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We love our rivers

We love our rivers In the City of Canterbury Bankstown – We Love Our Rivers! We’re a City of three rivers – the Cooks, the Georges and Duck River. Yes Canterbury-Bankstown is a city of 3 rivers: Cooks River, Georges River and Parramatta River. These rivers provide important habitats for plants and animals, and they’re a great place to enjoy with family and friends! 1/03/2023 12:00 AM 31/05/2023 12:00 AM Cooks River, Georges River and Parramatta River. Events; What's On

In the City of Canterbury Bankstown – We Love Our Rivers!

We’re a City of three rivers – the Cooks, the Georges and the Duck River.

Our rivers are all different but each play an important role in the ecosystem we live in.

The Cooks River is one of Australia’s most utilised waterways and is very important to the industry of New South Wales, with examples of this still seen in Canterbury Sugarworks and historic dams at Tempe and Canterbury. However, the Cooks natural environment is always improving! You can find events exploring and helping clean the river below.

The Georges River is one of Sydney’s most biodiverse, from its fresh headwaters in the Dharawal Nature Reserve down to its lower, tidal sections flowing past Canterbury-Bankstown. The river is around 100km long and is home to 1.4 million people, 454 fauna species and 29 endangered plant communities throughout its total catchment.

The Duck River accounts for the smallest area in Canterbury-Bankstown, including only a portion of the upper river from Sefton to Yagoona that was channelised in concrete in the middle of last century. The river does benefit from a naturalised wetland which we have built at Maluga Passive Park, and Sydney Water plans to naturalise more of the concrete channelling in the coming years.

From March to May each year is when We Love Our Rivers by hosting and promoting events in and around our rivers. Check out the range of events below!

	Cooks River Clean Up with The Mudcrabs Join the Mudcrabs as they rid the Cooks River of a whole lot of rubbish! The Mudcrabs hold these clean-ups monthly, so take your pick from the following! When: Saturday 6 May, 2-4pm Where: Cooks River at Close Street Reserve, Canterbury Email to register: mudcrabs.cooksriver@gmail.com
	Mudcrabs ‘Chris Bartlett Cooks River Walk’ Join the Cooks River Mudcrabs for a tour of all their sites and celebration of all their work. Bring suitable walking shoes, sun protection, water and snacks to eat along the way. The walk is named in memory of Chris Bartlett who led the first Mudcrabs river clean-ups and started the first Mudcrabs bushcare site at Rosedale Reserve. When: Saturday 20 May, 8am-noon Where: Rosedale Reserve, Croydon Park off Riverside Road. Email to register: mudcrabs.cooksriver@gmail.com
	Cooks River Mudlarks Birdwatching Tour Join the Cooks River MudLARKS for a birdwatching survey taking in all the birdlife between Marrickville Golf Course and Cup and Saucer Creek wetlands along the lower Cooks River. Please note, this event starts early to see the maximum number of birds! When: Tuesday 11 April, 7:30am and Tuesday 9 May, 7:30am Where: Lang Road bridge, Earlwood Email to register: mudcrabs.cooksriver@gmail.com
	Cooks River Clean Up & Paddle Against Plastic Join the River Canoe Club for their annual big clean up kayaking along the Cooks River. The club provides kayaks and all litter picking materials. Coffee and a barbeque will also be available to purchase food and drinks. Just remember to bring a wide-brimmed hat and be sun-safe! When: Sunday 8 May, 8am-1pm Where: River Canoe Club, Mackey Park, Marrickville Register
	Cooks River Canoe & Kayak Paddle Tours The River Canoe Club holds weekly paddles up Cooks River and Wolli Creek from their club in Mackey Park, Marrickville, near Tempe train station. These events are a great chance to get to see our local rivers up close. Make sure to visit the canoe club’s website for registration details and more information. When: Throughout March-May Where: River Canoe Club, Mackey Park, Marrickville Register
	Wolli Creek Biodiversity Walk #2 Join Wolli Creek Preservation Society and City of Canterbury Bankstown for the second of two short walks to see some of Sydney's best-preserved secret, Wolli Creek Regional Park. The guided walk from Bardwell Park/Earlwood to Tempe includes striking sandstone cliffs, water views and sightings of threatened native fauna including birds and a grey-headed flying-fox camp. When: Saturday 15 April, 8.50-11.30am Where: Girrahween Park, Earlwood Register
	Wetland and Water Bug Monitoring Day Join Council and Landcare hosts for a fascinating look at one of CBCity's best examples of water quality improvement – our Cup & Saucer Wetland in Canterbury. This event includes a short walking tour inside the wetland, seeing the flora and fauna up close, followed by hands-on water quality sampling, then light refreshments under the shade of she-oak trees. When: Sunday 23 April, 9-11am Where: Heynes Reserve, 60 Berna St, Canterbury Register

How We Love Our Rivers

From litter booms to underground trash racks and manmade wetlands, we have more than 75 gross pollutant traps and 90 biofilters (natural filtration through planted areas) removing approximately 300 tonnes of waste and excess nutrients from our waterways each year.

We have helped develop a 2021 Cooks River Litter Prevention Strategy, aiming to reduce litter entering the Cooks River by 50% by 2025. We are also developing a Clean City Strategic Plan and work with industry and community on many litter prevention programs, including Get The Site Right and We Like Our Parks Litter Free. Read more about these programs here.

On top of this, our dedicated street sweeping team clean up leaves, litter, dirt and other debris from our kerb and gutters removing almost 1,700 tonnes over 12 months in 2020-21. We also have partnerships with Corrective Services NSW where people fulfill their community service hours by collecting rubbish from our riverside parks. We're continuing to work closely with other river-surrounded Councils on whole-of-river litter strategies as an active member of the Cooks River Alliance, Georges Riverkeeper and the Parramatta River Catchment Group.


Croydon Park litter boom on the Cooks River	Cup and Saucer Creek Wetland, Canterbury beside Cooks River

How can you Love Our Rivers?

Whether it's picking up after your dog, washing your car on grass, gardening or putting your rubbish in the bin, there's something we can all do to help reduce pollution in our local waterways and make them clean and safe for everyone to enjoy.
Learn more here:

Reduce your rubbish Dispose of your litter correctly and swap single-use plastics for reusable products. Place wet wipes, nappies, tissues, ear buds and other hygiene products in a bin and never flush them down the toilet.
Leave only paw prints Pick up pet waste to stop bacteria and other bugs from entering our waterways.
Wash it wisely Where possible, wash your car, barbeque, outdoor furniture and gardening equipment on the grass so that it soaks up the detergent, dirt and water. Or use a commercial car wash or apartment washing bay that filters the water.
Cover it up Keep dirt, leaves and other garden waste away from stormwater drains. Sweep or blow leaves and dirt from driveways and curbs back onto garden beds or place into a bin.
Keep it clear Rainwater is the only thing that should go down a stormwater drain. Never pour, hose or wash paint, oil and other chemicals down a stormwater drain.