Opinion | Will Shepparton embrace its river roots?

He added the same fate awaited him, but he was still keen to know what was ahead for the city, in 50 years time.

I rolled out a few of my philosophies about where we are heading, all of which my friend said were simply “skating over the surface”, and then I pointed to the added complications of climate change.

“Let’s put climate change aside for a moment,” he said, “and think about what natural resource has been critical to Shepparton’s wellbeing and growth”.

Although unable to “put climate change aside for the moment” while considering the future, I took a big gulp and said it has been the river and the water in it, that has been central to the city from when it was nothing more than a punt and a few buildings in the mid-1800s.

“Now we’re getting there he said”, endorsing my observation that the city had turned its back on the Goulburn River.

My friend said he has seen figures showing that hundreds, if not thousands cars, regularly arrive in Shepparton and then disappear.

“Disappear” - my defences immediately went up as I imagined us disappearing down some bottomless rabbit burrow of a weird conspiracy theory.

To my relief, he said VicRoads figures showed the vehicles arriving in Shepparton only to disappear, that is vanish from the traditional road network over which the State body has jurisdiction.

The cars, he explained, weren’t disappearing, rather they were vanishing down bush tracks to the river so the travellers could go camping or fishing.

His idea, although not new, but not one I’ve heard lately, although it fits with the vision of former city councillor, Geoff Dobson, who has long wanted to see the old river course behind the city’s Eastbank complex revitalised and again full of water.

My friend envisages a dam-like structure built well downstream of the city causing water to pool and build up back as far as Murchison.

He argues that with a wide and deep river running through the city, with all the fallen trees and snags left in place, we would have an attractive river, promising great fishing, lots of boating and, maybe, even a houseboat or two.

Again, the city, he hopes, would turn and face the river.

It would be, he argued, an unimaginable boost to tourism, native fish, turtles and platypus, adding, however, that such a plan could only advance with the endorsement of water authorities.

He is correct about the boost the additional water would provide for the many life forms they need water to both thrive and survive, but science illustrates we will soon have either too much water or too little.

I said nothing about tourism, holding onto my thoughts, as scientific evidence suggests, travel, nationally and especially across the world, will become increasingly difficult, if not impossible as temperatures climb.

Yes, of course the Greater Shepparton of 50 years hence will be different, but rather than considering the comparatively simple ideas of attracting tourists, we need to be investing in and expanding on ideas that will ensure the city can both survive and thrive in a warmer climate.