Boards; forms Catchment Management “Industry and residents are Authorities instead, which cover sustainable water users even larger areas who live in harmony with 2007 Sydney Water investigates the environment.” replacing sections of failing Strathfield South Subcatchment concrete with more natural river (Strathfield) banks
2008 State government begins replacing “...water and energy are failing steel sheet piling with more generated locally from natural river banks renewable sources.” Upper Wolli Creek Subcatchment 2010 Cooks River Catchment population (Canterbury, Hurstville, Rockdale) approximately 500,000