The way cities understand and govern rivers is undergoing a profound shift, as waterways are increasingly recognised not just as infrastructure or environmental assets, but as living entities with cultural, ecological, and social significance. In Australia, Melbourne’s Birrarung (Yarra River) has emerged as a leading example of this transformation, blending Indigenous knowledge, progressive legislation, and innovative design thinking.
Once infamously labelled Melbourne’s “number one drain” on government maps, the Birrarung is now at the centre of a new model for urban river governance. Through legal reform and design-led advocacy, the river has been reimagined as a living and integrated natural entity—challenging long-standing Western approaches to planning and environmental management.
This shift was explored by Kirsten Bauer, Global Design Director at ASPECT Studios, in a paper presented at the 2025 International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Conference in Nantes, France. Drawing on the Birrarung as a case study, Bauer highlighted how law, culture, and speculative design can work together to reshape relationships between cities and their rivers.
Landmark legislation reshaping river governance
Central to the Birrarung’s transformation is the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017, a landmark piece of Australian legislation. The Act is the first in the country to formally recognise a river as a “living and integrated natural entity” and is also notable for incorporating Indigenous language, reflecting the cultural authority of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people, the river’s Traditional Owners.
Rather than viewing the river as a single water channel, the Act defines the Birrarung as an interconnected system encompassing its waters, tributaries, surrounding lands, flora, fauna, sky, and underground flows. This holistic perspective aligns closely with Indigenous worldviews that emphasise reciprocity, custodianship, and long-term care.
While the Act stops short of granting full legal personhood—unlike international examples such as the Whanganui River in Aotearoa/New Zealand—it introduces a hybrid governance model. This approach seeks to integrate Indigenous epistemologies within Western legal frameworks, marking a significant cultural shift in Australian environmental governance.
Embedding culture, community, and long-term vision
The legislation has also driven broader cultural and planning reforms. It requires the inclusion of Traditional Owners in future river-related decision-making, establishes the principle of net environmental gain, and reframes the river corridor as a single, living landscape rather than a series of disconnected parcels.
A key outcome of the Act was the creation of the Birrarung Council, an independent statutory body comprising Traditional Owner representatives and experts in planning, landscape architecture, water management, and community engagement. The Council provides strategic advice to ensure the river’s health and cultural values remain central to all planning decisions.
The Act further mandated the development of a 50-year community vision for the river, strengthening public participation and reinforcing the idea that the Birrarung is fundamental to Melbourne’s identity, wellbeing, and future resilience.
Designing futures with the river, not for it
Beyond legislation, design has played a crucial role in reshaping public understanding of the Birrarung. The Reimagining Birrarung: Design Concepts for 2070 exhibition demonstrated how speculative and participatory design can act as powerful tools for education, advocacy, and long-term planning.
The project invited landscape architects to imagine the river’s future by asking a provocative question: If the river could speak, what would it say? This approach reframed design away from human-centred utility toward working with the river’s needs, encouraging deeper empathy and responsibility.
Together, the Birrarung’s legal recognition, community governance structures, and speculative design initiatives present a compelling model for cities worldwide. As climate pressures intensify and urban populations grow, the Birrarung demonstrates how recognising rivers as living entities can lead to more inclusive, sustainable, and culturally grounded urban futures.
