Melbourne aims to restore Yarra River for swimming by 2050
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Four Melbourne councils and Melbourne Water are collaborating to make the Yarra River, also known as the Birrarung, swimmable again by 2050.
Swimming in the river was banned in the 1960s because of pollution, but officials now believe restoration is possible, drawing inspiration from the recent reopening of the River Seine in Paris for swimming after a similar cleanup effort.
The group acknowledges a significant undertaking lies ahead, estimating at least a decade of work to upgrade water infrastructure and filtration systems. Currently, the Yarra River faces contamination from animal waste, litter, and petrochemicals. Melbourne Water reports that some sections of the river have E. coli levels 25 times higher than what is considered safe for swimming. The initiative will involve both treatment processes and natural solutions like wetlands to improve water quality.
The project is still in its early stages, with costs yet to be determined and specific restoration measures still under investigation. Once improvements are made, the councils plan to work with the public to identify suitable locations for designated swimming areas along the river. The Yarra River historically held a place in Melbourne’s leisure culture, with records set for high diving as recently as 1918, and was used by Indigenous Australians for millennia before colonisation.
