Central Highlands Water and Council are working with other agencies to prepare an Integrated Water Management (IWM) Plan for Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, Creswick and Clunes.
The Integrated Water Management (IWM) Framework for Victoria is designed to help regional stakeholders to work together, ensuring the water cycle contributes to the liveability of towns and cities in Victoria, with communities at the centre of decision making. The plan will identify water cycle issues and opportunities across each township, with the aim of improving the health and resilience of our environment and community.
“Our future focus lies in addressing the two major challenges of population growth and climate change while seizing opportunities to enhance the liveability of our cities and towns through the management of water,” said Jeff Haydon, Chair of the Central Highlands IWM forum.
The aim of an IWM plan is to identify a range of opportunities across each town that water agencies can deliver collaboratively. The IWM plan will identify the issues and opportunities in each town. Community input is critical in the initial stages. The project team will assess the merits of those opportunities and prepare a ‘short list’ of high priority projects. From this short list, a select number will progress to ‘concept design’ stage, so that we understand how it will work and what it may cost. The aim then is for agencies to incorporate funding for high priority projects into their future capital investment plans.
By making best use of urban water resources, such as recycled water, stormwater and rainwater, we can keep our open spaces green in summer, improve the health of our waterways and reduce the pressure on conventional urban town water supplies.
A Community information pop-in session will be held at the Daylesford Town Hall on Thursday, August 19 between 4pm and 7 pm (subject to any COVID restrictions in place at the time).
