Imagine a future where your bestie texts, “meet you for a dip in the Yarra after work?” and you don’t immediately burst out laughing. Sounds wild, right?
But after Melbourne City Council’s latest move, that scenario isn’t just a meme anymore — it’s on the city’s agenda.
Why do people want to swim in the Yarra River?
On July 29, the City of Melbourne gave the green light to a formal investigation into making the Yarra (Birrarung) swimmable by 2050. That’s right, councillors have backed a deep-dive into the costs, logistics, and possible locations for you to legitimately take a dip (no illegal leaps required). They want answers — and trial sites — on the table by the end of 2025.
Cr Davydd Griffiths, who led the push, said at the council meeting, “It would be recognition that we as a city have the capacity to take on large projects and see them through to fruition, and that’s what I’d like to see happen in this case. Whatever we can do to improve the Birrarung will be good for all the people of Melbourne,” per Beat Magazine.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece isn’t shy about it, either: “An emphatic yes, in fact I’ve already swum in the Yarra as a young boy in Warrandyte, can’t wait for the opportunity to do it again.”
He fired up the crowd with, “If Paris, Copenhagen and Berlin can navigate these troubled waters, then we surely can do so here in Melbourne and make our beautiful river swimmable again.” The vibe is serious: the swimmable city dream is officially in motion.
Is it safe to swim in the Yarra River?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. According to freshwater ecologist Dr Moss Imberger, the Yarra’s biggest vibe-killers are stormwater runoff and pollution.
“Stormwater runoff is one of the biggest issues for the ecological health of the Yarra River and its ‘swimmability’,” she told PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“Every time it rains, water washes pollutants off connected impervious surfaces (like roofs and roads) and delivers them directly to our local waterways and ultimately the Yarra. Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are the most problematic for people swimming and can cause diarrhoea or even more severe illness.”
She’s got simple advice: “It is always best to avoid contact with urban waterways for 48hrs after heavy rain due to the concentration of pollutants and bacteria. If the water doesn’t look or smell right, I wouldn’t get in.”
As of right now, Dr Imberger says only the Yarra near Templestowe, Warrandyte, and Wonga Park — mostly between Heidelberg and Yering — gets the scientific tick for swimming.
Why even bother?
Sounds like a headache, but there are real payoffs. Dr Rebecca Olive from RMIT puts it simply: “Swimmability should be part of a healthy city and hopefully international examples, like the success in Paris, will encourage the Victorian Government, councils and community to work towards creating cleaner and safer access to the Yarra for public swimming.”
More green spaces, a tourism bump, and a city that actually lives up to its riverfront potential? That’s the goal.
But Dr Olive doesn’t sugar-coat it: “We would need to overcome the current barriers to swimming in the Yarra, including water quality, access points, boat traffic, stormwater and safety.”
Swimmable Birrarung enthusiasts are calling for big investment and smarter stormwater management, with changes like wetlands, rainwater tanks, and all of us being a bit less careless with rubbish and fertilisers.
What’s next?
According to Docklands News, Council teams now have to report back by the end of 2025 with the honest truth on cost, timelines, and possible trial sites — like Victoria Harbour in Docklands, which is already on the radar for its calm waters.
The City of Melbourne’s decision is more than just a mood board for future summer fun — it’s a genuine shot at transforming the Yarra from city centre punchline to destination. As the Lord Mayor said, “If Paris can do it, why not Melbourne?”
But until the ducks clear the way (and the E. coli does too), keep your swimmers packed and maybe just head to the baths.
The post Inside Melbourne’s Plan To Make The Yarra A Non-Cesspool Swimming Spot appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
