Issues and Concerns for the River

“PLANNING TO PROTECT THE YARRA RIVER CORRIDOR”

Submission by Yarra Riverkeeper Association Inc.

to the Victorian Planning System Ministerial Advisory Committee

31 August 2011

DOWNLOAD THE FULL DOCUMENT HERE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Government policy states that the planning system is meant “to ensure the protection and conservation of land in Victoria in the present and long-term interests of all Victorians."  However the system is failing to protect one of the state's special regions and arguably Melbourne's most important natural asset, the Yarra River Corridor [1] .

Many government planning documents highlight the unique and outstanding values of the corridor, its vital role in community well-being, and the need to protect and enhance it.   But the corridor continues to be degraded by an ineffective planning system.  Numerous examples of damage are described.

The underlying problems are a lack of long-term vision for the corridor, weak planning controls and disjointed authority over planning decisions.

Drawing on input from many experts in the planning arena, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association proposes three essential measures to fix the problems.

  1. Develop an agreed long term vision for the Yarra River Corridor.  The vision proposed by the association is that the corridor eventually be a continuous public green space and unbroken wildlife habitat corridor along the entire length of the river.
  2. Apply mandatory planning controls to ensure that all future developments are taking the corridor in the direction of the vision.  Controls on building size, open space, vegetation and property ownership are proposed. 
  3. Establish a single planning authority for all developments throughout the corridor, consistent with the fact that its values, ecology and well-being all relate to and are dependent on its entirety.

Anything less will perpetuate the current appalling process that is overseeing the ongoing degradation of the Yarra River Corridor.

 

 

Would you drink from the Yarra River?

For most Melburnians, the answer is yes. In an average year 70% of our drinking water, considered amongst the highest quality in the world, comes from the Yarra's upper reaches. Fact is, the Yarra River is Melbourne's lifeblood. Its healthy flow is a key reason why our city was founded and continues to flourish.

 

 

 

 

Is the Yarra River healthy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does YRKA say about the Yarra's water quality?

The water quality in the lower Yarra is poor and does not meet health standards. The likely culprits are Melbourne's sewerage and stormwater systems, particularly after heavy rain. This is unacceptable in a modern city. More research and monitoring are required to pinpoint the sources of pollution. The Government and the community must taken greater responsibility to fix the problems as soon as possible.

 

 

 

Yrka's views on flows in the Yarra ?

For years, water has been extracted from the Yarra for drinking and agriculture, but with no real understanding of how the reduced flows affect the river's health. The State Government is now conducting a study of the flow needs of the river. (YRKA is represented on the study's advisory group.) This study needs to be comprehensive and based on the best available science, and its recommendations must feed into future decisions about how much can be exacted from the river.

 

 

 

What about development pressure?