Waterways of the West action update for 2022

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Melbourne Water

Melbourne Water engaged with the Bunurong, Wadawurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Traditional Owners to develop a new Port Phillip and Western Port Regional Catchment Strategy (RCS).

The Port Phillip and Western Port RCS reflect Traditional Owners’ knowledge, aspirations and right to self-determination. The Port Philip and Western Port RCS acknowledges that waterways and lands are increasingly being recognised as living and integrated natural entities and Traditional Owners should be recognised as their voice.

The strategy was approved in early 2023 by the Minister for Water.

The complete strategy can be accessed at Port Phillip & Western Port Regional Catchment Strategy.

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Melbourne Water

The Victorian Government made funding available to support the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation’s participation in the development and implementation planning of the Port Philip and Western Port RCS.

Each group determined its own level of involvement in RCS development.

• Status: In progress
• Led by: Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

The Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation are being supported to express their voice of living entities on Country which is guided by self-determination priorities.

This includes being involved in all levels of governance of the Central Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy and in technical and cultural review of planning controls.

The Victorian Government supports and resources this partnership approach as we continue to walk together.

• Status: In progress
• Led by: Melbourne Water

Melbourne Water will continue to partner with Bunurong, Wadawurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung to deliver outcomes on Country, including implementing the voice of the living entities.

The timing and delivery of this action will be guided by partnerships and a self-determined approach with each of the Traditional Owner groups.

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Department of Transport and Planning (DTP)

The government has finalised Amendment VC201 to the region’s planning scheme to enhance the protection of the Werribee / Wirribi Yaluk and Maribyrnong / Mirrangbamurn Rivers and Moonee Ponds / Moonee Moonee Creek. The amendment inserts a new regional policy to protect the Waterways of the West from the impacts of urban development and updates the State planning policy for waterway protection.

Amendment VC201 responds to short-term actions of both the Waterways of the West and Rivers of the Barwon / Barre Warre Yulluk action plans.

This action supports the community's vision: The open space and amenity of these waterways, their lands and the coastal area underpin the region’s vibrancy and the liveability of local neighbourhoods. They offer a place for people to connect with nature and each other.

• Status: In progress
• Led by: Department of Transport and Planning (DTP)

Significant Landscape Overlay schedules have been introduced to protect landscape value and amenity within the urban growth boundary for the Maribyrnong / Mirrangbamurn) River, Werribee / Wirribi Yaluk) River and Moonee Ponds / Moonee Moonee Creek.

The schedules aim to identify and protect each waterway corridor landscape, recognising the need to manage increasing development pressures better.

Generally consistent across each schedule, strategies are included to enhance the continuous riparian corridor landscape, retain indigenous vegetation and encourage revegetation. They will ensure that the building and works are setback and not visually dominant and that rear boundary fencing facing the waterway corridor is transparent.

While landscape controls have been introduced, further investigation is planned to examine the need for additional environmental controls focused on vegetation and biodiversity.

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Melbourne Water

The amenity values of waterways were incorporated into the development of the Port Philip and Western Port Regional Catchment Strategy. Mapping of waterway conditions and social needs was used to identify amenity values.

Mapping helps identify locations where work can be undertaken to improve amenities, such as better access, shaded pathways, more recreational facilities, or visitor information signage.

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Melbourne Water

Launched in 2022, the Lower Werribee Waterway Amenity Action Plan (LWWAAP) aligns the efforts of numerous stakeholders’ strategic projects across the Lower Werribee area.

The LWWAAP demonstrates the benefit of a cross-agency approach to, and advocacy for, improving the amenity of waterways – which in turn contributes to achieving the communities’ long-term vision for the Waterways of the West.

The LWWAAP complements works being undertaken on Werribee River Regional Park which will provide the community with greater access to healthy outdoor activities in this key growth corridor.

The Bunurong and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners partnered in developing this action plan and a cultural values assessment is a key next step.

See: Implementation in focus – Lower Werribee Waterway Amenity action plan.

• Status: In progress
• Led by: Melbourne Water

Melbourne Water has delivered outcomes that benefit both the environment and amenity by implementing the Healthy Waterways Strategy in the Maribyrnong / Mirrangbamurn and Werribee / Wirribi Yaluk catchments.

These include

• several education and engagement programs and partnerships
• increased access on, to and along waterways, action to reduce litter onsite and at source
• four creek naturalisation programs
• a range of riparian vegetation and environmental water delivery projects that have both environmental and amenity benefits.

Internal consultation is currently underway around the renewal of the Waterway Corridor Guidelines, which provide guidance to developers about the treatment of the waterway corridor within new development areas, such as appropriate setbacks from the waterway to uses that have potential to impact the waterways, environmental and amenity values.

Waterway amenity needs mapping was undertaken and included in the draft Port Philip and Western Port RCS. The mapping was developed using a framework that considered health, socio-economic factors and access to open space indicators.

Collaboration occurred with partner agencies involved in open space management, such as local councils and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

Victorian Wetland Inventory (2021 update) was released in September 2021. It provides public wetland information that enables stakeholders to access more accurate and comprehensive wetland mapping for including the Port Phillip and Western Port region.

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Melbourne Water

The draft Port Phillip and Western Port RCS includes mapping of the region’s wetlands.

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

Funding was provided to the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation to self-determine their cultural water priorities.

All 3 Traditional Owner groups were involved in the CGRSWS Traditional Owner Partnership Group and were represented on the consultative committee that guided its development.

This was the first sustainable water strategy developed in partnership with Traditional Owners and took significant strides towards enabling increased Traditional Owner access to water.

Traditional Owners will continue to identify priorities as we walk together to heal Country.

• Status: In progress
• Led by: Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) and Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA)

The Waterways of the West Pollution Prevention Taskforce, chaired by Dr. Jane Doolan, brought together key stakeholders to identify additional pollution prevention activities to support the implementation of the general environment duty.

As secretariat of the taskforce, the Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) investigated pollution hotspots and collated data on key high-risk industries. It also convened a series of multi-stakeholder workshops in 2022 to develop a program of actions to tackle pollution risks. This coincided with an EPA enforcement blitz of the region.

The involvement of the Bunurong, Wadawurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Traditional Owners, as the voice of this living entity played a key role in developing the taskforce’s recommendations.

• Status: In progress
• Led by: Melbourne Water

Melbourne Water will continue to partner with Bunurong, Wadawurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung to deliver outcomes on Country, including implementing the voice of the living entities.

The timing and delivery of this action will be guided by partnerships and a self-determined approach with each of the Traditional Owner groups.

• Status: In progress
• Led by: Melbourne Water

Funding was provided for a project to grow waterway knowledge and engagement with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. A CALD engagement and community participation strategy will be considered and developed as part of Melbourne Water's Water Literacy Program.

See: Implementation in focus – Engaging communities as core to Waterways of the West Action Plan.

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

The Waterways of the West CALD engagement toolkit was developed collaboratively between:

• Brimbank City Council
• CommUnity+
• Friends of Steele Creek
• Maribyrnong City Council
• Melbourne Water
• Tran Hung Dao Scouts Group
• Victorian Fisheries Authority
• Wadawurrung Traditional Owner Aboriginal Corporations
• Werribee River Association.

This toolkit will assist in planning increased connection with Waterways of the West region’s CALD communities and will be launched in early 2023.

Translations, released by DEECA, of the Waterways of the West community vision and supporting videos were made for the region's 10 most commonly spoken languages.

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Melbourne Water

The draft Port Philip and Western Port RCS acknowledges the 50-year Waterways of the West community vision.

• Status: Delivered
• Led by: Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

The first annual implementation report for Waterways of the West Action Plan was published on the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s website in February 2023.