The ‘Water planning for a resilient and secure future’ initiative has been allocated $22.58 million in funding over 4 years.

Funded from EC6, it is designed to enhance Victoria’s water planning to address the need to deliver more resilient, coordinated and secure water systems in the face of a drying climate and growing demand for water.

The initiative compliments ‘water efficiency and diverse water supplies for water security, resilience and liveability’.

The initiative is made up of 5 programs.

1. Urban Water Planning Assurance Program

This program will deliver a contemporary water planning framework that supports existing and emerging values for water and contributes to the Victorian Government and urban water corporations having up-to-date and agreed plans in place to meet future water demands under a range of climate scenarios.

It will also improve how the urban water sector assures the Victorian Government and communities that goals and obligations are being met and progress is being tracked, and risks are being managed effectively.

This is a new initiative, however builds on work undertaken to evaluate urban water strategies in the EC5 period.

2. Water grid planning

The Victorian water grid comprises networks of natural and built infrastructure responsible for producing and supplying water across geographical boundaries.

The grid oversight function leads policy decisions that impact how the water grid is used. It ensures changes do not adversely affect entitlements and identifies augmentation and usage options across the grid to enable better water security decisions.

3. Building community understanding of water security

The ‘community understanding’ program will support the development of an engaged and knowledgeable Victorian community, ensuring it has the capacity to work with the water sector on solutions and discuss trade-offs for long-term water security.

It enables water security investments across Victoria and supports the sector to deliver their services more effectively to meet community expectations.

4. Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy – Traditional Owner Partnership

The Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy (CGRSWS) was launched in 2022. A key part of developing the CGRSWS was the contribution from the Traditional Owner Partnership, and we continue to work with them in the implementation of the CGRSWS.

This ensures water returns, water security and input into water policy and decision-making considers the Partnerships’ input in a self-determined way.

This program has been co-designed with the 4 Registered Aboriginal Parties that make up the Partnership. Outcomes and learnings from this will help drive reform outcomes for Traditional Owners across the State.

5. Oversight of the Environmental Contribution (EC)

The EC is Victoria’s key funding mechanism to enable delivery of water-related programs and policies. In line with government commitments, this program funding enables effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting of all programs and initiatives funded by EC6.

This will support government decision-making and accountability, and ensure that EC funding delivers the best possible outcomes for Victorian communities in line with legislated EC objectives.

Expenditure to date

  • 2024–25 expenditure: $3.56 million

Annual progress summary

  • South Central Bulk Entitlement Reform – significant consultation and collaboration occurred with water corporations connected to the south-central grid system to co-design new bulk entitlements that are fit-for-purpose and support the growth and increased water demand of Melbourne’s surrounding regional areas. The formal approval process for new bulk entitlements is due to commence in late 2025.
  • Annual Water Outlook – since summer 2025, DEECA continued to monitor and report on water restrictions across the State, and developed new tools and reports to improve the process of tracking and reporting on short-term water security risks and issues. This will inform the guidelines for the next Victorian Annual Water Outlook for 2026, which is scheduled for release December 2025.
  • Water Security Plan (formerly known as Water Grid Plan) – final draft of the inaugural Water Security Plan was developed. The Water Security Plan is intended to support the ongoing long-term water security, resilience and affordability of Victoria's urban water supplies. The Water Security Plan is the community-facing component of augmentation planning, which also supports progress towards the return of water to Traditional Owners and the environment.
    *Urban Water Strategies – Victoria’s urban water strategy (UWS) guidelines have been reviewed and updated in consultation with the water sector. Revised guidelines are due to be finalised and released by the end of the year to support water corporations to commence their UWS in 2025-26.
  • Assurance of urban water planning – implemented structured processes to improve oversight of water corporation planning, and for ensuring that the planning framework remains modern. This has included input and direction to revised Guidelines for Urban Water Strategies and for Annual Water Outlooks.
  • Work is well underway to return water from the Moorabool system to the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) and the environment (Actions 4.3 and 4.4 of the CGRSWS). This includes discussion of entitlement options, water resource modelling, water sharing and a separate project led by the WTOAC trialling water delivery in the Moorabool Yaluk (Moorabool River). A video documenting WTOAC’s first self-determined trial water delivery to Wadawurrung Dja (Country) can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsS9hDKQ4LE.
  • DEECA continues to work with water corporations in the Central and Gippsland region to assess and progress projects that could return water to Traditional Owners and the environment from river entitlements held by Melbourne’s water corporations. Feasibility studies are underway for some proposed options in the Werribee and Maribyrnong catchments (Action 4.2 of the CGRSWS).
  • An independent evaluation of EC5 was published, alongside development of the EC6 evaluation framework. Monitoring and reporting through EC governance processes continues, ensuring beneficial outcomes for Victorian communities in line with the legislated purpose of the EC.

Page last updated: 05/11/25