Melbourne’s riverside has just levelled up. Ahead of a big summer of festivals, fireworks and breezy summer strolls, the first major stage of the long-awaited Greenline Project has officially opened at Birrarung Marr – and it’s a beauty.
Unveiled on Sunday, December 14, the newly transformed stretch delivers 450 metres of elegant boardwalks, lush planting and a generous new promenade hugging the Yarra River, stretching from Batman Avenue to the eastern edge of Fed Square. The six-metre-wide walkways are open and ready for morning runs and lingering lunch breaks, all stitched together with far-reaching river views.
The $30 million upgrade introduces more than 70 new native trees, 25,000-plus native plants and 900 square metres of fresh riverside lawn to the banks of the Yarra, alongside new seating, garden beds and park benches designed to become your new favourite picnic spot.
But the new boardwalk isn’t just a pretty facelift. The design thoughtfully celebrates the enduring connection of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people to Country, weaving Indigenous storytelling and native flora and fauna into the landscape. It’s a place to walk, yes – but also a place to listen and learn.
The waterfront glow-up is also set to become one of the city’s most high-profile event backdrops. The refreshed Birrarung Marr will host major events including the 2026 Australian Open precincts, Moomba Festival and Melbourne’s delightfully chaotic New Year’s Eve celebrations.
But this is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. Birrarung Marr is the first of five interconnected precincts that will eventually form the Greenline Project – a four-kilometre continuous riverside journey linking the city to the Bolte Bridge. With new federal funding secured to plan future activations across Federation Wharf, Sandridge Bridge, Enterprize Park and beyond, the vision of a world-class riverfront is edging closer to reality.
With Paris famously cleaning up the Seine in time for the Olympics, and Sydney opening a new harbour swimming spot every week, cities around the world are defined by how they treat their waterways – and Melbourne is clearly taking notes.
You can learn more about the Greenline Project over here.
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