Imagine the Yarra

The Yarra River Protection (Willip-gin Birrarung Murron) Bill requires the long-term community vision for the Yarra River to be developed in consultation with key stakeholders and the community. It outlines that it must set a ‘vision for a period of at least 50 years that identifies the unique characteristics of the Yarra land, and community values, priorities and preferences in relation to that land’.

As the state government lead agency, Melbourne Water worked in partnership with Capire on an extensive community engagement process. The engagement focused on hearing and celebrating the community’s stories about the Yarra, now and into the future. Engagement findings assisted in understanding and articulating the river’s narrative, and the community’s values and priorities for its future.

Following the completion of the broader engagement, Capire in partnership with Renton and Co. delivered an extensive capacity building and co-design process with the Yarra River Community Assembly. Twenty-four community members representing the diversity of the Yarra River community took the broader community engagement findings, and with the support of Yarra River experts and Wurundjeri elders, crafted the overarching vision for the Yarra River. Melbourne Water are now collating feedback to help write the Yarra Strategic Plan that will bring the vision to life.