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2005/08: Has the State government done sufficient to ensure the health of the Yarra River?
What they said ...
'If something has the ability to kill eels, it must be pretty potent'
Ms Frances Courtney, a member of the Hawthorn Rowing Club
'The department does not believe there is a public health risk'
A spokesperson for the Department of Human Services
The issue at a glance
In November 2004, Mr Mark Shorter, 28, fell into the water while kayaking on the Yarra at Dights Falls in Collingwood. Mr Shorter later since spent 14 days under sedation in hospital, suffered bouts of delusion and severe jaundice, lung hemorrhaging and kidney failure. Doctors at St Vincent's Hospital believe he had contracted leptospirosis, possibly as a result of water he had inhaled.
The Age took up this case and subsequently reported that two other kayakers had suffered similar illnesses after immersion in the Yarra. It was then reported that between 60 and 100 eels had been found floating dead on the surface of the river. At the same time reports of high E.coli readings, not normally made public, were published in The Age.
This concurrence of incidents led to significant public debate about the state of the Yarra. The Victorian Opposition, in particular, argued that the Government had done and was doing too little to ensure the health of the river.
Background
Twenty-five years ago The Age began its famous 'Give the Yarra a Go' campaign. One of the aims of that campaign was to clean up this waterway.
In 1984, the Cain government announced a $200 million plan to clean up the Yarra. Mr Evan Walker, the planning and environment minister, predicted that people should be able to swim 'very safely' in river's lower reaches by 1989.
However, in January 1991, the Liberal opposition released data showing some E.coli counts 42 times the minimum safe level.
The current Government aims to have 85 per cent of Melbourne's waterways suitable for swimming by 2008, and the rest by 2030. However, Mr Peter Scott, of Melbourne Water, recently told The Age that meeting the 2008 deadline would be 'a challenge'.
Concerns about water quality have not been confined to Victoria. Though New South Wales most recent concern regarding this issue centred on drinking water rather than river water, the concerns expressed in each state seem to demand similar action from government.
In August 1998 a number of 'boil water alert' warnings were issued to the public by New South Wales Health, due to the detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in the water system.
The NSW government commissioned an independent inquiry to determine possible causes of the contamination and to examine the procedures taken by Sydney Water and NSW Health. The Report recommended a number of administrative changes such as the formation of the Sydney Catchment Board.
Internet information
Environment Victoria is Victoria's major non-government environment organisation. It has been campaigning across Victoria for more than 30 years, ever since its successful 1969 drive to save the Little Desert from subdivision.
On January 20, 2005, Environment Victoria issued a media release titled, 'Yarra River Health Concerns'. The organisation expressed its concern regarding the levels of contamination in the Yarra and its tributaries and also commended the Government for its plan to cap the amount of water Melbourne can draw from the Yarra.
The organisation suggested a number of further actions it believed should take place to help improve water quality in the Yarra.
This release can be found at http://www.envict.org.au/inform.php?item=779
On January 17, 2005, the Victorian Liberal Party issued a media release condemning the Bracks Government for apparently refusing to take up federal government funding intended to improve states' water quality.
The release can be found at http://www.vic.liberal.org.au/MediaCentre/StateMedia/17012005begging.htm
On January 25, 2005, the ABC's 7.30 Report broadcast a report on contamination concerns regarding the Yarra. The report included an interview with Mark Shorter, one of the kayakers who became seriously ill after falling into the Yarra.
A full transcript of the report can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1289194.htm
On October 19 2003 the Victorian Environment Minister announced his Government's plans to clean up the Yarra in preparation for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The announcement refers to a litter barge which will operate on the Yarra and Maribyrnong Rivers through Parks Victoria, and will collect some 1,500 cubic metres of litter per year from the 15 litter traps along the rivers.
The announcement can be found at http://www.vic.alp.org.au/media/1003/20002592.html
The Victorian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has published an account of the Victorian Stormwater Action Program. This can be found at http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/Programs/Stormwater/default.asp
The University of South Australia has published an overview of water policy and the law in Australia. This document looks at the underlying priorities forming water policy and how these have been given legal form in different states.
This document can be found at http://business2.unisa.edu.au/waterpolicylaw/documents/chapter1.pdf
Please note: this is a pdf file and require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be read. This reader can be downloaded without charge from the Internet.
Arguments suggesting insufficient has been done to ensure the health of the Yarra River
1. Bacterial levels in the river are dangerously high
The major indicator of the health of the River Yarra is the E. coli levels in its waters. E.coli bacteria can cause gastroenteritis. Other bacteria in the river, including leptospira and salmonella, are not measured by Melbourne Water, but high levels of E.coli are normally associated with high levels of these other bacteria.
Mr Peter Scott, the general technology manager of Melbourne Water, has noted, 'There are obviously a very large number of micro-organisms that can cause illness and it would be too costly and impractical to monitor them all ... We use E.coli as an indicator because it's representative of fecal contamination.'
Monitoring of E.coli in 2004 revealed levels more than twice those recommended for safe swimming. The only monitoring station on the lower Yarra - stretching from the Chandler Highway in Kew to the river's mouth at Port Phillip Bay - showed that average levels of E.coli in 2004 were 542, more than double the Environment Protection Authority's safe swimming level of 200.
However, the average masks enormous surges in E.coli regularly measured by the monitoring station at Princes Bridge.
In November 2004, E.coli levels were 4400 (22 times the EPA maximum for safe swimming). The September figure was 2700 (more than 13 times the safe level). The figure for February was 1500.
Data obtained by The Age during the third week in January 2005 again showed the lower Yarra was heavily polluted with bacteria.
2. A number of recreational users of the river have become ill
In 2002, Mr Mathew Dixon was kayaking near Warrandyte when he rolled his kayak upside-down in a manoeuvre called an 'eskimo roll'. Two weeks later he fell ill and was treated at intensive care at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Mr Dixon was diagnosed with leptospirosis, an illness caused by contact with water, soil or vegetation that has been contaminated with the urine of infected animals.
In July 2004, Mr Fraser Murrell, 45, was rowing near Herring Island, South Yarra, in July when he fell into the river. He swam with the boat to the river bank and pushed it onto a mud flat. He tried to stand up but sank navel-deep into the mud and cut his leg on an unknown object.
About one week later, Dr Murrell started coughing heavily and noticed swelling on his forearms. Tests found that he had contracted a bacterial infection of the blood vessels.
In November 2004, Mr Mark Shorter, 28, fell into the water while kayaking on the Yarra at Dights Falls in Collingwood. Mr Shorter later since spent 14 days under sedation in hospital, suffered bouts of delusion and severe jaundice, lung hemorrhaging and kidney failure. Doctors at St Vincent's Hospital believe he also contracted leptospirosis.
While the exact cause of Mr Shorter's condition is still uncertain, it is feared he may have contracted the illness from the Yarra water he ingested.
3. Animal life in the river is dying
On January 13 2004 up to 60 eels were found floating in the Yarra from the Richmond Rail Bridge to Dights Falls in Clifton Hill.
'If something has the ability to kill eels, it must be pretty potent,' said Hawthorn Rowing Club member Ms Frances Courtney, who says she has seen 'at least 16' dead eels.
Another Club member, Mr Ian Jackson, claimed he had seen about 20 dead eels, and that the smell around the river had intensified in the past few days.
'I've been rowing regularly for about 15 years and I've never smelt anything like this,' Mr Jackson noted.
Authorities say fish deaths tend to occur during the summer months, when warmer weather often triggers changes in water environments.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) stated at the time that it would investigate the eel deaths. However, Mr Mick Bourke, the EPA chairman, acknowledged, 'While we are hopeful of determining a possible cause for the death of these eels, it appears unlikely, as it seems the eels have been dead for a number of days, which makes investigation all the more difficult.'
4. Funding for the Environmental Authority has been cut
State Government funding to the EPA has been reduced by 20 per cent over the last year - from $40.7 million in 2003 to $33 million in 2004.
The Opposition environment spokesman, Mr Phil Honeywood, has said he fears the cuts could affect the authority's ability to monitor river pollution.
Mr Honeywood argued, 'The State Government needs to explain why they cut the EPA's funding, and what effect it has had on the Yarra River water quality monitoring program.'
In a media release put out on January 17, 2005, the Victorian Liberal Party stated, 'With cuts like this to EPA funding, it is obvious that Labor does not take the environment, and testing of the Yarra River's water quality, seriously.
Improved management of water quality only comes with improved information. Reliable data and sound science are keys to ensuring the best management systems are implemented.'
5. Human sewage rather than animal droppings are a major cause of Yarra contamination
The Victorian Opposition spokesperson for the environment, Mr Phil Honeywood, has claimed that human sewage, rather than dog droppings is a principal cause of health concerns over the Yarra River.
Mr Honeywood has stated, 'Over recent years, there has been a significant change in the behaviour of dog owners. ... Go for a walk through any inner-urban park and you will witness dog droppings being scooped up by dog owners. If this does not occur, there are now many vigilant joggers and walkers who will take the animal's owner to task on their community responsibility.'
Mr Honeywood has argued, 'Pointing the finger of blame at dog owners distracts from a comprehensive analysis of the full range of pollutants, their sources and the action required ... The more difficult task for any Government is to track and prosecute all polluters. A large area of outer eastern Melbourne is still totally dependent on household septic tanks. Communities adjacent to the Yarra River and its feeder creeks include Warrandyte, Park Orchards and Donvale. Despite intensive lobbying over many years, successive state governments constantly push back the sewerage connection backlog program. For a city of international standing, such as Melbourne, to have thousands of households still totally reliant on septic tanks discharging into backyards is an indictment of our community's priorities.'
Mr Honeywood's claims have been supported by local council investigations. Recent testing by the Manningham City Council showed E coli levels almost four times the safe swimming level in two creeks that run into the Yarra. The council also discovered at least 450 leaking septic tanks that run into the same creeks and then into the Yarra.
6. Revenues derived from the sale of water have not been substantially directed toward attaching all residential properties to the metropolitan sewerage
Figures released by the Victorian Opposition suggest the Bracks Government was paid more than $100 million in dividends over the past two years by Yarra Valley Water, while only $10 million was used by the authority over the same period to fix sewerage backlogs in Melbourne's outer east.
This is claimed to be particularly significant as drainage from residential properties currently using septic tanks is said to be polluting Yarra tributaries and thus causing a major health problem for the river.
Mr Phil Honeywood, the Opposition's Environment spokesperson, has claimed, 'If the Bracks Government continues to move at a snail's pace to hook up houses to sewerage and spends a measly $5 to $10 million a year - it will take 40 years to stop human effluent from contaminating our Yarra River.'
7. The State Government has rejected federal funding that would help improve the health of the river
The State Opposition and the Federal Government have claimed that federal money to improve water quality - offered as part of a $2 billion Australian Water Fund announced in the last federal election - had been rejected by Victoria on political grounds.
So far no state has accepted the funding because it is based on budget money originally earmarked for national competition payments to the states.
The Victorian Opposition environment spokesman, Mr Phil Honeywood, and the federal parliamentary secretary for the environment, Mr Greg Hunt, have claimed that if Victoria accepted the offer, it could access a $30 million funding pool that could be used to improve the Yarra.
'It beggars belief that the State Government constantly whinge about the lack of federal money for the Scoresby tollway, the MCG redevelopment, and now they're knocking back money on the table from the Federal Government for improving the health of our river,' Mr Honeywood argued.
In a media release put out on January 17, 2005, the Victorian Liberal Party stated, 'Despite recent reports of sick kayakers and dead eels, the Bracks Government is refusing to access a national funding pool specifically available for improved water quality.
The Federal Government's $2 billion Australian Water Fund includes $200 million to improve the conservation of high environmental value water systems.
There is a $30 million allocation for the remainder of this financial year for water standards monitoring alone. This Bracks Government could apply for this funding to monitor the water quality of the Yarra River - but, instead it is letting this money go begging while the Yarra continues to deteriorate.
Arguments suggesting that much has been done to ensure the health of the Yarra River
1. The health of the Yarra River has improved greatly
Victoria's Environment Minister, John Thwaites, has argued that his Government has invested substantially in removing pollution from the Yarra and that its efforts have met with considerable success.
The Bracks Government has directed more than $30 million of state funds towards improving the Yarra and has seen the water quality improve recently. The water quality objectives above Dights Falls in Collingwood are generally met and the upper Yarra is safe for swimming - except after a storm.
Twenty years ago the E.coli results for the Chandler Highway monitoring site were about 1400 organisms per 100 millilitres and since 1993-94 they have dropped from about 600 organisms per 100 millilitres to about 320 organisms per 100 millilitres in 2004. The marked improvement in the water quality is largely due to removal of industry discharges and improved stormwater run-off.
Mr Thwaites has also claimed that the Bracks Government has done more than the Opposition is allowing to reduce leakage from septic tanks into the Yarra.
Mr Thwaites has stated, 'In 1997, when the study the Opposition is referring to was carried out, there were 37 spills. That amount has been reduced by 70 per cent because of the investment in improving the sewerage system by Melbourne Water.'
Similarly, Peter Scott of Melbourne Water has claimed, 'Since the 1970s, the quality of the Yarra River has improved greatly, and this is due to a major sewerage expansion program, it's due to the removal of septic tanks and the diversion of all industrial waste into the sewerage system.'
2. Claims about the supposed health risks posed by the river are exaggerated or inconclusive
Regarding the supposed health risk to recreational users of the Yarra, it has been claimed that the degree of risk has been exaggerated.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services has said that 72 Victorians had fallen ill from leptospirosis over the past four years, and only three cases had been linked with the Yarra.
'When you consider the majority of people who have used the Yarra over that time, the department does not believe there is a public health risk,' the spokeswoman said.
The Victorian Environment Minister, Mr John Thwaites, has also claimed that the recent death of large numbers of eels in the Yarra River was not linked to water quality but further investigation was needed to be sure.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) said it appeared the eels may have been killed by a virus, bacteria or toxicant several weeks ago and washed downstream to the Clifton Hill and Richmond area in inner Melbourne.
3. Some of the factors causing river pollution are the responsibility of individual citizens
The Victorian Environment Minister, Mr John Thwaites, has said that dog excrement was one of the major causes of e-coli in the river, along with decaying organic matter such as dead birds and trees which could also be adding to the problem.
He said e-coli levels were higher in parts of the river that run through the city. In suburban areas, the bacteria levels were low enough for people to safely swim.
The Victorian government has claimed that more people need to be aware that not picking up after their dog could be contributing to the problem.
'There can be up to 90 tonnes of dog poo that's washed down into the river system and then into the bay, and that's the principal cause of e-coli into the river,' Environment Minister John Thwaites has claimed. 'All of us need to do more to reduce litter,' Mr Thwaites has argued.
A spokesman for Mr Thwaites has said, 'The minister was basing his comments on direct advice from the EPA. That advice was that the main cause of the high level of e-coli in the Yarra was animal related.'
'That's why we are talking about a major public education change so that people understand that whatever they drop in the street could end up in the river and that leads to pollution,' Mr Thwaites has said.
4. The State Government is acting to reduce the impact of stormwater pollution on the Yarra
The Victorian Environment Minister, Mr John Thwaites, has commented, 'We've said that the Yarra is safe for people to use for kayaking and canoeing, but people should not be swimming or using the Yarra after heavy rains. After heavy rains, you've got the stormwater of a city of 4 million people in that catchment, and that can lead to health risks.'
Mr Thwaites has further claimed, 'The Bracks Government has ... established a new stormwater action program - stormwater management is one of the most important ways to reduce pollution into the Yarra. About $22 million was invested in this program in the first four years of the Bracks Government and a further $10 million has been allocated as part of the Government's "Our Water Our Future" action plan.
A key component of Victorian Stormwater Action Plan is a three-year grant program to assist local government with the development and implementation of their Stormwater Management Plans. Funding assistance is to be matched by local governments on largely a dollar for dollar basis, for priority projects in Stormwater Management Plans.
In addition, Melbourne Water has a program for improving the Yarra, including $8 million to be spent this year. This program includes installing litter traps and wetlands along the Yarra to reduce stormwater pollution.'
5. Environment Protection Authority funding has been increased under the Bracks' Government
The Victorian Environment Minister, Mr John Thwaites, has claimed, 'There has been no cut in the Environment Protection Authority budget. The figures being deceptively quoted by the State Opposition reflect the fact that responsibility for distributing stormwater management grants to councils has shifted from the EPA to the Department of Sustainability and Environment. There has been no reduction in effort and no reduction in the ability of the EPA to monitor and enforce anti-pollution laws.
In fact, the Bracks Government has substantially increased the EPA's budget since coming to power. Since the last year of the Kennett government in 1998-99, the EPA's budget has been increased from $27 million to more than $33 million last year.'
6. The Victorian Government has not rejected federal funds to improve water quality
The Victorian Environment Minister, Mr John Thwaites, has claimed, 'Victoria has not rejected $30 million in federal funding. This amount was promised by the Commonwealth Government during the election campaign to cover the whole of Australia, but so far there have been no funds allocated. However, Victoria did apply to the Federal Government for $10 million last December to match its own commitment for stormwater management programs and is yet to hear a response.
Mr Thwaites has claimed the state government had applied to the National Water Commission for extra federal funding for a range of water programs, including storm water management.
"Victoria's done what we can, but we are still waiting to hear from the federal government," Mr Thwaites said.
7. The Victorian Government is taking further action to protect the Yarra River
It has been claimed that one of the reasons the Yarra is subject to dangerously high levels of contamination is that too much water is taken from the river for domestic and irrigation purposes.
Mr David Redfearn, the president of Yarra Riverkeepers, has claimed, 'For years the Yarra has been pumped to provide a large quantity of Melbourne with drinking water, while not enough has been left for the environment. Extraction of water for drinking and agricultural uses as well as urbanisation has caused the Yarra's ecosystems to be stressed.'
Melbourne Water issues licences to take and use water from the Yarra River and its tributaries. These licences are normally granted to farmers who take water directly from waterways or from farm dams. Stream Flow Management Plans are developed with the aim of sharing the available water sustainably between all users. This is intended to ensure that the licensed diverters and the environment receive the water they need.
It has been claimed that the Victorian Government is now attempting to limit the amount of water which is taken from the Yarra for these purposes.
Melbourne Water issues licences to take and use water from the Yarra River and its tributaries. These licences are normally granted to farmers who take water directly from waterways or from farm dams. Stream Flow Management Plans are developed with the aim of sharing the available water sustainably between all users. This ensures that the licensed diverters and the environment receive the water they need.
Mr Redfearn has noted, 'The State Government is set to cap Melbourne's share of water taken from the Yarra to about 420 billion litres each year. They are conducting an environmental study below the Upper Yarra Dam.'
Further implications
Amidst the welter of claim and counter claim being exchanged between the Victorian Government and the Opposition, one thing at least appears clear. The condition of the Yarra is far better than it was several decades ago and better than it was when the Bracks Government came to office. That said, there is obviously still cause for concern.
Some of the extremely high E.coli readings are triggered by stormwater sweeping debris and refuse from stormwater drains into the Yarra and its tributaries. The Environment Minister, John Thwaites, has suggested that the Government may never be able to completely prevent this happening. Instead it has been suggested that better detection and warning systems be put in place so that when contamination levels in the river rise, river users can be warned of the dangers.
However, a number of environmental groups have argued that far better storm drain filters and traps, more rigorous prosecution of litterers and polluters and extensive public education about the consequences of littering and polluting may help to alleviate this problem.
It has also been noted that though the contribution of septic tank drainage to the river's pollution levels has been significantly reduced in recent years, it is not appropriate that in what are virtually residential areas septic tanks should still be necessary.
Two successive Governments have now overseen the development of stretches of the Yarra and its banks as major commercial, entertainment and recreational centres. Melbourne has a long-standing pride in its parks and gardens and passive recreational spaces. It is appropriate that the Yarra take its place in this network. Kayakers should be able to do an eskimo roll on the Yarra without risking their lives to dire illness.
The Bracks Government proposed that by 2008 85 per cent of Melbourne's waterways would be up to scratch and the rest would have been reclaimed by 2030.
2008 now seems too near a deadline, but the campaign must continue. Real improvement has been made, but so much more is necessary.
Sources
The Age
14/1/05 page 3 news item by Farrah Tomazin, 'Yarra eel deaths heighten fears over pollution'
15/1/05 page 1 news item by Stephen Cauchi, 'Bacteria-riddled river 22 times over safe level'
15/1/05 page 2 news item by Stephen Cauchi, 'Let's make one thing perfectly clear ...'
17/1/05 page 1 news item by Farrah Tomazin, 'Warning plan on polluted Yarra'
18/1/05 page 4 news item by Farrah Tomazin, 'Accusations fly over an ailing Yarra'
18/1/05 page 4 news item by Stephen Cauchi, 'It's a fishes' circle, but swimmers beware'
18/1/05 page 12 editorial, 'We need to give the Yarra another go'
19/1/05 page 5 news item by Farrah Tomazin, 'It's plain, Yarra's a stain in the rain, concedes Thwaites'
19/1/05 page 13 comment by Minister John Thwaites, 'The Yarra's not pristine - but we're working to get it there'
20/1/05 page 15 comment by Phil Honeywood, 'The Yarra's health is about more than just dog droppings'
20/1/05 page 9 news item by Farrah Tomazin, 'Yarra watchdog axed to cut costs'
20/1/05 page 9 news item by Farrah Tomazin, 'Another river rower reveals illness'
The Herald Sun
18/1/05 page 11 news item by Keith Moor, 'Pet litter leads to Yarra illness'
26/1/05, page 20, comment by Phil Honeywood, `Fixing our Yarra: let the cash flow'.
22/1/05, page 8, news item by M Rout, `Fears sewage leak could last decades'.