Rivers and waterways in Melbourne’s west have great potential to be opened to swimming, according to an advocate for swimming rights.
Swimmable Cities co-founder Matt Sykes said the transformation of sections of the River Seine in Paris into swimming zones should be used as inspiration in Victoria.
The River Seine underwent an extensive regeneration program in order for it to be used for aquatic sports in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Swimming had been banned in the river since 1923 due to pollution, but it was opened to the public for the first time on July 5.
“While the Yarra River (Birrarung) has received a lot of attention through our local urban swimming movement, our vision is bigger and this includes the future of the Maribyrnong and Werribee Rivers,” Mr Sykes said.
“Australians love swimming, we go to the beach and swimming pools, but swimming in rivers and harbours isn’t so common.
“We’ve actually been taught to turn our backs on the urban waterways upon which our families, communities and livelihoods depend.”
Mr Sykes said that swimmable rivers would bring particular benefits to localities such as Wyndham and Melton, of which have many adults learning to swim.
“One of the things I’ve noticed visiting cities around the world is how swimming as a life skill can’t be taken for granted,” he said.
“Many adults just haven’t had the chance, because of cultural reasons or sheer lack of access.”
However, Mr Sykes said that natural waterways should not be treated as a replacement for pools and aquatic centres.
“This is an ‘and’ not ‘or’ conversation. Of course, public swimming pools can be expensive to operate so urban waterways present cost and energy savings once they’re cleaned up,” he said.
“But diversity of swimming access points are key, so that everyone in our community can access and connect with water.”
For now, Mr Sykes said the focus should be on cleaning up urban waterways and transforming how we think about them on a societal level.
Swimmable Cities is an alliance of global water organisations that champions the right to swim and making it possible to do so in urban waterways.
