Community Workshops - Making Connections
Making Connections is a series of workshops that bring us together with people in the community who have a strong interest in protecting their local rivers and creeks.
Making Connections provides opportunities for communication, input and involvement in planning as well as on-the-ground activities to inform Melbourne Water's programs and priorities.
Areas of focus
Since 2006 there have been Making Connections events in the following areas:
- Maribyrnong
- Yarra
- Werribee
- Westernport
- Mornington Peninsula
- Dandenong
Workshop outcomes
Participants have highlighted a number of local actions, issues and ideas. The five key themes are:
Maribyrnong workshop, April 2008
- Building trust and improving relationships - the need to clarify roles and responsibilities and build trust between parties. Participants would like to see more transparency in decision-making processes, more action to deliver on commitments and more opportunities for community involvement and information-sharing.
- Improving coordination and support - the need for Melbourne Water to form better partnerships with the community and provide consistent funding for relevant activities in the region. Participants also highlighted a need for better technical support and advice for community groups and other interested groups.
- Connecting and involving people - the need to develop more opportunities for interested people to work together in the region. Participants also said celebrating successes and recognising achievements will encourage local people to become more involved in protecting our rivers and creeks.
- Building knowledge and awareness - Melbourne Water is in a position to lead by continually building community knowledge about the health of our rivers and creeks. Participants also believe Melbourne Water is in a good position to help change community expectations and perceptions about how water is owned and used.
- Valuing cultural heritage - the need to raise awareness of cultural heritage, learn from indigenous experience and improve relationships with indigenous groups in the region.
What actions have been implemented?
The following Making Connections Program Report has been developed to communicate what Melbourne Water is doing in response to the actions and ideas generated by participants at the Making Connections workshops.
Event outcomes and themes (PDF, 109kb)
Actions following events (PDF, 1.9mb)
Our aim
The Making Connections series aims to build on and strengthen our working relationships with the community, and demonstrate follow through on our commitments. In the future workshops will provide opportunities for people to participate in decision-making and influence what we are doing in the Port Phillip and Western Port region to protect and manage our rivers and creeks.
Downloads
You will need Adobe Acrobat to access the above PDF documents. 