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Volunteers Restore Polluted Cooks River in Sydney
Volunteers known as the Cooks River Mudcrabs have worked for 20 years to clean up and restore Sydney's Cooks River, which Abc reported as one of the nation's most toxic waterways. The river, spanning 23 kilometers through inner western suburbs, faced heavy industrial pollution in the 20th century, including chemical spills that killed thousands of fish.
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Volunteers called the Cooks River Mudcrabs have been active for 20 years, focusing on cleaning pollution and restoring bushland along Sydney's Cooks River. Abc reported the river as one of the nation's most toxic waterways, with the group using tools like gloves and wheelbarrows to remove rubbish. Local authorities have recognized their contributions to the river's health.
The Cooks River, a 23-kilometer waterway in Sydney's inner western suburbs, was used as an industrial dump for much of the 20th century. Its mouth was altered in the 1940s to accommodate Sydney Airport, and upstream sections were converted into concrete canals, disrupting natural habitats.
By the 1970s, the river was contaminated with substances like mercury, diesel, and battery acid, including a copper cyanide spill that killed thousands of fish.
Andrew Thomas from the Cooks River Alliance described the catchment as a site heavily impacted by colonization and industrialization, stating it was used as a dumping ground for items like cars, bikes, and sewage. He noted that industrial activities, such as tanneries and sugar mills, discharged waste directly into the river, leaving a legacy in the sediments.
Alison Gibbs, a resident, avoided the river for years due to pollution but joined the Mudcrabs after seeing its potential through her children's activities.
The Mudcrabs began with about a dozen volunteers and now have hundreds, expanding their efforts beyond rubbish removal to bushland restoration. Early cleanups involved removing 40 bags of rubbish from sites covered in layers of waste, but recent efforts have made some areas pristine. Their work has helped restore habitats for species absent for decades.
In addition to cleanups, the Mudcrabs have supported ecological monitoring through groups like the Mudlarks, which conduct monthly bird surveys. Retired botanist Doug Benson has observed the regeneration of bushland, noting that mangroves have spread and now support various bird species. These changes have turned the river into a significant habitat corridor in the local area.
