Catchment Scale IWM Action Plans for Metro Melbourne (2018 - 2025)

Melbourne’s future depends on how we manage our water—today and in the decades to come. In 2018, E2Designlab worked closely with 38 councils, water corporations, Traditional Owners, and state government to shape a shared vision for how we manage water across the city’s five major catchments. Together, we created the Strategic Directions Statements that articulated the vision and strategic outcomes for each major catchment of Melbourne: Dandenong, Maribyrnong, Werribee, Western Port and Yarra. We continued to support the IWM Forums and delivered the Integrated Water Management (IWM) Plans that provide a clear picture of how water currently moves through our environment and communities. These plans describe two possible futures for the years 2030 and 2050:

• A "business-as-usual" scenario, showing what might happen if we don’t change our approach
• A "desired future," based on achieved the strategic outcomes for healthier land, water and communities, and more sustainable water resource management.

To guide these efforts, we worked with stakeholders to agree on 22 specific goals and targets. We also looked at how a wide range of future projects could help achieve these goals, helping to map out a clear path forward. The IWM Plans, released in 2022, are more than just reports—they’re tools for action. They allow councils, water corporations and communities to compare their local water systems, identify priorities, and develop place-based strategies that make a real difference. More recently, in 2024, we’ve helped develop detailed action plans that outline exactly how to start delivering on this shared water vision. These public-facing plans set out the key water-related actions to be delivered across metropolitan Melbourne over the next 25 years.