Rainfall, sediment blamed for Merri Creek in Northcote, Brunswick, turning mustard colour

Merri Creek in Melbourne’s north has turned a dirty mustard hue, with the EPA called in to investigate.

Light brown coloured water in Merri Creek. Picture: Hamish Blair

HEAVY rainfall has turned Merri Creek a dirty mustard hue — and environmentalists say dirty runoff from a growing number of development sites, and state government inaction, is to blame.

The creek changed colour, particularly in the Brunswick East and Northcote areas, following heavy rainfall in May, and creek committee manager Luisa Macmillan said not enough was being done to police developers and protect the creek’s ecosystem.

“We have been extremely concerned and disappointed for many years over the really poor management of subdivision sites and building sites throughout the catchment,” Ms Macmillan said.

“(It) is suffering severely because of inadequate action at state level.”

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Ms Macmillan said the creek had had a sediment problem for at least eight years, and the current discolouration was not present in northern areas of the creek such as Fawkner and Craigieburn.

Melbourne Water, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and Hume Council officers inspected the creek last week.

EPA metro manager Dan Hunt said because of dry conditions plant life “was less able to cope with the heavy rains” leading to dirt flowing into the creek, and that officers also “could not find any evidence of pollution”.