The Yarra/Birrarung River is one of Warburton’s defining features. The flows of the river has been the town’s soundtrack for over a century, and the Wurundjeri people’s for thousands of years prior.
But did you know there is a 100-year-old volunteer group dedicated to maintaining the amenity of the Crown land each side of the river?
The Upper Yarra River Reserves Committee of Management (UYRRCoM) was established to manage, maintain, improve and control the river reserve.
UYRRCoM secretary Rob Hay said the group works with government bodies such as the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action (DEECA) and Melbourne Water, and Yarra Ranges Council, to protect and enhance one of Warburton’s most prized assets.
“The committee has very limited income, so we rely on funding from government bodies like DEECA or Melbourne Water, to undertake larger projects like revegetation of large areas, weed removal or infrastructure improvement projects.”
In 2022, the Victorian Government allocated $930,000 to the UYRRCoM for the maintenance of the Yarra River.
Recent projects funded include the installation of new wayfinding signage along the river, replacing all the old seats and picnic settings, restoring the timber viewing platforms, renovating one public toilet; and making the trails more accessible for locals and visitors alike.
It’s just one example of the group’s work in making the river a better place.
The group’s existence can be traced back to 1901, where a newspaper clipping from the National Library of Australia reveals how the “Department of Public Health wanted to curtail residences on the river reserve as far as possible in order to avoid pollution of the Yarra”.
The Upper Yarra River Reserve Committee of Management name was formally established in 1925 and later was appointed under section 12 of the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978.
The river reserve extends about seven kilometers from Warburton, upstream to East Warburton; and approximately 42 meters out from the water’s edge on each side.
Mr Hay said the committee had been advised by DEECA that it was one of the most complicated reserves to look after in the state.
“The Upper Yarra River Reserve is one of the largest and most complex from a management perspective. There is a big area to look after, with lots of different forms of assets like the tracks, bridges, seats, picnic settings and signs. There’s also increasing pressures from tourism, controlling access to the river, illegal fishing and managing fallen trees and other hazards ” Mr Hay said.
As Warburton’s popularity as a tourist attraction grows, the UYRRCoM is working to minimise the impact of tourism on the river.
“A growing challenge is managing the impacts arising from the area’s increased popularity,” Mr Hay said.
“More visitors means more vehicles and demand for parking spaces, and people don’t always park where they should. Then there is another, and another, and before long the vegetation that was there has been damaged or destroyed, not intentionally, but it happens and causes negative impacts, like increased amounts of soil being washed into the river.”
“Another impact is litter – we need to encourage people to do the right thing – which means when they go and find a quiet beautiful peaceful spot for a picnic that they don’t leave their waste behind – they need to take it with them – it is not possible for there to be bins everywhere along the river tracks because trucks cannot get in to empty them,” he said.
This has prompted the UYRRCoM to work on an extra set of signs which will guide visitors and locals on what behaviour is appropriate around the river.
