Burndap Birrarung burndap umarkoo, Yarra Strategic Plan

The plan

Burndap Birrarung burndap umarkoo, the Yarra Strategic Plan, is the very first plan to manage and protect and enhance the Yarra River, Birrarung and its significant parklands as one living and integrated entity.

The plan is the first to be developed in partnership with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation. The actions in the plan respect and support both the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Traditional Owners to co-manage the river and its lands on their Country.

The plan supports and builds on a 50-year community vision developed by more than 2,500 Victorians with shared long-term aspirations for the Yarra River corridor.

Makeup of the Yarra Collaboration Committee

The plan has been prepared through a collaborative governance approach by the Yarra Collaboration Committee so that the Yarra River, Birrarung, can be managed as one living and integrated entity. This group included representatives from Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation and state and local government organisations who care for Yarra River lands, including:

• Banyule City Council
• Boroondara City Council
• Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
• Manningham City Council
• Melbourne City Council
• Melbourne Water
• Nillumbik Shire Council
• Parks Victoria
• Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority (now part of Melbourne Water)
• Stonnington City Council
• Department of Transport
• VicTrack
• Victorian Planning Authority
• Yarra City Council
• Yarra Ranges Shire Council.

Burndap Birrarung burndap umarkoo, the first Yarra Strategic Plan, was released in February 2022 following extensive community, agency, and Traditional Owner collaboration and input. Its name in Woi-wurrung language means ‘good for Yarra is good for all’.

The plan fulfills requirements in the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017 and the Yarra River Action Plan to develop a 10-year strategy for the river that works towards the 50-year Community Vision for the Yarra, Birrarung.

The plan will better protect the river and its parklands from the impacts of climate change, urbanisation and population growth. It brings together land use planning and management for the first time to protect and enhance the natural beauty and health of the Birrarung. This is a pioneering approach to improving the Yarra’s parklands for a growing population, protecting important environmental and cultural values while enabling an array of outstanding river and parkland experiences.

Through the Yarra Collaboration Committee, the plan will drive a collaborative governance approach to coordinate action and investment across public agencies, harnessing business as usual activities and initiating joint actions to get the best outcomes possible for the Yarra River, Birrarung.

Implementing the plan

Melbourne Water is the lead agency for implementation of the plan under the landmark Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017. The lead agency is responsible for actively promoting and facilitating the collaborative governance model embraced in the plan to drive action and maintain the accountability of responsible public entities. This includes developing and updating the three-year implementation plan, and preparing annual reports for the Birrarung Council based on the implementation reports of the public agencies.

Melbourne Water is finalising an interim Implementation plan, which will demonstrate how the activities of the responsible public entities in the first year contribute to achieving the collaborative actions and 10-year performance objectives of the plan.

Read the plan