Better Bays and Waterways Plan
Better Bays and Waterways defines our economic, social, and environmental values, the threats to these values, and our commitments through an adaptive management approach to improve the water quality of our rivers, creeks and marine environments for a more sustainable future.
Better Bays and Waterways is a five year plan (from 2009 to 2014) that outlines 93 actions for improving water quality in the Port Phillip and Westernport region. The plan represents a partnership between state agencies, local governments, research institutions and community groups.
The subsequent actions and programs focus on addressing the challenges of:
- water pollution
- localised impacts
- urban growth
- climate change
The actions aim to reduce the impacts of human activities on water quality, and collectively address the impacts of nutrients (mainly nitrogen) on Port Phillip Bay and sediment on Western Port.
Implementation reporting
Implementation is shared by state agencies, councils, research institutions and community groups. Annual implementation reports document progress on the plan, and they are available here to download.
From 2013, reporting on the Action Plan, A Cleaner Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay will replace Better Bays and Waterways implementation reporting.
Further reading
- Better Bays and Waterways Plan - 2009 (PDF, 5mb)
- Better Bays and Waterways Plan - 2009 Appendices (PDF, 608kb)
- Better Bays and Waterways - 2011-2012 Implementation Report (PDF, 1.4mb)
- Better Bays and Waterways - 2010-2011 Implementation Report (PDF, 882kb)
- Better Bays and Waterways - 2008/9 -2009/10 Implementation Report (PDF, 1.1mb)