Funny, isn’t it. The Yarra’s been there for rather a long time, but it’s only in the last 18 months people realised ‘Hey, why don’t we put stuff on it? You know, apart from rubbish traps.’
The 2017 summer runs for Arbory Afloat and Supafish were massive, and now Parks Victoria is opening up the Lower Yarra for tender. That means they’re taking applications for a “contemporary mix of innovative waterside concepts to complement the existing economic, social and environmental fabric of the Yarra River.”
In other words, if you have a business and you think it can float, give Parks Vic a call.
“In recent years, the lower reaches of the river have become recognised as the commercial, residential and recreational hub of the city,” says Simon Talbot, COO of Parks Vic.
“The trial with Arbory Afloat and Supafish was a great success, so we look forward to seeing what other activation opportunities are put forward.”
No word yet on exactly where these floating pop-ups are going to sit, but the ‘Lower Yarra’ pretty much refers to anything from Herring Island in South Yarra down to Crown Casino. Going by foot traffic, anywhere along Southbank seems like a smart bet.
Parks Vic has also extended the invite to last year’s floating bars, and we can confirm that good old Arbory Afloat will be coming back for the 2018/19 season. No word yet on Supafish unfortunately.
If you want to chuck Parks Vic an expression of interest (EOI), you can reach them here.
Personally, we’re gonna pitch a river-based Uber service called Scuber (patent pending).
Image credit: Arbory Afloat