Our Living River 10th Anniversary community celebration

More than 300 people enjoyed a swim in the sun as well as a sausage sizzle and other fun activities at the Our Living River 10th Anniversary Community Day at Bayview Park, Concord on 24 March.

Hosted by the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG) and City of Canada Bay, the event was held to commemorate the 10th year of the Our Living River mission to make the Parramatta River swimmable again.

Launched by the PRCG in 2014, the mission set an ambitious goal to improve the health of the river and its catchment to enable swimming at selected sites. It also aimed to conserve important ecological areas and increase habitat for wildlife.

Federal Member for Bennelong, Mr Jerome Laxale and State Member for Balmain, Kobi Shetty, attended the event along with representatives from the PRCG’s members councils. Raymond Weatherall, Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC), performed the Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony.

City of Canada Bay Mayor, Michael Megna, spoke about the significance of the Bayview Park Baths opening as a key milestone in the project to improve the health of the river. PRCG Chair, Councillor Mark Drury, thanked the member agencies and individuals for their support and commitment over the last 10 years to progress the Our Living River mission.

PRCG Coordinator Nadia Young launched the PRCG’s First Nations of the Parramatta River and surrounding region document as part of the Designing with Country project. Visitors also had a chance to view the upgrades to the park and cultural interpretive designs by Dharug artist Leanne Watson.

The PRCG thanks City of Canada Bay and the following member agencies and organisations for making the event a success: Australian Environmental Education, Ben Williams Photography, BirdLife NSW, Daniel Francis Trio, Eaton Gorge, Environment Protection Authority, Happy Hoopy Life, Koori Kinnections, Lifeguarding Service Australia, Marine Rovers, MediFAST, Parramatta River Landcare Network, PluckFastic/Waste2Art, Rotary Club Five Dock, Sydney Water, True Blue Spit Roast.

Find out about other 10-year anniversary events happening throughout the year.