Future Melbourne podcast turns to the Yarra River

The latest episode of Future Melbourne turns its attention to Melbourne’s defining natural and civic asset, with Yarra River Business Association executive officer Liz Joldeski joining the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of the Yarra, or Birrarung.

Hosted by Hyperlocal News publisher and editor Sean Car, the new episode explores the river not simply as a scenic backdrop, but as a place shaped by culture, commerce, tourism, public space and governance.

As the episode description makes clear, the conversation examines the river’s importance from First Peoples and early settlement through to the transformation of Southbank into a major tourism precinct, before turning to the challenges and opportunities now facing the lower river.

Joldeski, who recently stepped into the YRBA leadership role, speaks about her early impressions of the precinct and the task of representing businesses along one of the city’s most complex and fragmented corridors.

The episode also unpacks the role of the Yarra River Business Association itself, from supporting individual operators to advocating for a more coherent long-term vision for the river.

A major focus of the discussion is the way the Yarra precinct is really a series of connected but very different places: Southbank Promenade, the Arts Precinct, South Wharf, Queensbridge Square, the north bank, Docklands and the western harbour edge.

The conversation looks at which parts are thriving, which feel neglected, and how difficult it can be to manage a place with so many agencies, landowners and competing priorities involved.

The podcast also delves into some of the central issues shaping the river right now. These include the ageing condition of Southbank Promenade, the long-running saga over Queensbridge Square and the Red Stairs, the unrealised potential of the north bank, the promise and uncertainty around the Greenline project, and the challenge of making the river feel like a coherent, high-quality destination rather than a collection of disconnected projects.

Commercial activation is another major theme, with discussion around river cruises, floating venues, events, hospitality and what kinds of new experiences Melbourne could support on the water if the governance settings allowed it.

The conversation also touches on the increasingly serious discussion around a swimmable Birrarung, an idea that once sounded fanciful but is now moving further into mainstream policy thinking.

As with previous episodes, the aim of Future Melbourne is to go beyond headlines and offer a deeper discussion about how Melbourne is changing and what kind of city it wants to become.

Earlier episodes have explored Queen Victoria Market, the city economy, Docklands, housing, city safety, Arden-Macaulay and Lygon Street, with guests including Matt Elliott, Stephen Mayne, Jamal Hakim, Rob Pradolin, Dale Huntington, Rohan Leppert and Sergio Alderuccio.

The new episode with Liz Joldeski adds another major theme to that growing series, and for anyone interested in the future of the city’s waterfront, it shapes as one of the podcast’s most important conversations yet.

The latest episode of Future Melbourne is available online now, with the full video also available on YouTube.