News

Mayor Nick Katris and Councillor Peter Mahoney recently visited Connells Point Public School students as they started their quest to reduce litter in Georges River to zero.

The local school was one of six primary schools along the river to be involved in the ‘Zero Litter in Georges River’ program developed by Georges Riverkeeper with funding from the Australian Government.

The litter prevention strategy that Georges Riverkeeper is working on with assistance from our consultant, Member Councils, some community groups and the NSW EPA is progressing well. We have completed the sections on ‘where’ and ‘how’ litter prevention can be implemented and have recently discussed with the Project Reference Group some draft priority actions to come out of strategy and a business case for litter prevention.

A group of six primary schools in Como, Minto, Wattle Grove, Bossley Park, Connells Point and Georges Hall are taking part in the Zero Litter in Georges River program which provides environmental education, aligned to the NSW curriculum, about stormwater pollution, and encourages students to look for solutions to reduce litter flowing to the Georges River.

Teamwork makes the dream work! 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 to our newly elected Georges Riverkeeper Executive Group who have been appointed to the following positions: 

•    Georges Riverkeeper Chairperson, Cr. George Barcha (Fairfield City Council) 
•    Georges Riverkeeper Vice Chairperson, Cr. Paul Sedrak (Bayside Council)
•    Georges Riverkeeper Second Vice Chairperson, Cr. Stephen Nikolovski (Sutherland Shire Council)
•    Georges Riverkeeper Treasurer, Cr. Peter Mahoney (Georges River Council).

Fairfield City Council Mayor Frank Carbone and Cr Kevin Lam met with students from Bossley Park Public School to look at their colourful new artworks painted on footpaths near local stormwater drains.

The awesome designs were inspired by the students’ work for the ‘Zero Litter to Georges River’ program.

They encourage you to stop, think and avoid litter and pollution going down the drain and ending up in our waterways and then the river.

Following the AGM at Campbelltown City Council, the Georges Riverkeeper Committee continued to meet, to be presented with and discuss the delivery of the Georges Riverkeeper Programs, Treasurers update on the Georges Riverkeeper financial position, and the 2023/2024 membership and program fees. Mixed within the formalities of the meeting, the committee received two presentations on the night about the following:

The Georges Riverkeeper Committee met in November 2022 for the scheduled Annual General Meeting. There was much to discuss as the Member Councils decided and voted on the new Executive Group for 2022/2023.

As typical for an AGM, the evening commenced with the adoption of the previous AGM minutes from March 2022, followed by the Nominations & Elections for new office-bearer roles for the Georges Riverkeeper Executive Group. The new Executive Group that was elected, is as follows:

Georges Riverkeeper has partnered with Campbelltown City Council to help stop litter pollution from being washed into the Georges River from stormwater runoff, thanks to the installation of a new pollution trap and an innovative partnership with students from Sarah Redfern Public School in Minto, as part of a project funded by the Australian Government.

The Georges Riverkeeper Executive Group met on the 10 November 2022. At this meeting, the following was discussed:

The Program Manager, advised that the financial audit is now complete. Georges Riverkeeper and Sutherland Shire Council have received the final copy of the Financial Audit report and Governance Letter in early November 2022.