30+ Integrated Water Management Strategies for Local Government

Over the past decade, E2Designlab has worked with more than 30 local councils to develop Integrated Water Management (IWM) Strategies—tailored plans that help councils make smarter decision for sustainable water resource management. Every council is different, so each strategy is shaped to suit the area’s unique needs—things like local waterways, wetlands, and coastlines; how land is used and developed; community priorities; and each council’s ability to manage water projects on the ground. Each strategy is designed to deliver multiple environmental and social benefits. They support the liveability of urban areas by cooling our environment, diversifying water supplies to include the use of recycled water and stormwater, reducing pollution from entering the local waterways and the bay, and supporting biodiversity and thriving ecosystems. Significant analysis is undertaken to summarise current and future state conditions for a water and pollutant balance to establish appropriate IWM targets. Recently, several councils—including Kingston—have come back to us to refresh their IWM Strategies. This means looking at how much progress has been made so far and updating their goals to better align with region-wide targets set in the Catchment Scale IWM Plans.

Our team leads this work by engaging with different council departments and helping bring people together around a shared water vision. We co-develop detailed action plans that show what needs to happen, how much it will cost, and what benefits it will bring to the community. We're proud to share that Kingston’s Integrated Water Strategy won the 2024 National Stormwater Award for Excellence in the Strategic or Master Planning category. You can read the full strategy here: kingston.vic.gov.au/council/council-documents/plans-policies-and-reports/kingstons-integrated-water-strategy