Water care groups in Naarm

As we celebrate 3 years of the development of the walk Regenerating a body of water: a walk with Birrarung-ga, we created a list of non-exhaustive list of community-based and grassroots groups, initiatives and alliances dedicated to care for water and waterways around Greater Melbourne:

Boon Wurrung Land and Sea Council is a community-based organisation committed to the protection, preservation, and continuation of Boonwurrung culture and heritage.

Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation In the early 1980’s a small group of passionate Wurundjeri Elders, the Traditional Owners of Greater Melbourne, developed a shared vision for themselves and future generations of Wurundjeri people. By 1985, their vision had crystalised and the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, a representative body, was born.

Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation is the representative body for Wadawurrung Traditional Owners. Wadawurrung’s RAP area covers over 10,000 square kilometres on the western side Melbourne and including the major regional cities of Geelong and Ballarat. 

The Concerned Waterways Alliance (CWA) is a network of community and environment groups from Gippsland to the Otways. We share a deep concern about the degraded state of southern Victoria’s rivers, wetlands and aquifers, and are committed to improving their health for the benefit of current and future generations.

Urban Waterways Alliance is made up of the Darebin Creek Management Committee, Merri Creek Management Committee, the Kooyongkoot Alliance, Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association, Werribee River Association and Yarra Riverkeeper Association

Port Philip EcoCentre is a not-for-profit, community-managed environment group located in the corner of St Kilda Gardens. For 25 years it has provided a base for affiliate groups involved in activities that promote environmental sustainability and community action.

Yarra Riverkeeper The Yarra Riverkeeper Association brings together the community voices of the Yarra, Birrarung. Together we advocate for the river, and work towards a Yarra, Birrarung that is healthy, protected and loved.

Swimmable Birrarung initiative is a transformative and critical infrastructure project for our city. Its vision is to regenerate the Birrarung Yarra River to the extent that it is healthy, thriving and swimmable again, from source to sea.

Maribyrnon River & Waterways Association (MRWA) Founded in 2022, the Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association (MRWA) is a values-driven community-based organisation that advocates for the health of rivers and creeks in the Maribyrnong catchment. We advocate for the river itself, for the communities that depend on it, and for the myriad of health and well-being benefits that come with our interaction with the waterways and surrounding parklands. 

Merri Creek Management Committee Merri Creek Management Committee Incorporated (MCMC) is an environmental coordination and management agency formed in 1989 to achieve a shared vision for the waterway corridors of the Merri Creek Catchment. The primary purpose of the Merri Creek Management Committee (MCMC) is to ensure the preservation of natural and cultural heritage, and the ecologically sensitive restoration, development and maintenance of the Merri Creek and tributaries, their corridors and associated ecological communities.

Darebin Creek Management Committee The Darebin Creek Management Committee Inc. (DCMC) was formed in 2001 by amalgamating the Darebin Creek Co-ordinating Committee and the Darebin Parklands Committee of Management. These two Committees have been operating since their inception in 1984 and 1973 respectively. The Committee share a common interest in improving the Darebin Creek and adjoining open space.

KooyongKoot Alliance (KKA) is comprised of over twenty Friends Groups working in the Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) catchment. The creek is a significant tributary of the Yarra River (Birrarung) and the catchment covers an area of over 100 square kilometers.

Werribee River Association is an active community environmental organisation that is working with a growing and diverse community, particularly in education and engagement, to support communities to connect and protect the waterways of the west.

The Chain of Ponds is an ambitious collaboration to “transform the Moonee Ponds Creek into an iconic Melbourne waterway that provides high social, cultural and environmental benefits”

Yalukit Willam Nature Association Inc (YWNA) is a community group with stewardship to create a wetland reserve carefully designed to foster biodiversity and wildlife- the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve. The Association collaborates closely with Bayside Council and Port Phillip, Glen Eira Councils, Melbourne Water, Boonwurrung Foundation, our affiliates and other relevant stakeholders.

Western Port Biosphere Foundation has worked with the community to create a sustainable future for Western Port. We do this through research, education, community engagement, partnerships and on-ground conservation efforts. 

Hobsons Bay Wetland Centre Inc is a volunteer-driven not-for-profit that is passionate about connecting people with nature. Our vision is for a place where everyone can connect with nature to improve health and wellbeing and be inspired to care for our precious natural environment

Add on comments if you know any other groups that are not here!