Canberra Festival of Translocal Urbanism 2026

Festival of Urbanism – Canberra Event 2026

Date: Friday, 23rd October 2026

Time: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm AEDT

Location: Veritas Building, Australian Catholic University (ACU), 127 Phillip Avenue, Watson ACT 2602

Please join us to explore the national theme of this year’s Festival – Translocality through being part of a conversation on: 

Planning in the Nation’s Capital and Region and how might it be shaped by River Rights – it this a Fantasy or Reality! 

Translocality is founded on interconnectedness between different places and people, beyond national boundaries. The circulation of people, goods, knowledge and capital, though an ancient process, is facilitated and impacted by new technologies. These bring new opportunities and challenges for cities and regions.  

The Festival Urbanism 2026 Canberra event is shining a light on cultural and environmental dimensions of translocalism and its implications for planning in the Nation’s Capital and its region. Planning is fundamental to protecting our environment and having a voice for the environment while complex has never been more critical than at this moment in time.  
 
Come and hear how the iconic Birrarung (AKA Yarra River) has a voice which has resulted in it having a legal status that has changed how the river is now treated in planning decisions. This raises questions for rivers in the nation’s capital and its region - importantly would the nation and region’s major rivers especially the Upper Murrumbidgee River, be healthier if they had a legal status as a living entity, as does Birrarung?   

Free event and for catering purposes please RSVP by 19 October 2026

The Canberra event is possible due to the generosity of the Henry Halloran Urban and Regional Research Initiative at the University of Sydney with assistance from the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, Planning Institute of Australia, University of Canberra and Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Network. 

Banner image: Merri Merri Creek near its confluence with Birruarung (edited)

Original Source: Victorian Department of Transport and Planning

• Professor Fiona Dyer, UC, will share her insights as a long-time leading researcher and advocate for healthy rivers in the Nation’s Capital and Region.  

• Kinjia Munkara-Murray, Birrarung Council will share the journey of how Birrarung (AKA Yarra River, Victoria) was legally recognised as a Living Entity and how this status has sifted the river from a ‘resource to be exploited’ to an entity with its own rights to protection and ecological health. She will share how Birrarung Council serves as an independent, statutory ‘voice’ for the river, and how Traditional Custodian Leadership has led and informed management; and the importance of Governance. 

• Claire Romaszko, Planning and Land Services, Department of Transport and Planning Victoria will share what it means for Planning by Birrarung being legally recognised. She will discuss how Victoria is strengthening planning protections for waterways while advancing recognition of Birrarung (Yarra River) as a living entity. Claire will reflect on the opportunities, challenges and partnerships involved in translating ambitious policy into practical planning outcomes. 

• Jo McClellan, PIA Senior executive Policy & Advocacy will provide a planning response to the presentations and outline what this means for good planning outcomes and what this might mean nationally. 

• Antia Brademan, Executive member Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Network (UMCN) will prespond to the presentations and discuss the importance of connections and outline how the recently released Walking together for Country guide may assist in forging legal recognition of our local regional rivers, specifically the upper Murrumbidgee River. 

• Paul Knight, is a Dharawal and Yuin man, will respond to the presentations and provide insights he has gained from working across the local region with various cultural groups in  helping shape policies and communication documents such as the regional Walking together for Country guide. 

All Traditional Custodians of the ACT and surrounding region are recognised, as are other people or families with connection to the upper Murrumbidgee River catchment. Traditional Custodians have cared for and managed the lands and waters of this Country for tens of thousands of years. We respect their deep cultural, spiritual and practical knowledge, and the continuous connections that are the foundation of their Caring for Country practices – practices that recognise the reciprocal relationships between people, land, water, and all living beings that provide cultural stewardship which are fundamental to having healthy catchments and communities.