Merri Creek Management Committee's photo collection is nationally significant and has been awarded a federal Community Heritage Grant.

In 2008 a Community Heritage Grant enabled MCMC to look into the significance of its archives. In November 2009 a further grant from the Community Heritage Grants program was awarded, which will allow MCMC to employ a conservator to identify ways to preserve the archives, particularly the picture collection.

MCMC's picture collection includes approximately:

• 6500 photographic slides dating from 1982 which are stored in plastic hangers in a metal filing cabinet
• 6000 photographic prints stored in plastic sleeves in lever arch files
• 6000 photographic negatives stored in plastic sleeves in ring binders
• 5000 digital photos

In addition to the pictures themselves their related background material needs to be preserved. At this stage funding for preservation of the collection has not been secured, although an application has been made to the state Local History Grants Program for cataloguing and scanning part of the slide collection.

Securing funding for preservation of the collection will be easier once the preservation needs and priorities have been identified by an experienced conservator.

The Community Heritage Grants Program is managed by the National Library. It is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts; the National Archives of Australia; the National Film and Sound Archive; the National Museum of Australia and the National Library.