Co-Designed Catchment Program for the Yarra Catchment Working together for healthy waterways Acknowledgement of Country Contents The communities, stakeholders and Melbourne Water, who Acknowledgement of Country 1 together are responsible for implementing this Healthy Waterways Strategy, acknowledge and respect Traditional A shared strategy 2 Owners and Aboriginal communities and organisations. We Partners 2 recognise the diversity of their cultures and the deep connections they have with the region’s lands and waters. Overview of the region 8 We value partnerships with them for the health of people Yarra Strategic Plan 5 and Country. Collaborative design (co-design) 8 The communities, stakeholders and Melbourne Water, who together are responsible for implementing this Healthy Collaborative implementation 9 Waterways Strategy, pay their respects to Elders past and present, and we acknowledge and recognise the primacy of Understanding the Catchment Program 11 Traditional Owners’ obligations, rights and responsibilities to use Catchment Program 19 and care for their traditional lands and waters. WURUNDJERI FOREWORD FOR THEWURUNDJERI YARRAWURUNDJERI RIVER COMMUNITYFOREWORD FOREWORD FOR VISION FOR THETHE YARRA YARRA RIVER RIVER COMMUNITY COMMUNITY VISION VISION GanbuGanbu gulinj gulinj Narrm, Narrm, WurundjeriWurundjeri Gulinj Gulinj nuringianith nuringianith biik biik baambuth baambuth The First People of Melbourne, the Wurundjeri People, have TheThe beenFirst First Peoplecaring People forof Melbourne,of Country Melbourne, since the thethe Wurundjeri Wurundjeribeginning People, of People, time have have beenbeen caring caring for for Country Country since since the the beginning beginning of timeof time The Birrarung is a river of mists and shadows - the The Wurundjeri have lived with and known the The Wurundjeri believe that we need to change how river and its environs are a living, breathing entity Birrarung since the beginning. The Birrarung is now all Victorians think about and actively respect the that follows Wurundjeri songlinesThe Birrarung and forms is a river a of mists sharedand shadows by many - the Victorians, Ourwho songlines value the have river been and sustained Birrarung. even though We believe many we need to see not a resource central part of the Dreamingriver of and the its Wurundjeri. environs are a living,its breathing surrounds entity for what they bringof the tocreeks the beauty have dried of our up andto billabongs be exploited been but rather to recognise the complex, A Dreaming that links the billabongs,TheThe Birrarung Birrarung wetlands is a isriver a river of mists of mists andcity. and shadows In sharingshadows - the in - thethe benefitsOur thatOur songlines thesonglines river have provides, have been been sustained sustainedliving even system even though though that many is many sensitive to its surrounds and a that follows Wurundjeri songlines and forms a central destroyed. Rubbish, sediment and pollutants have built and swamps in the upstreamriver riverforests, and and its environsacross its environs the are area living, a living,we breathing must breathing also entity share entity responsibility of theof thecreeksfor creekspreserving have have dried anddried up andup uniquelyand billabongs billabongs Victorian been been treasure. By engaging with those meandering plains and outthatpart tothat the followsof the followssalt Dreaming Wurundjeri water. Wurundjeri We of songlinesthe songlinesWurundjeri.restoring and and forms A formsthe Dreaming a wellbeingcentral a central of thedestroyed.up Birrarung. anddestroyed. are Rubbish,choking Rubbish, thesediment river,sediment stopping andpartners and pollutants pollutantsthe with Birrarung have whom have built webuilt now share the river we, Wurundjeri are connected partthatto thepart oflinks theBirrarung of the theDreaming billabongs, Dreaming through of the ofwetlands theWurundjeri. Wurundjeri. and swamps A Dreaming A Dreaming in the upfrom andup breathing and are arechoking choking clearly. the theTheriver, river, health stoppingtogether, stopping of the the Birrarung aretheBirrarung capableBirrarung of turning around the damage spirit, culture and nature. Thethatupstreamthat riverlinks links the followsforests, thebillabongs, billabongs, theacross paths wetlandsthe wetlandsmeanderingThe and city and swamps of plains swamps Melbourne inand the in the grew fromunderpins outfrom frombreathing breathing the healthbanks clearly. clearly. of of The Wurundjeri The health healthof theof People, the ofpast theBirrarung and andBirrarung theacting to restore the river and its the Birrarung – the river has allowed it to become that our ancestors have travelledupstreamout upstreamto the for forests,salt thousands forests, water. across Weacross of the themeanderingWurundjeri meandering areplains connectedplains and and underpinsdamageunderpins that the has thehealth been health of done Wurundjeri of Wurundjeri overenvironment the People, past People, two and for centuries and the the the future use and enjoyment of all. the vibrant city it is today, but this has come at years - providing for them toas the now Birrarung it provides through for all spirit, culture and nature. The is felt by all Wurundjeri people. We, along with many out outto the to thesalt saltwater. water. We Wethe theWurundjerigreat Wurundjeri expense are areconnected connectedto the Wurundjeri. damagedamage that that has hasbeen been done done overWurundjeri over the thepast past two invites two centuries centuries all people to see the Birrarung Victorians. river follows the paths that our ancestors have travelled other Victorians, are worried that without a process of to theto theBirrarung Birrarung through through spirit, spirit, culture culture and and nature. nature. The The is feltis feltby all by Wurundjeri all Wurundjeri people. people.through We, We, along along our with eyes, with many tomany talk with us to understand We honour the land and waterriverfor riverthousands offollows the follows Birrarung. the of the pathsyears paths that- providing that our ourancestorsOur for ancestors songlines them have as have now travelled have travelledit been sustainedotherrestorationother Victorians, Victorians,even and though healing are areworried the worried pressures thatour that without values, withouton the a andprocess wellbeing a process to partner of of with us to re-energise Wurundjeri people have a fordeepprovides thousandsfor cultural thousands for all of obligationVictorians. years of years - providing - providingmany for themfor of themthe as creeksnow as now it have it driedrestorationof therestoration up river and andwill billabongs and becomehealing healing the insurmountable. thepressures pressuresthe river on theason we thewellbeing fulfil wellbeing our cultural duty in bringing been destroyed. Rubbish, sediment and pollutants and a birthright to look afterprovides theprovides river for allfor- to Victorians. all make Victorians. of theof theriver river will willbecome become insurmountable. insurmountable.the Birrarung back to environmental, cultural, sure the Birrarung is healthyWe and honour continues the land to and water ofhave the Birrarung.built up and are chokingThe the Wurundjeri river, stopping believe that weceremonial need to change and how spiritual health. the Birrarung from breathing clearly. The health of support the plants and animals,Wurundjeri our community people have a deep cultural obligation and all Victorians think about and actively respect the We Wehonour honour the theland land and and water water ofthe the of Birrarung theBirrarung. Birrarung. underpins theThe healthThe Wurundjeri Wurundjeri of Wurundjeri believe believe that that we needwe need to change to change how how and all people, both those currentlya birthright alive to look and after the the river - to make sure the Birrarung. We believe we need to see not a resource to generations yet to come. WurundjeriWurundjeri people people have have a deep a deep People,cultural cultural obligationand obligation the damage and and thatall Victorianshasall Victorians been thinkdone think about over about and and actively actively respect respect the the aBirrarung birthrighta birthright is tohealthy look to look after and after continuesthe theriver theriver - toto past -makesupport to make two sure thecenturies sure the plants the is feltBirrarung.be by exploitedBirrarung. all Wurundjeri We but Webelieve rather believe we to needwe recognise need to see to the seenot complex, nota resource a resource living to to BirrarungandBirrarung animals, is healthy ouris healthy community and and continues continues andpeople. all to people, support to We, support bothalong the theplantsthose with plants many besystem other exploitedbe exploited that Victorians, isbut sensitive butrather ratherare toto recogniseits to surroundsrecognise the andthecomplex, complex,a uniquely living living andcurrentlyand animals, animals, alive our and ourcommunity the community generations andworried and all yetpeople, all topeople, that come. both without both those those a process systemVictoriansystem of restorationthat treasure. that is sensitive is sensitive By and engaging to its to surrounds its withsurrounds those and partnersand a uniquely a uniquely currentlycurrently alive alive and and the thegenerations generationshealing yet yetto the come. to pressurescome. on theVictorianwith wellbeingVictorian whom treasure. we oftreasure. nowthe By rivershare engagingBy engaging the river with we,with those together, those