What Would It Take to Make the Barwon River Swimmable?

At first glance, it sounds like a fanciful question. For many of us, the Barwon is a place to walk, ride, fish, paddle, or simply enjoy from the bank — not somewhere we imagine diving into on a hot summer afternoon.

Yet rivers reflect the quality of the decisions we make upstream — literally and figuratively. Around the world, cities are asking similar questions about their rivers as a measure of environmental health, civic pride, and long‑term planning.

In Melbourne, there is now an active conversation about making parts of the Yarra swimmable again. In Paris, after decades of investment, people are swimming in the Seine for the first time in over a century. In both cases, “swimmable” isn’t the starting point — it’s the outcome of cleaner water, better stormwater management, stronger governance and sustained commitment.

The future prosperity of our region is inseparable from the health of our rivers. The Barwon is not just an environmental asset — it underpins our liveability and sense of place.

Geelong is not starting from scratch.

Significant work is already underway to improve the health of the Barwon River. A 30‑year plan focuses on restoring flows, repairing riverbanks, improving habitat, and protecting the river as a drinking water source.

River health is not solved at the river’s edge. It is shaped by thousands of upstream decisions — many invisible, incremental, and manageable if addressed early. Much of what affects river health comes from stormwater washing off streets, roofs, and construction sites, carrying sediment, nutrients, and bacteria into the Barwon after rainfall.

The question is no longer whether we care about the Barwon. We clearly do.The question is how ambitious we are prepared to be.

A swimmable river is not about installing ladders and jumping in tomorrow. It is about whether water quality, urban design, stormwater systems, and land‑use decisions are aligned with the future we want. As Geelong grows, managing erosion and sediment from disturbed land becomes just as important as what happens within the river channel.

Rivers do not become healthy by accident — they become healthy by design.

As someone who grew up beside the Barwon and now works with organisations managing water, contamination, regulatory compliance and growth pressures, I see first‑hand that improving river health is not a cost. It’s an investment — in resilience, community wellbeing and the long‑term attractiveness of our city.

Geelong is growing, and water pressures are real. These challenges will not be met by lowering our expectations, but by lifting them.

Whether or not we ever swim in the Barwon is almost beside the point. But asking what it would take — that is the kind of question confident, future‑focused cities are willing to ask, and answer. Are we?