We talk a lot about the vision for a Swimmable Birrarung. But what does ‘swimmable’ really mean in practice? Nicole Barling-Luke dives into the different ways in which ‘swimmable’ could come to life over the next few years (and decades).

One of the questions we often get asked when talking about the Swimmable Birrarung project is “when will it be swimmable?” 

Usually we will explain that parts of the waterway are already swimmable, many people swim upstream regularly, and there are the Yarra Yabbies who swim at Deep Rock (near Dights Falls, Abbotsford) most mornings. And if you look closer into the inner reaches, arguably you can “swim” on the river through the floating pool attached to the end of Arbory Afloat during summer.

So… job done no? 

Well no, the vision of a swimmable Birrarung is about creating a swimmable corridor between Dights Falls and  Port Phillip Bay. 

OK, so we could install a sauna on the riverbank with a plunge pool attached which uses a filtration water system. This would mean we are having a swimming experience even though we’re not coming into contact with the river water. We could also extend the boundary of one of the private schools that back onto the Birrarung and create a gated pool for the students to use after their rowing regattas. And then we could design a state of the art, privately commissioned, immersive wellness centre that charges $450 an hour for guests (urgh!). 

A chain of swimming experiences along the Yarra, no? 

Technically - yes. And it may well be that some of these experiences become real over the next few years as we journey towards the full expression of a Swimmable Birrarung. 

“There is a groundswell of energy, talent, capacity and hope ready to act in service to the Birrarung, but how is this being brought into the journey towards swimmability?”

But that’s not what we mean when we talk about a vision for the Swimmable Birrarung 

The vision of a Swimmable Birrarung is about a thriving, healthy and loved waterway. A waterway full of abundance for our human and non-human inhabitants alike – a place, the river and its parklands, that is alive with connection and used to gather. We understand that swimming will not be appropriate along the entire  river length as there is a need to balance what’s good for nature as well as what’s good for humans. A waterway that supports urban cooling, biodiversity gains, enhanced public physical and mental health, increased tourism and economic activity, water security, and cultural (re)connection and healing. 

And so, as we embark on the journey towards a swimmable Birrarung there are some questions we must ask of any future swimming activations. Elements of these questions were co-created across 2021 - 2022 under the leadership of Matt Sykes (of Regeneration Projects) when he was working with Regen Melbourne on the Swimmable Birrarung initiative. Since then, they have evolved, and will continue to do so as we learn more about how best to balance the realities of now with what is a stepping stone towards the vision. 

Is there netgain?  

Is what we are doing additive to the ecological and social environment, locally and globally? Are we contributing to holistic river health? Are we pushing the fullest realisation of net-gain, as asked for by the Birrarung Council and not substituting 50 cut down trees by planting another 100. 

How are we working with, and valuing the cultural significance of the Birrarung and, the places where a swimming activation might be? 

We need to ensure that any activity we are embarking on along the Birrarung is aligned with the history, culture and stories of First Nations custodians. This means we’re asking, and listening, and engaging with the significance of the Birrarung, its parklands and the specific cultural sites and their stories. How might swimming activations, whether it’s existing infrastructure or new builds create opportunities to connect into the place more deeply? 

Does this enhance accessibility for all? 

Swimming activations along the waterway need to not enclose space. How do we use swimming activations as opportunities to open up the private land and create opportunities for the love and care Melbournians have for the river to be put to good use? 

How is the place and community activated? 

Anyone working alongside the river will tell you about the boundless love people have for the waterway. Whether you were proposed to on the bridge over the river, you cycled along the banks at 5am as a high schooler to get to rowing practice, you discovered why Yarra Bend is called Yarra Bend during lockdowns getting disoriented along the turns and tracks. There is a groundswell of energy, talent, capacity and hope ready to act in service to the Birrarung, but how is this being brought into the journey towards swimmability?

What potential for economic activation is there? Is this economic activation in service to future generations? 

The Birrarung already has a thriving business community along its banks. How do we ensure that capital is in service to the health of the river, recognising the years of extraction and damage that have been enacted since colonisation. How might swimming activations become an exemplar of the next economy, perhaps as a place for regenerative tourism?  

With these design questions in mind, perhaps a Swimming Birrarung looks more like a habitat of choice for platypus where humans do not have access, a public beach next to the Westgate Punt, a pool in the CBD set at local pool prices used for training up our future lifeguards in river safety, a place along the rivers Parklands where you can splash, dip your toe in or dunk your hands in and bring some fresh water up to your face to drink.   

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