On 4 June 2026, members and supporters of the Concerned Waterways Alliance gathered at Melbourne City Marina in Docklands to celebrate a significant milestone: five years since the Alliance first came together to advocate for healthier waterways across Victoria.
Appropriately, the celebration was held back where it all began. Returning to the venue of the Alliance's inaugural meeting provided an opportunity not only to mark the occasion, but also to reflect on how far the alliance has come and the challenges that still lie ahead.
The gathering brought together members and supporters from across the state, from the Barwon to the Gippsland Lakes. Speakers included Andrew Kelly, Bruce Lindsay, Juliet Le Feuvre, Helen van den Berg and Cameron Steele, each offering their own reflections on the evolution of the Alliance and the broader waterways movement.
Our beginnings
Bruce Lindsay reflected on the long pathway that ultimately led to the formation of the Concerned Waterways Alliance.
He traced the Alliance's roots through a series of important campaigns and initiatives, including the development of the Yarra River Protection Act, Rivers of the Barwon, Waterways of Melbourne's West and work surrounding the Gippsland Lakes. He acknowledged the contributions of many advocates over the years, including the Environmental Justice Australia team, Juliet Le Feuvre, Rebecca Nelson and numerous others who helped create momentum for a new way of thinking about rivers and waterways.
The formation of the Alliance itself emerged from collaboration across catchments, bringing together groups that recognised many of the challenges facing waterways were shared, regardless of geography.
While noting that government enthusiasm for some reforms had diminished over time, Bruce emphasised that lasting change often occurs over decades rather than years.
The Importance of Ideas
A central theme of Bruce's presentation was the importance of pairing conceptual change with operational change.
Conceptual work asks fundamental questions:
- What are rivers?
- What are waterways for?
- What is our relationship with water?
Ideas such as rivers as living entities, the rights of rivers, and recognising water as more than simply a resource have become increasingly influential in recent years. Bruce described these concepts as the "guardrails" that shape decision-making and provide the moral, ethical and emotional purpose behind advocacy.
Without these deeper ideas, discussions can become narrowly focused on the mechanics of water allocation while losing sight of why healthy rivers matter in the first place.
At the same time, Bruce stressed the importance of operational change: planning controls, environmental water entitlements, regulatory reform, infrastructure investment and administrative systems. Successful movements require both levels working together.
Learning from Successes and Failures
Bruce also spoke about what he described as the "archaeology of knowledge" and the importance of understanding, preserving and building upon earlier work.
Even campaigns that fall short of their original ambitions often leave behind valuable knowledge, networks, ideas and institutions that influence future reforms.
Examples included the legacy of the Yarra River Protection Act, Rivers of the Barwon and Waterways of Melbourne's West. While some initiatives did not achieve all that their advocates hoped for, they created foundations that continue to shape waterway policy and community expectations today.
He observed that enduring change often comes not from a single victory, but from the cumulative effect of many efforts over time.
Rivers as Living Entities - An Idea Gaining Momentum
One of the most engaging discussions of the day was led by Andrew Kelly, former Yarra Riverkeeper, who reflected on the origins and evolution of the concept of waterways as living entities.
Andrew traced the idea back to the development of the Yarra River Protection Act and the transformative role played by the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung in shaping the conversation. What began as a discussion about river management evolved into a broader consideration of sovereignty, relationships with Country and how society understands waterways.
He noted that while the concept initially emerged through Indigenous-led thinking, it has increasingly become a framework through which many people are reconsidering their own relationship with rivers.
The discussion explored what it actually means to describe a river as a living entity. Participants reflected on concepts of life, death, healing, connectivity and responsibility. While there was broad agreement that the idea remains difficult to define precisely, there was also recognition that it has become a powerful way of bringing together ecological, cultural, ethical and policy considerations.
Andrew observed that concepts once regarded as radical are now finding their way into planning schemes, water policy discussions and even mainstream water sector forums. The idea has moved beyond advocacy circles and is beginning to influence the way governments, water authorities and communities think about waterways.
The discussion also highlighted an important challenge for the future. While concepts such as the Single Living Entity are now increasingly recognised in planning frameworks, they have yet to fully influence the way water itself is managed. Participants reflected on the need to move beyond protecting river corridors and landscapes to ensuring that the water flowing through those systems is afforded the same consideration.
As several speakers noted, the journey towards recognising waterways as living entities is still in its early stages. Yet there was a shared sense that a significant cultural shift is underway.
Five Years of Advocacy in the Alliance's Own Words
Cameron Steele then presented a retrospective examination of the Alliance's submissions and policy work over the past five years, using selected quotations to illustrate how the organisation's advocacy has evolved.
Drawing on submissions spanning topics as diverse as PFAS contamination, climate resilience, mine rehabilitation, environmental water recovery, planning reform and national water policy, a number of recurring themes emerged.
At the centre of many submissions was the growing recognition that waterways are more than simply physical assets or resources to be managed. As one submission stated:
"At the heart of our advocacy is the recognition that waterways are not just physical features, they are living entities."
Other quotations reinforced the Alliance's longstanding concern about the condition of Victoria's rivers:
"Southern Victoria's rivers are in crisis."
The review also demonstrated how the Alliance's work has expanded over time. Early submissions focused heavily on sustainable water strategies, environmental water recovery, pollution, PFAS and environmental protection. More recent work has increasingly addressed climate resilience, groundwater management, mine rehabilitation, data centre development and national water reform.
Particular attention was given to the Alliance's growing focus on climate change and the role waterways play in supporting climate refuges for ecosystems and communities. One of the most striking quotations described waterways as:
"Climate refuges for ecosystems, and an integral component of the health, safety, and resilience of our built environment and infrastructure in the face of climate change."
The review also highlighted another recurring theme throughout the Alliance's submissions: the importance of meaningful community participation.
As one submission observed:
"When community involvement is sincere, contributions are valued. When it is superficial, trust is lost."
Looking back across five years of advocacy, the exercise demonstrated both the breadth of issues addressed by the Alliance and the consistency of the values underpinning its work. Whether discussing rivers, groundwater, planning systems, pollution or water reform, the underlying message remained remarkably consistent: healthy waterways matter, communities matter, and decisions about water should be guided by long-term ecological sustainability rather than short-term convenience.
Strength Through Collaboration
Helen van den Berg reflected on her experience working within the Alliance and the strengths that have helped sustain the organisation over its first five years.
She highlighted the willingness of members to share knowledge, the depth of expertise across the network, and the camaraderie and mutual support that have developed between groups working in different catchments.
The Alliance has always been more than a collection of local organisations. It has become a network where people learn from one another, share strategies, and support campaigns beyond their own local waterways.
Helen also spoke candidly about the challenges of advocacy. Waterway protection often requires repeating the same messages for years, maintaining focus over long periods, and continuing to engage on issues that rarely attract widespread public attention.
One of the greatest challenges remains public awareness. Many Victorians remain unaware of the extent to which rivers and waterways are regulated, diverted, extracted from and modified. Building understanding of these pressures continues to be a critical task for the Alliance.
Looking Ahead: A SWOT Reflection
As part of the anniversary celebration, members undertook a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) exercise led by Juliet Le Feuvre to reflect on the future of the Alliance.
The discussion highlighted the considerable strengths that have enabled the CWA to thrive over its first five years: deep collective knowledge, strong relationships across catchments, a collaborative culture, respected advocacy and an ability to translate complex issues into effective submissions and campaigns.
Members also recognised future challenges, including succession planning, maintaining capacity across an expanding range of issues, and ensuring access to specialist technical and legal expertise.
Opportunities identified included strengthening links with universities, experts and parliamentarians, improving knowledge sharing, and supporting a new generation of waterway advocates.
Perhaps most importantly, the discussion reinforced that the Alliance's greatest strength remains its people: a diverse group of community advocates willing to share knowledge, support one another and continue speaking up for Victoria's waterways..
The celebration was ultimately not just about looking back. It was a reminder that meaningful change often begins with people willing to come together, share ideas, and advocate for something larger than themselves.
Five years on from that first meeting in Docklands, the Concerned Waterways Alliance continues that journey.
