Integrated water management capacity building

Over the long term, climate change will result in more extreme climatic events, less rainfall and potentially 50 per cent reduction in streamflow by 2065. Victoria’s population is expected to double by 2051, leading to increased densification in urban areas and placing further demand on water management.

Image sources: Merri-bek City Council (formerly Moreland City Council and Clearwater

Current priorities

Councils have a strong interest in the availability of water and the opportunities it presents for building resilient communities and enhancing the liveability of their urban centres.

We are working with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) to support a number of Integrated Water Management initiatives, and participate in committees and working groups to include council perspectives on a range of water management issues.

We are also developing Integrated Water Management (IWM) training for councillors through our Councillor Development Training program.

Partnerships

We support DELWP to implement the Victorian Integrated Water Management Framework through promoting forums and supporting activities to enhance council capacity in the lead up to the forums.

We participate in Resilient Melbourne’s IWM working and alignment group which supports best practice integrated water management in Melbourne.

We attend the Collaborative Research Centre’s Water Sensitive Cities Regional Advisory Panel which aligns research needs with water sector practitioners.

We participate in a working group to advise on the development of the water sector Adaptation Action Plan.

Related research

• The Adoption guidelines for stormwater biofiltration systems - Oct 2015 (PDF - 9.5MB) inform designs to improve water (stormwater and wastewater) quality by filtering water through biological media
• The Growing Green Guide - Feb 2014 (PDF - 16.9MB) explains how to create high quality green roofs, walls and facades in a Melbourne urban environment and has been developed with advice from industry experts and knowledge from academic research
• Guidelines for stormwater harvesting on Melbourne Water drainage assets - Feb 2016 (PDF - 1.67MB) provides technical advice for the design, construction and maintenance of diversion structures for stormwater harvesting on Melbourne Water assets
• How to grow an urban forest - Jun 2015 (PDF - 19.8MB) is a ten-step practical guide to help councils save money, time and share practical knowledge
• Ranking projects for Water Sensitive Cities - 2015 (PDF - 958KB) is a practical guide to help water agencies prioritise investment if there are a range of possible water sensitive project options and limited funding available
• The Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) for Water Sensitive Cities facilitates collaboration between researchers and practitioners in the water sector and provides recent research into cities as catchments, best practice water management solutions, data and tools.

Related websites

• Our Stormwater page (Members Only) provides updates on current projects and presentations
• CASBE is a council alliance committed to the creation of a sustainable built environment
• The Department of Land Water and Planning’s Water and Catchments website provides links to key water policies and strategies for Victoria
• Clearwater provide training, case studies and factsheets for council practitioners
• Stormwater Victoria represents organisations involved in stormwater management
• Resilient Melbourne’s Integrated Water Management Information Hub provides updates on integrated water management activities currently underway in metropolitan Melbourne.

Engage with us

If you would like to join our water contacts email list to be updated on the latest news and initiatives, contact: environment@mav.asn.au