Water Stewardship Asia Pacific (WSAP) has successfully concluded its project aimed at developing a network of water stewards in the Goulburn Broken catchment. This initiative, titled “Developing a Network of Water Stewards Delivering Improved Water Outcomes in the Goulburn Broken Catchment,” has brought together local businesses, councils, and stakeholders to understand and identify actions to address shared water issues in the catchment.

Project Overview

The project, initiated by WSAP and funded by Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, sought to introduce and promote water stewardship practices among various organisations in the Goulburn Broken region. The approach involved engaging local councils, businesses, and other stakeholders through facilitated Water RoadMap workshops. These workshops assessed 23 water-related indicators, presenting the results via a “traffic light” system to highlight areas of strong performance and those needing improvement.

Key Objectives and Activities

The primary objectives of the project included exploring new ideas to improve catchment health, filling knowledge gaps, and engaging local organisations in water stewardship. The project aimed to:

  1. Utilise a participatory tool to engage organizations in understanding their water security, resilience, and governance needs.
  2. Conduct comprehensive catchment analyses to stimulate collaboration and cooperation on water management in the catchment.
  3. Deliver and disseminate Water Roadmap workshops to scale water stewardship actions across local governments and SMEs.
  4. Work with participants to explore opportunities, share outcomes and develop understanding of shared water challenges within the catchment and contributions each participating organisation can make to addressing them.

Areas for Improvement in Water Management

The project identified several key areas for improvement in water management based on the findings from workshops and Water RoadMap assessments. These areas highlight the necessity for a more integrated and proactive approach to managing water resources in the region. Some of the areas that need attention are:

  • Executive commitment: Executive support for water management and sustainability initiatives is often informal or lacking. Formal, written commitments from leadership are needed to prioritise and advance water stewardship efforts​.
  • Awareness and training: Water management awareness activities with staff are ad-hoc or not undertaken. Structured programs to educate and train staff on sustainable water management are needed.
  • External stakeholders: Engagement with external stakeholders on water management is ad-hoc or informal. Positive and proactive engagement with external partners are required to foster and collaborative water management initiatives.
  • Water-Energy Nexus: Monitoring and managing the interdependencies between water and energy use and resources is lacking or basic. Nexus monitoring and assessment is needed to identify interdependencies and prioritise actions to manage both resources effectively.
  • Plans, Targets and KPIs: There is a lack of formal plans, targets, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for water management. Clear, actionable plans and measurable targets are necessary to drive improvements and track progress.

Highlights and Results

Key achievements and outcomes from the project include:

  • Water Roadmap workshops were conducted with five organizations, including Strathbogie Shire Council, Benalla Rural City Council, Murrindindi Shire Council, a winery and a brewery.
  • A comprehensive catchment analysis was completed, encompassing the Strathbogie Shire Council region and extended to include Murrindindi Shire Council and Benalla Rural City Council.
  • The joint outcomes and opportunities workshop, held online on May 27, 2024, brought together 13 participants from 10 organisations, facilitating discussions on improving water governance, water security resilience, and community networks.

Feedback from participants highlighted the value of the Water RoadMap workshops. Participants said that the benefit of the RoadMap was getting different people across different roles and business units engaged, which built dialogue and collective understanding on water management in the organisation in a targeted and efficient way (the Water RoadMap workshop is delivered in 90 mins to 2 hours).A detailed Catchment Analysis addressing the water governance, water balance, water quality, and social and environmental conditions in the catchment was also developed by WSAP. This guidance document provides a comprehensive framework to understand the region’s current and future water context, identify and assess water-related risks, and engage with water users and stakeholders to address shared catchment challenges and benefits. The Catchment Analysis was provided to project participants and is available to assist and engage other catchment stakeholders in water stewardship.

Looking Ahead

The project outcomes underscored the importance of continued knowledge sharing, collaboration and engagement among catchment stakeholders on water issues. The Water RoadMap and catchment analysis, based on the International Water Stewardship Standard, are designed to foster and enable that engagement by businesses and organisations to address both site and catchment water challenges. This project was a catalyst for local industry and government in the Goulburn Broken to demonstrate good water governance and provide a pathway to water stewardship participation and improvement.

Contact Information

For more information about the project and future initiatives, contact Sandra Hall, CEO of Water Stewardship Asia Pacific, at sandra.hall@waterstewardship.org.au or +61 429 613 811.

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