Like many urban areas,
Melbourne, the capital city of
Victoria, Australia, faces environmental issues, many related to the city's large urban footprint,
urban sprawl and the demand for infrastructure and services.
Impact of drought
One such issue is the impact of
drought on water supply. Periodic droughts and consistently high summer temperatures deplete Melbourne's water supplies, and climate change may exacerbate the long-term impact of these factors.[1]
During the
Millennium drought, the
Bracks Government implemented
water restrictions and a range of other options including water recycling, incentives for household water tanks,
greywater systems, water consumption awareness initiatives, and other water-saving and reuse initiatives. But as water storages continued to fall further measures were required. In June 2007 the Bracks Government announced the construction of the $3.1 billion
Wonthaggi desalination plant,[2] and the so-called
North-South Pipeline from the
Goulburn Valley in Victoria's north to Melbourne. Neither project was used extensively before the drought broke during 2010, and therefore both have been criticised as '
white elephants'.[3]
Melbourne has one of the largest urban footprints in the world due to its low-density housing, resulting in a vast suburban sprawl, with a high level of
car dependence and minimal public transport outside of inner areas.[6]
Much of the vegetation within the city is non-native species, most of European origin, including many
invasive species and noxious weeds.[7] Significant introduced urban pests include the
common myna,[8]feral pigeon,[9]brown rat,[10][11]European wasp,[12]common starling and
red fox.[13] Many outlying suburbs, particularly towards the
Yarra Valley and the hills to the northeast and east, have gone for extended periods without regenerative fires leading to a lack of saplings and undergrowth in urbanised native bushland. The Department of Sustainability and Environment partially addresses this problem by regularly burning off.[14][15] Responsibility for regulating pollution falls under the jurisdiction of the
EPA Victoria and several local councils.
Air quality, by world standards, is classified as good.[16] Summer and autumn are the worst times of year for atmospheric haze in the urban area.[17][18]
An environmental issue that was raised in Melbourne in 2008 was the Victorian government project of channel deepening Melbourne Ports by dredging Port Phillip Bay—the
Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project. It was subject to controversy and strict regulations among fears that beaches and marine wildlife could be affected by the disturbance of
heavy metals and other industrial sediments.[21][22]
Other issues
Other major pollution problems in Melbourne include levels of bacteria including
E. coli in the
Yarra River and its tributaries caused by septic systems,[23] as well as
litter. Up to 350,000 cigarette butts enter the storm water runoff every day.[24] Several programs are being implemented to minimise beach and river pollution.[21][25] In February 2010, The Transition Decade, an initiative to transition human society, economics and environment toward sustainability, was launched in Melbourne.[26]
^Cardew, R; Fanning, P; George, J (1998). Urban Footprints and Stormwater Management: A Council Survey. Australian Institute of Urban Studies. pp. 16–25.
^Marks, C.A. & Bloomfield, T.E. (1999) Distribution and density estimates for urban foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Melbourne: implications for rabies control
^Murray, Robert; White, Kate; Kock, P. (1995). State of Fire: A History of Volunteer Firefighting and the Country Fire Authority in Victoria. Hargreen. pp. 339 pages.
ISBN0-949905-63-1.
^Australian Institute of Urban Studies and City of Melbourne.
"AIUS Indicators". Environmental indicators for Metropolitan Melbourne. Australian Institute of Urban Studies. Archived from
the original on 13 November 2007. Retrieved 18 July 2008.