The Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy (Central Region SWS) is a plan to secure water supplies for homes, business, industry, agriculture and the environment for the next 50 years. The Strategy was released in 2006 following an 18 month preparation period which included lengthy community input, and ultimately guided both the Draft and Final versions of the Strategy. It’s initiatives were updated when the Government released its Our Water, Our Future: the next stage of the Government’s Water Plan in response to continued low rainfall across the state.

The Central Region SWS considers all water sources including rivers, reservoirs, aquifers, as well as recycled water, storm water and seawater. The Region covers an arc around Melbourne, including Geelong, Ballarat, the Macedon district and West Gippsland. It includes the Barwon, Moorabool, Werribee, Maribyrnong, Yarra, Bunyip, Thomson and Latrobe river catchments.

In this section

What the strategy aims to achieve and how

Growing populations, the uncertainty of climate change, land use changes and drought all have the ability to impact on our traditional sources of water yet our towns, industry, farms and the environment need secure supplies of water.  The Central Region SWS sets out how it is possible to meet both these needs.

Actions in the Strategy fall into two categories:

• Policy regulations - performance obligations and targets determined by the Government and enforced by its regulatory agencies such as EPA Victoria
• Services, targets and projects - delivered by water corporations and catchment management authorities.

Useful links for further information