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About the program

The Water, Country and Community Program is designed to better include Aboriginal people in water management and to reconnect communities to water for cultural, economic, customary, and spiritual purposes.

It does this by funding Aboriginal Water Officers, the Aboriginal Water Officer Network and projects to better progress Aboriginal access to and management of water, for self-determined purposes.

Phase 1

Stage 1

Stage 1 of the Water, Country and Community Program invited existing Traditional Owner partners to submit an expression of interest for their water-related priorities.

During 2021, 17 agreements were extended for Aboriginal Water Officers and 13 funding agreements were executed for projects. The proposed positions and projects have various outputs and outcomes as self-determined by Traditional Owner organisations, with a particular focus on enabling long-term water planning and strategies.

Stage 2

Stage 2 of the Water, Country and Community Program is an open grant round designed to support Traditional Owners and Victorian First Peoples not previously funded under stage 1.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the Aboriginal Water Program, the Water, Country and Community Program, continues our commitment to Traditional Owner water-related priorities. Building on learnings from Phase 1, the Water, Country and Community Program is designed to include Aboriginal people in water management better and to reconnect communities to water for cultural, economic, customary and spiritual purposes.

$18 million has been invested to fund Aboriginal Water Officers, the Aboriginal Water Officer Network, and other self-determined projects, research and resources. The Water, Country and Community Program is being delivered through 2 stages over a four-year period.

State-wide network of Aboriginal Water Officers

Learn how the Aboriginal Water Program funds traditional owners to take an active role in managing Victoria's water resources.

Find out more about the Aboriginal Water Office Network.

Page last updated: 15/01/24