COOKS . 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 Council Cooks River Foreshore Working Group E: [email protected] City of Canterbury Monash University W: www.ourriver.com.au Hurstvillille Council Rockdale Council Strathfield Council

City of

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conserve water resources. resources. water conserve

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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

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

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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

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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

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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 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 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  investigates the environment.” replacing sections of failing Strathfield South Subcatchment 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 Subcatchment 2010 Cooks River Catchment population (Canterbury, Hurstville, Rockdale) approximately 500,000