Sustainability Report 2006/07Getting to know communities in our extended areas
The Victorian Government extended our waterways and drainage boundary by more than 5000 square kilometres in November 2005 to cover the whole Port Phillip and Westernport region.
The new areas include the Upper Maribyrnong and Werribee catchments and the Mornington Peninsula. We continue to develop our knowledge of these areas through a coordinated program of investigation, research, information collection and consultation.
This involves building relationships with councils, retail water businesses, communities, landholders, Landcare and farming groups and other stakeholders. This also helps us understand and meet community expectations by establishing required service levels.
This work has played a critical role in helping the communities in the extended areas understand our new waterways and drainage charge.
Making connections
Strong relationships have also been built through our Making Connections events, which develop new ways of working with organisations, groups and individuals with an interest in the future protection and management of waterways in specific catchments.
In April, the second such event was held in the Maribyrnong catchment at Sunbury, two years after the initial one. Many people who attended the first event returned, confirming the strength and durability of the networks and relationships.
The ability to review what had changed in the intervening time at Maribyrnong provides a strong foundation for assessing the success of the Making Connections model.