Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Higgins is proudly conscious of its local environment and its residents act locally and think globally. Whether it is the gorgeous Gardiners Creek reserve in Glen Iris or the simply stunning Victoria Gardens in Prahran, Higgins is home to some truly beautiful places. Local community groups in my electorate of Higgins were very excited to take part in the hugely successful Communities Environment Program. The applications we received were innovative, and in some cases will be transformative in protecting and enhancing our natural environment.

One such project I was excited to champion was the installation of a litter trap at Gardiners Creek, where my family often ride their bikes. The litter trap will primarily prevent litter and other large pollutants present in stormwater, such as sediment, from entering the creek. This, in turn, will prevent litter and plastics polluting our oceans. This project has received community support from the Friends of Gardiners Creek Valley, an active community group in my electorate seeking to improve the environmental condition of Gardiners Creek and its surrounds—home to thousands of cyclists and walkers.

As a passionate environmentalist, I'm keen to promote sustainability to our younger generations; therefore, I'm very pleased that Lloyd Street primary school is creating an Indigenous garden in acknowledgement of the traditional owners. The project will involve the creation of a raised garden bed and planting of Indigenous species. This is a wonderful local school, and thanks to principal Nerida Smith for designing this innovative concept that will provide a tranquil place for students to learn.

Solway Primary School will plant new trees and shrubbery on their school grounds and involve students in the process to ensure they appreciate the importance of revegetation and environmental sustainability. Thank you to principal Lyn Rodda. I know how passionate you are about this project.

Finally, I want to congratulate the City of Stonnington for developing their first biodiversity monitoring project, ClimateWatch, along the iconic Yarra River. ClimateWatch is a nationwide citizen science project run by Earthwatch and developed in partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology and the University of Melbourne. This project aims to foster stewardship of the local environment, support community connection to nature, enhance local biodiversity and build community awareness of the important role of nature in the city. The project will also help council to better understand the impacts of its biodiversity projects.

These are just a few of the wonderful local initiatives devised by community groups in Higgins. Congratulations to the Yarra Riverkeeper Association, Oakleigh Anglican Church, mecwacare, St Joseph's Outreach Services and the Carnegie Church of Christ, who were also successful under the latest grant round. I look forward to seeing how you've invested your grant, and thank you for promoting a cleaner and greener local environment. Sometimes in inner cities it can be very difficult to access parks and enjoy the beauty that our environment can provide. Thank you to my community for supporting these initiatives.

See this speech in context