9 July 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
West Metro MP David Ettershank is delighted that Hobsons Bay Council has committed $650,000 to cleaning up rubbish dumped on critically endangered grasslands in Burns Road, Altona but hopes council will take steps to stop the dumpers.
“I’ve been calling for a clean-up of the core rubbish pile measuring about 100 metres by 100 metres, but the trash has blown across the whole of the site,” he said.
“It is wonderful that Hobsons Bay Council is spending the money on the Burns Road Grasslands, as it’s one of the best remnant areas of native grassland in Melbourne’s west.
“I also thank The Star newspaper for highlighting with a front-page story the damage illegal dumping is causing to one of the largest intact pieces of grassland in all of Melbourne.”
Mr Ettershank, from Legalise Cannabis Victoria, said Hobson’s Bay Council could consider installing a fence around the grasslands and install surveillance cameras to catch people illegally dumping domestic and commercial rubbish on the grasslands.
“I appreciate it is not straightforward. Council owns about 20 per cent of the land, and the rest is owned by hundreds of individual owners. It’s an old development site from the 1920s,” he said. “Victoria Police could also occasionally patrol the Burns Road Grasslands.
“The Grassy Plains Network led by Dr Adrian Marshall have been tireless in highlighting the value of these amazing grasslands that once covered much of Victoria, but now only about 0.5 per cent remain.
“Dr Marshall tells me Burns Road is the only place in Hobson’s Bay with a surviving population of the endangered striped legless lizards.”
Mr Ettershank also called on the Victorian Government to keep its promise to set up a 15,000 hectares Western Grassland Reserve.
“So far the government has only bought 4,000h and stalled. And I’m also concerned that the grassland obtained is not being property protected from weed infestations.
Grassy Plains Network faciliator, Dr Marshall, said he hoped council would invite his network to take part in the clean-up.
“The dumpers have driven into the grassland and left tracks, which is very destructive for the endangered fauna and flora that call Burns Road Grasslands home,” Dr Marshall said.
“We have the expertise to help with the rehabilitation. These grasslands are dominated by Kangaroo Grass, which is extremely rare. If you find you’ve got a good stand of Kangaroo Grass, you know it is a good grassland.
“It also has Spiny Rice Flowers and Early Nancys, a native lily that flowers in September – one of the first native flowers to come out in the spring season. Creamy candle flowers also grow there.”
Dr Marshall said while tourists travel to Western Australia to see native flowers, few Melburnians know there are beautiful native flowers in the city. The Grassy Plains Network is keen to run more tours there.
“I also thank Hobsons Bay Council for the $650,000 to clean up the grasslands, and I’d like to see dumpers prosecuted,” he said.
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