A vision for the future of Melbourne’s Yarra River (BIRRARUNG)
Engagement & COMMUNICATIONS design • FACILITATION
Amplifier’s Steven Weir led a wide ranging community engagement process throughout 2018-19 for the landmark Yarra River Strategic Plan (and its 50-year vision) on behalf of Melbourne Water.
This project, underpinned by landmark legislation which identifies the Yarra and the many hundreds of parcels of public land it flows through as one living, integrated natural entity for protection and improvement.
The Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Bill (2017) combines the ‘Caring for Country’ wisdom of Traditional Custodians with the most modern river management expertise. and is the first legislation in Australia to be co-titled in a Traditional Custodian language (Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung).
Acknowledging the sheer scale of the geographical area the project seeked to engage around, Steven led a creative and collaborative strategy to understand the needs (and policy context) of a hugely diverse group of stakeholders. These included places and people along the length of the river, including eight local government organisations, five state government agencies, Traditional Custodians and of course the communities who cherish the Yarra.
The project also had to give careful consideration around the economic development of the river, which supports businesses as diverse as agriculture, tourism, transport, recreation, nature conversancy, biodiversity, urban development, arts and culture and Aboriginal cultural heritage.
The engagement approach used a number of creative tools such as videos, a walking map and library-based programming to encourage a wide community participation to celebrate and better understand Melbourne’s iconic river.
It also culminated in a deliberative Visioning process in which a group of selected community members worked to understand the complexities the Strategic Plan sought to address, alongside the competing needs and wants identified in the engagement process, while working alongside Wurindjeri Elders to ensure the Vision for the river stayed true to the legislation’s commitment to Caring for Country.
