Merri Merri Wayi
Merri Merri Wayi is a community-led collaboration to enable our natural and urban worlds to thrive along the Creek. Our purpose is to build safe, connected and welcoming places along the Merri Creek, learning from the culture of Indigenous peoples, and supporting the environmental health of the creek.
Background
The Merri Creek Coburg Safety Survey Report by Monash University’s XYX Lab was a critical response to growing community concerns about safety, particularly following a violent attack on a woman in 2019. The report outlines key recommendations for enhancing safety along the creek, focusing on three main areas::
Building communities
Communication & engagement
Infrastructure and maintenance
Importantly, community organisations and community members recognised the opportunity to build on existing work and action, as well as coming together to find new ones:
The opportunity to build on this to more comprehensively address issues such as safe spaces for women, indigenous connection, celebrating the creek through art and sculpture, rewilding, and embracing the urban food cultivation of the region as a leading example for other Australian and global communities.
The unique values of the Merri catchment, the strong community interest and involvement that has developed around it, and the great things that Council and community organisations and individuals are already doing.
The value of developing a shared vision to provide a framework within which relevant community collaborations can flourish.
Merri Merri Wayi was initiated to help the Merri Creek community feel safe, welcome and connected.
Our Community Priorities
Merri Merri Wayi is being guided by community input. People have expressed what they value most about the creek, their hopes for its future, and the social, cultural and environmental priorities they believe are essential for a vibrant, safe and healthy creek. Learn more about our Community Priorities here.