This episode was recorded to the land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and produced on the land of the Muwinina people. We extend our deepest respect to the people of these lands, their ancestors, and their care of Country.
The Merri Creek is a 70 km long creek which runs from the Great Dividing Range through the northern suburbs of naarm, where it joins the Yarra. Ann McGregor has been active in restoring Merri Creek and building community around this place since the 70s, when it was infested with weeds and treated as a drain and sewer, to today. Thanks to the work of Ann and many other people who have come together over this waterway, it now hosts multilayered indigenous vegetation, birds, lizards, snakes bats and more, and has become a welcome refuge for city folk. Ann is a town planner by trade, and throughout our talk you can hear how her knowledge of planning and sustainable development inform her work in this space. We talk about the urban stream syndrome, the importance of engaging with local government, birds of the Merri, and the dream of the return of the platypus.
Merri Creek Management Committee