The Healthy Waterways Strategy provides a single framework for addressing community expectations and the responsibilities for waterway management.
The Strategy is driven by a single regional 50-year vision
Healthy and valued waterways are integrated with the broader landscape, and enhance life and liveability. Waterways connect diverse and thriving communities of plants and animals; provide amenity to urban and rural areas, and engage communities with their environment; and are managed sustainably to enhance environmental, economic, social and cultural values.
For each of the five major catchments within the Port Phillip and Westernport region (Werribee, Maribyrnong, Yarra, Dandenong and Westernport), the Strategy outlines catchment-specific visions, goals, long-term targets (10 to 50 years) for key values and waterway conditions, and short-term performance objectives (10-years). Effort and investment at catchment and sub-catchment scale are prioritised and aligned to ensure they contribute to broader, regional goals and outcomes.
Key components of the Strategy
Key values
Key values are easily recognised as being part of what we appreciate about waterways and are representative of a broader range of environmental, cultural, social and economic values that we care about. One of the primary goals of the Healthy Waterways Strategy is to improve key values and 50-year targets for each key value have been set, which will be monitored and reported. Key values are supported by waterway conditions.
Waterway conditions
Waterway condition refers to the state of the processes that underpin waterway health and support the key values. All Healthy Waterways Strategy actions aim to improve waterway condition. 50-year targets for each waterway condition have been set and will be monitored and reported.
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Actions
Actions are identified through the performance objectives laid out in the Strategy. Performance are short-term targets aimed at improving waterway conditions within 10 years. Progress towards performance objectives are tracked in the Report Card.