Ten-year vision unveiled to protect, transform the Yarra River
New public parks and a peak commuter ferry service are among an ambitious plan to transform Melbourne’s Yarra River — this is what’s in the works for the city’s waterway by 2030.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
New public spaces to open up the Yarra River to the CBD are part of a historic 10-year plan to protect and enhance the city’s iconic waterway.
The Herald Sun can reveal more plants and parkland along the river’s edge, improved cycling and pedestrian paths, and a peak commuter ferry service between Docklands and the Hoddle Street Bridge are also on the agenda.
The draft 10-year strategy marks the start of major reforms to finally combine the efforts of 16 groups — including councils, state government departments and traditional owners — involved in managing the Yarra.
Protecting the river from overdevelopment is another a key priority, with 140,000 new homes expected to be built within a kilometre either side of the Yarra in the next two decades.
A land use framework for the river is in the works to ensure new developments are sensitive to the area, while also improving public access and viewing locations.
In the CBD, the 10-year strategy calls for better access to the river and the reintroduction of “a natural, riverside landscape character”.
“This would see a series of well-connected public spaces along the river’s edge that are designed to celebrate its heritage and natural environment, and foster a sense of reconnection of the Yarra River to the city,” it says.
The strategy also identifies that climate change — bringing less rainfall, hotter temperatures and more frequent extreme events — is a threat to the river’s future.
The amount of rainfall entering the Yarra has halved since 2012 and more intense storms have impacted on water quality. Pollution is another key issue, with 180 tonnes of rubbish pulled from the river over a four-year period.
One of the strategy’s four main objectives over the next decade is improving water quality, which would also ensure Victorians can still swim in certain parts of the river.
MORE NEWS
THE ULTRA-VIOLENT TEEN GANGS TAKING OVER YOUTH PRISON
ST KILDA’S ESPY HOTEL HEADED FOR SALE AGAIN
Melbourne Water has been charged with leading the 10-year plan and is now seeking feedback on the final draft.
“The Yarra River, Birrarung, has shaped the Victorian landscape for 100 million years and holds great cultural, spiritual, social, recreational and economic value to Victorians,” Melbourne Water strategy general manager Gavan O’Neill said.
Water Minister Lisa Neville and Planning Minister Richard Wynne said the strategy would “protect this wonderful resource”.
“Melbourne is the nation’s fastest-growing city, which places pressure on the city’s waterways and environment, as well as creating challenges managing urban development along the river,” they said.