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Catchment management authorities (including Melbourne Water) are responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of regional catchment strategies with their partners, communities and Traditional Owners under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994.

The strategies reflect community priorities for catchment values and align with relevant state and federal policies and program priorities.

The fourth iteration of the strategies

Regional catchment strategies (RCS) are important for looking after catchments under Our Catchments, Our Communities: Building on the Legacy for Catchment Stewardship policy statement and investment program.

These initiatives support the delivery of Water for Victoria Action 3.3.

Each strategy:

  • assesses the region’s land, water and biodiversity resources and their usage
  • assesses the nature, causes, extent and severity of land degradation of catchments and identifies areas for priority attention
  • considers Aboriginal cultural values and traditional ecological knowledge
  • includes a long-term vision for the region
  • applies the regional catchment strategies outcomes framework, including a core set of consistent outcomes and measures
  • identifies catchment condition objectives
  • sets a program of management measures for the life of the strategy.

You can read the fourth iteration of the strategies (RCS 2021-2027).

Contact your catchment management authority or Melbourne Water to learn more.

Regional catchment strategies outcomes framework

The regional catchment strategies outcomes framework supports a consistent approach for regional catchment strategy outcomes in relation to monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

The framework allows CMAs to show how regional outcomes align with statewide policies and outcomes. It also improves how RCS reinforces, promotes and supports government policies and objectives.

The outcomes framework is consistent with the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s Outcome Architecture hierarchy with a core set of themes and long-term outcomes in the RCS.

Each CMA has the discretion to include further outcomes and key indicators.

Read the RCS outcomes framework

The basis of the framework

The RCS is a high-level strategy that:

  • focuses on the vision for the catchment and desirable long-term outcomes
  • is place based, with a vision of the catchment community that reflects their priorities
  • delivers integrated catchment management (ICM) actions that contribute to many outcomes
  • is not an accountability framework, with delivery of strategy outcomes aligned with investment mechanisms that the government uses to fund delivery.

Page last updated: 08/09/23