Making Parramatta River swimmable again
When
Thursday, 18 October 2018
Depart 09:30 – from conference venue via ferry or coach (TBC)
Return approximately 16:00.
Where
You will be taken on a tour of the beautiful Parramatta River and its surrounds, where you will visit a range of sites covering many of the elements required to make the river swimmable.
Who
The tour will be hosted by the Parramatta River Catchment Group, with presentations from a range of experts, as well as active community Riverkeepers. There will be plenty of opportunity to meet and talk with the many people who has been instrumental in our mission to make the river swimmable again.
Cost
$50 including lunch.
What
The Parramatta River flows through the heart of one of the fastest growing regions in Australia, with the burgeoning metropolis of Parramatta now dedicated as the ‘Central River City’ in the three city vision for greater Sydney.
High density residential and business developments are rapidly replacing old industrial and residential sites along the river. With this has come a massive increase in community demand for quality river interactions.
In response to this, the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG) launched the mission to make the Parramatta River swimmable again and embarked on the co-development of a Masterplan for the river. The PRCG is an alliance of local Councils, state government agencies and the community who are working together to improve the health of the river.
The PRCG will be your guide on this tour of the beautiful Parramatta River and its surrounds, where you will visit a range of sites covering many of the elements required to make the river swimmable, including:
- a major stormwater harvesting and reuse scheme,
- a creek naturalisation project,
- a local suburban wetland that treats stormwater and provides a home to native wildlife, including one of our five river mascots,
- current and future swimming sites along the river,
- community Riverkeeper ambassador projects and
- major contaminated site remediation from wasteland to nationally significant wetlands.