Appendix B – Case Study: Parramatta River Catchment Group

The City of Parramatta in Western Sydney manages a number of aquatic facilities, and during the summer months provides lifeguards and staff for a large lake in the centre of the city. As a diverse population, with large numbers of new arrivals and international students, providing a space that is safe, welcoming and inclusive is important. This diversity in the community is reflected in the employment of diverse staff, who work together with their local community to facilitate a place of health, fun, safety and learning.

https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/recreation/swimming-at-lake-parramatta

The Parramatta River Catchment Group, made up of 11 Councils and three State Government agencies, also drawing on local Aboriginal knowledge and culture, in collaboration with the community, under the lead of Sydney Water, came together to deliver a Master Plan to make the Parramatta River Swimmable again by 2025. Delivering a range of environmental, water quality, safety and community objectives the initiative identified swimming locations and key inputs and outputs that the agencies could collaborate on to get more of the community swimming in the natural environments of the area. Critically, the beach at Lake Parramatta was reopened for swimming in 2015 and lifeguard supervision as well as water quality monitoring is provided to ensure swimmer safety.

Source: https://www.ourlivingriver.com.au/our-plan/masterplan-dashboard/1-get-swimming/