Greater Western Water and Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association partner up on waterway health and community education

Greater Western Water (GWW) and Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association (MRWA) have formalised a partnership after three years of collaboration that has expanded community participation in environmental decision making.

The partnership will deliver projects focused on waterway health and community education. Water literacy programs are among the key focus areas, enabling residents to have a better understanding and stronger voice in water management.

GWW's General Manager of Strategy and Partnerships Kessia Thomson said the partnership allows both organisations to achieve more together.

"Our organisations share a commitment to the wellbeing of our communities and the long-term health of our waterways," Ms Thomson said.

"We're looking forward to continuing to work together on projects that benefit our communities, like water literacy initiatives, and exploring alternative water sources to promote waterway health and resilient ecosystems."

MRWA's Operations and Advocacy Lead Dr Kowalczyk says water literacy is becoming one of the most important skills for communities in a changing climate. "By helping people understand how water is managed, where it comes from, and how their actions influence river health, we build stronger, more resilient catchments." Dr Kowalczyk said.

The partnership builds on a Water Think Tank, which began with GWW support and has since grown into a community-driven collaboration. The Water Think Tank provides a trusted forum for strengthening understanding of local water management, where representatives from across the Maribyrnong catchment meet to share experiences and explore their role in shaping the future of our waterways.

MRWA and GWW are now expanding this work to build a deeper cultural awareness of the catchment. A key initiative includes a collaboration with First Nations digital storyteller Brett Leavy and the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation to virtually map waterways across the Maribyrnong catchment.

The two organisations came together on 1 December to celebrate the new partnership by taking a trip down the river on the Maribyrnong River Tram Boat where representatives reflected on shared achievements to date and shared goals for the future.

MRWA is a respected, community-led organisation that advocates for improved waterway management, environmental flows and catchment-wide collaboration across the Maribyrnong system. The formalised partnership ensures the momentum built over the past three years will continue, with even greater capacity to deliver meaningful improvements for local waterways and increased water literacy within the community

MRWA is running a series of boat tours for the community to learn about the importance of the Maribyrnong River and looking after our waterways.

For more information about Greater Western Water's community partnerships, visit Community Partnerships.

MRWA and GWW celebrated their new partnership on the Maribyrnong River Tramboat

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