Sarah Witty (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

For over 20 years, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association have campaigned for protection and sustainability for the Yarra/Birrarung river. The heart of their work is about maintaining the waterways that have sustained communities for thousands of years and preserving the natural environment of our lands for generations to come. I recently had the pleasure of meeting with the passionate people doing this work. Janet, Carina and Bruce walked me through the challenges they face as community advocates, not just for the 15 kilometres of the Yarra/Birrarung in the electorate of Melbourne but for the over 240 kilometres that this waterway stretches, from the Great Dividing Range through to Port Phillip Bay, covering the electorates of many of the people in this room.

Their tireless approach to supporting and healing this catchment must be matched by a government that will help protect more of what's precious, repair more of what's damaged and manage nature better for the future, and I am proud to be part of an Albanese Labor government that is doing just that. We have created the first federal EPA and fixed the EPBC Act so it works for our environment, and we continue to bring down emissions year on year through our progressive politics. So thank you to Janet, Carina, Bruce and all the members of our community standing up for the environment.

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