Teana Kaleopa, Westgate Punt on the Yarra River (May Theme: The Elegance of Nature)

Westgate Jetty sits on the Yarra River in Port Melbourne, Vic, Australia. A regular punt service transports bike users and others across the Yarra (Spotswood-Lorimer St) and returns. The Yarra River is part of an Aboriginal cultural landscape that includes traditional Country of the native Wurundjeri People. Iconic to Melbourne’s identity, the Yarra River is one of Victoria’s iconic waterways. It has spiritual and cultural significance for Aboriginal people. To the Wurundjeri people the Yarra (or Birrarung) was the life source and an important meeting place. To many locals, where happy memories of personal pilgrimages, peaceful summer evenings, and days exploring were made. The Yarra River's environmental health is being put at risk due to litter, pollution and invasive species, with nearly 180 tonnes of rubbish being collected from the river system over a four year period, recorded via a litter collection programme. Sustainability rated the river's health as consistently "poor" during this period and has remained so for the last ten years. Care for the river is a "shared responsibility" of all Victorians. Revegetation, pollution and pest control programs are some examples of Government investment to help improve the river system's health. What can we do? Pick up after yourself, use the litter bins provided, if there are none, take your litter with you. Leave the place as you found it, pick up and dispose of litter safely even if it isnt yours.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.