FOLKC Book

INTRODUCTION
Kororoit Creek is one of the most important waterways in the
West of Melbourne and a vital environmental corridor. Once a
picnic retreat favoured by Victoria’s early settlers, this corridor
had been allowed to degrade into a sludgy, polluted drain through
industrial activity and decades of neglect.
Although I moved to Altona North with my family in 1973, it was quite a few years
before we realised that we lived within 500 metres of Kororoit Creek.
When we learned of its existence, it soon became obvious that it was not a suitable place
for any family to frequent. Adjacent to a large and disused, highly-dangerous derelict
quarry, the Creek surrounds had become weed, debris and snake-infested. Thrillseeking,
speeding motorbike riders were its most regular patrons and it had earned a
reputation as a no-go area, where drug dealings and other criminal activities took place.
Our children were encouraged to stay away.
Original Friends of Lower Kororoit Creek Inc. Logo
Designer: Kirsty Rayner 2001
Increasing traffic congestion in the area was a separate but equally important issue at
the time. Escalating truck traffic to local industries was impacting heavily on the quality
of life and safety of Altona North residents; so much so that, in 1999, I requested the
Victorian State Government consider building a bridge over Kororoit Creek to alleviate
the problem. The government ultimately agreed to build this necessary infrastructure for
our local community in 2000.
However, a publication prepared by the State Government Bridge Construction
Committee – designed to inform the public of the project – referred to the Creek as the
“Kororoit Creek Drain”.
This statement irritated me greatly and provided impetus for the formation of a ‘Friends
Of ’ group – dedicated to reversing the destructive cycle of damage and neglect, and to
bringing Kororoit Creek back to its former healthy state.
Friends of Lower Kororoit Creek Inc. (FOLKC) was formed at a community meeting
convened early in 2001, and was incorporated in April 2001.
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