In Issue 227 of STEP Matters we wrote about the Lane Cove River stakeholder workshops held at Macquarie University. There is now a website that explains the principles and practices being developed under the project.
There is a long way to go. Some participants are hoping that, one day, there will be swimming in the river. Before that can happen the management of the river has to be focussed on improving the health of the urban catchments. With any luck, if the river is clean enough to swim in, then there will be more appreciation of the benefits of keeping pollutants out of the river and its tributaries, for example dog poo and litter dumping.
There is a nearby example of what can be achieved through good management and effort. The Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG) is a partnership of local and state government agencies and community groups, working together to create a healthy, sustainable river catchment where both wildlife can thrive and the community can benefit. An initiative launched by the PRCG in 2014, dubbed Our Living River, was on a mission to bring back swimming to the Parramatta River by 2025.
Details of the master plan of action was launched in October 2018, Duba, Budu, Barra: Ten Steps to a Living River – the Parramatta River Masterplan. The ‘ten steps’ include improvements in stormwater runoff, planning controls, sewer overflows and community education. They involved raising awareness through leadership and stakeholder engagement based on robust science, collaboration, cultural sensitivity and community decision making.
This mission has been achieved. Right now, there are six places where you can swim in the Parramatta River: Bayview Park Baths, Cabarita Park beach, Chiswick Baths, Dawn Fraser Baths and Lake Parramatta. The newest site, Putney Beach, was opened on 22 January. Other sites are being developed such as Bedlam Bay and Callan Park.
The more swim sites that are available, the more others will try them out, and community awareness of the benefits of a clean river will grow.
Heading image: The Putney swimming spot opened to the public on 22 January 2025 (ABC News: Liam Patrick)