Yarra row hots up

By Ed Merrison
GEMBROOK MP Tammy Lobato has fiercely defended the Upper Yarra from Opposition claims that the river is turning into a sewer.
But Evelyn Liberal candidate Christine Fyffe claimed the Yarra at Launching Place, Coldstream and Healesville had become unsafe for swimming.
Ms Fyffe’s claims were based on recently released Melbourne Water data for 2005 revealing the Yarra River at Launching Place had shown up readings of over 4000 E. coli organisms per 100ml, 20 times the recommended safe level for swimming and water sports.
Ms Fyffe said other readings revealed that there had been recordings of 1900 E. coli organism per 100ml at Healesville and 2800 E. coli organisms at Coldstream.
“No one concerned for their health should be going anywhere near the Yarra at Healesville, Coldstream or Launching Place,” she said.
But Ms Lobato hit back, drawing upon weekly readings taken by the Environmental Protection Agency that show the Yarra at Millgrove, Launching Place and Healesville registered under 200 E. coli per 100ml for the whole of July.
Ms Lobato also drew upon information from a Melbourne Water website declaring that water quality in the Upper Yarra is classified as excellent upstream of Yarra Junction and moderate in rural sections.
“Opposition spokespeople are always trying to run down our local precious assets,” Ms Lobato said.
“The Yarra River in the Upper Yarra is in great condition, due in no small part to community groups such as MERG (Millgrove Environment Restoration Group) that diligently undertake voluntary work to protect and look after this river.”
But both Ms Fyffe and Seymour Liberal candidate Mike Dalmau maintained that the State Government was not taking the health of the river seriously and had failed to provide sufficient funding.
“The Bracks Government has had seven years to do something about the Yarra, but instead the problem keeps getting worse.
“Labor has failed the Yarra and our iconic river is now a sewer,” Ms Fyffe said.