Melbourne Water staff will be out and about controlling weeds and the health of waterways across Greater Melbourne, including in Whittlesea and Hume.
Staff will be caring for 25,000 kilometres of waterways, carrying out projects such as revegetation work, rubbish removal and weed control.
Left unchecked, weeds can continue to spread, destroying vegetation and animal habitat within and beyond waterways.
Melbourne Water staff carefully manage work practices and the use of equipment, depending on the conditions of the site and prevailing weather conditions.
Pre-planned spraying methods take into account the type of week, the extent of coverage and how a site can be accessed safely.
Melbourne Water staff are continuing to focus on using more environmentally friendly alternatives to spraying, such as mowing, brush cutting or heat weeding.
Melbourne Water north west waterway and catchment services head Victoria Penkos said all staff undertaking spraying are certified to use chemicals in public areas to avoid off-target impacts.
“In addition, Melbourne Water undertakes detailed assessments, broad-scale surveys and research to further understand and protect waterway environments when it comes to the control of targeted weeds,” she said.
“Through our research, we are always looking to minimise the impacts of weed control as part of our dedicated, ongoing improvement program to reduce risk to the environment.”
