he international charter outlines common principles to empower decision-makers, advocates, and community leaders in their work with local natural waterways.

The City of Yarra is the first city in Australia to sign on to the charter.

Yarra City Council Mayor, Edward Crossland said, “Signing on the Swimmable Cities Charter strengthens our commitment to bringing the Birrarung back to health.” 

“As outlined in our recently adopted Climate Emergency Plan 2024-2030, Yarra aims to achieve a healthy, swimmable Birrarung for all and recognition of the river as a living and integrated natural entity.” 

“We want to see the plants and wildlife of the Birrarung thrive once again and a river clean enough for our community to swim in.” 

“Improving waterway health and increasing habitat restoration will improve biodiversity along the river, providing important habitat for wildlife and resilience against climate change.” 

“A healthy, swimmable river will support our community’s connection to nature and provide opportunities for them to cool down in extreme heat.” 

"Working with the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung community will ensure that we identify culturally relevant indicators for the health and wellbeing the Birrarung (and for all of Wurundjeri Country).” 

“With significant effort, we can regenerate our urban waterways and respond to the climate and biodiversity crises.”

Principles of the Charter

1. THE RIGHT TO SWIM: Safe, healthy and swimmable waterways should be accessible to all people.

2. ONE HEALTH, MANY SWIMMERS: Swimmable urban waterways are vital to the liveability of cities and communities, as shared civic places that promote the health of people (physically, mentally, spiritually) and the health of Mother Earth.

3. URBAN SWIMMING CULTURE: Urban swimming culture is a unique expression of life in cities and communities, reflecting the distinct interplay of sports, recreation and tourism in each given place, as well as natural and cultural heritage.

4. WATER IS SACRED: Urban swimming should celebrate natural waterways as living, integrated entities that nurture communities, promoting universal accessibility and peaceful coexistence inclusive of religious, cultural and gender diversity.

5. REWRITING THE RULES: Urban waterway swimming should become part of a new status quo in public access standards, challenging accepted conventions such as industrial uses and stormwater pollution, with governing authorities swiftly amending legal and regulatory frameworks to enable citizens access to its benefits.

6. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION IN SWIMMING PLACES: Urban swimming places and experiences should be planned, designed, made and operated through inclusive, integrated water management approaches; with managers ensuring universal access via community-led programs for learning how to swim in natural waterways and ecological literacy.

7. RECONNECTION & RESILIENCE: Urban swimming places and experiences should be invested in as an innovative way to enable resilient communities to adapt and thrive in a changing global climate, environment and economy.

8. NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES Urban swimming development models should balance social, cultural, ecological and economic values, creating new jobs, careers and livelihoods in regenerative professions and industries.

9. SHARING WELLBEING BENEFITS, CULTURE & KNOWLEDGE: Urban swimming should create wellbeing benefits to local citizens, ecosystems and economies; enhanced by the respectful sharing of Indigenous, traditional and Western water culture knowledge.

10. STEWARDSHIP FOR TODAY, TOMORROW & FUTURE GENERATIONS: Urban swimmers are stewards responsible for protecting the health of their local waterways, working alongside Mother Earth’s closest carers, such as Indigenous peoples, rangers and waterkeepers as well as urbanists, architects, social changemakers, educators and policy-makers.

Background

In the lead up to the Paris Olympics, a set of common principles have been published to empower decision-makers, actors and grassroots activists in the international Swimmable Cities movement.

These principles have already been adopted by a diverse group of founding Signatories, representing 30 cities and 16 countries around the world.

Facilitated by the Swimmable Cities steering group, comprising leaders from Australia, Europe and the UK; the purpose of the Swimmable Cities Charter is recognising the interconnections between the Rights of Nature and the Right to Swim (human rights).

Read more about the Swimmable Cities Charter.