Communities are perhaps becoming more connected to their local waterways more than any time in the last 50 years. Relentless urbanisation, Covid and climate change are making us appreciate our green and blue spaces more than ever and we are becoming increasingly aware that we need to protect them as our population grows and urban density increases.
Rivers are more than just channels of water, they’re living systems that connect landscapes, cultures, and communities.
Traditional Owners, planners, members of the general public and environmental advocates are uniting around a concept that attributes a fresh and holistic approach to looking at our waterways, that of the Single Living Entity.
The Living Entity approach is about giving waterways and their surrounding parklands the respect they deserve and not encroaching on their space. It’s about giving rivers the space to move so they can provide the many ecological services they offer from flood mitigation to building climate resilience.
A recent report, commissioned by the Concerned Waterways Alliance (the KooyongKoot Alliance are members) and authored by planning expert Stephen Rowley of RCI Planning, argues that Victoria’s waterways must be treated as “living, integrated natural entities” in planning law and policy, a principle already enshrined in the Yarra River Protection Act.
There is a clear need to explore how to overcome the challenges of fragmented decision-making across councils, and how to better embed Indigenous-informed perspectives into planning schemes.
What are the next steps for policy reform, including stronger planning overlays, better resourcing for catchment authorities, and genuine empowerment of Traditional Owners in decision-making ?
- For many engaged in this space the message is clear: protecting our rivers and creeks (including Gardiners Creek /Kooyongkoot and its tributaries) means thinking bigger than individual planning permits.
- It means treating the river as a living neighbour, not just as a backdrop.
For a copy of the report visit: https://concernedwaterwaysalliance.org/