August 2026

From the Upper Merri Landcare Facilitator

Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Upper Merri Landcare Facilitator and the Merri Creek Management Committee. Please find below information on local initiatives, opportunities and funding.

To subscribe see link below.

If you would like to share photos, events, updates and projects through the Upper Merri Landcare News. Please email through your submissions to: 

Recent Events

WEG National Tree Day event

The Wallan Environment Group (WEG) hosted a National Tree Day community planting event on Sunday, 26th July in the linear reserve on Eastern Ridge in Hidden Valley, Wallan.
Volunteers planted over 1000 native trees, shrubs, and grasses which will enhance the extent and diversity of the reserve's indigenous vegetation, and improve its biodiversity values and habitat connectivity. This project is funded by a Victorian Government Green Links grant.     

Photographs by Paul Piko.   

Landcare-ANZ Planting Day

The Upper Plenty Merri Catchments Landcare Group held a tree planting day recently with volunteers from ANZ.
The volunteers planted 450 indigenous plants on a property in Upper Plenty.

These plantings will help provide important wildlife habitat and nesting sites for woodland birds.
The project was supported by funding from Fifteen Trees.

Hidden Valley nest box monitoring

Members of the Hidden Valley Environment Sub-group recently inspected the nesting boxes along the rail reserve and were very pleased to find sugar gliders and ringtail possums using some of the boxes.

Upper Plenty Merri Catchments Landcare Litter Clean-Up

What a great turnout at the Merri Creek clean up event at South Mountain Road. We had a great crowd and it was wonderful to see so many family groups working together. There was a lot of litter but we got on top of it. A big thank you to Julia Cirillo and Merri Creek Management Committee for organising it and working with us.
UPMC President Peter Williams. 

wallan wallan Regional Parkland Alliance 

Thank you and congratulations to everyone who signed and shared the petition, calling on the State Government to establish the wallan wallan Regional Parkland. When the petition closed on Monday 3rd August, it had a whopping 3,136 signatures. That's a signature for every hectare of the Parkland! You can keep in touch with campaign news and events by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Instagram & Facebook.

In addition, Alliance members met with Merri Creek MPs to discuss the Parkland. There was a lot of enthusiasm and support for the proposal, including recognition that the Parkland will be a jewel in the crown of Melbourne's north, and provide access from the southern reaches of the Merri to the townships and natural environment in the north.

Thanks to the MP’s who attended - Harriet Shing MP, Anthony Cianflone MP, Kat Theophanous MP, Kathleen Matthews-Ward MP, Nathan Lambert MP, and advisors from Sheena Watt MP and Iwan Walters.

The members of this 'Merri caucus' will next meet with the Minister for Planning to discuss the next steps in securing land for the Parkland. The Alliance will also be meeting with MPs from a variety of parties in the lead up to the November State election.

Coming Up 

Webinar: marram baba Merri Creek Regional Parklands

When: 6:30pm - 7:30pm, Tuesday 25th August 

Register using this link.

Join us online for an introduction to the newly established marram baba Merri Creek Regional Parklands, which extends along 32 km of Merri Creek about 30 km north of Melbourne. We’ll highlight the success of work to protect and invest in waterways on Wurundjeri Country.

Supported by the DEECA Suburban Parks Program.

English Gorse Hands On Workshop 

Spend a morning at a farm on Cleves Road South Upper Plenty with expert supervisors: where you will learn through practical demonstrations the techniques, herbicide and equipment the professionals use to control gorse. 

As an added bonus bring a container or bag and take home some gorse spider mites to try biological control on your own property.

When: Saturday 29th August 10am - 12:30pm

Bring your PPE: Rubber Gloves, Eye Protection, Sturdy Footwear.

Register here and we look forward to seeing you on the day

Introduction to growing with TreeProject Workshop - Wallan 

Upper Deep Creek Landcare Network invites you to a practical learning session to hear about the work of TreeProject and how you can get involved as a volunteer TreeProject grower of native plants.
When: Sunday 13th September. 10am to 12noon - lunch will be provided

Where: 1st Wallan Wallan Scouts Hall, 26 Windham Street, Wallan

Registrations: via https://events.humanitix.com/introduction-to-growing-with-treeproject-workshop

Note - registration is essential as places at the workshop are capped at 30 people

Workshop's purpose: to introduce to Wallan residents the TreeProject, and encourage them to become volunteer TreeProject growers to grow native plants for local Landcare groups' revegetation projects.

Funding Opportunities

Melbourne Water Liveable Communities, Liveable Waterways Program 

These grants, open all-year around, fund projects and longer term partnerships that provide value to Melbourne Water and the community by aligning with at least one of the following themes:

• Connected habitat and catchments
• Integrated water management (IWM) enablers
• Science, innovation and technology
• Liveable cities

Eligible activities include weed removal, revegetation, erosion control, signage, habitat creation, stormwater management, fencing, irrigation plans, farm layout design and more.

Individual landholders encouraged to find out more here.