The role of this Regional Catchment Strategy
The Port Phillip and Western Port Regional Catchment Strategy describes the natural resources of this region and some of the key connections between them. It provides an overview of policy and planning, a vision and targets for the future and a basis for shared effort. It focuses on improving natural resource management while recognising that, by helping resources to be managed more sustainably, it will contribute to society’s economic benefit and social wellbeing.
Catchments and ecosystems are too big and inter-connected for one or a few organisations to manage and repair them alone. This Regional Catchment Strategy therefore aims to help people and organisations across the region work together. It’s main role and purpose is fostering collaboration. It’s long term aim is to achieve the vision of a healthy and resilient environment and well-managed natural resources.
It is important to note that this Strategy doesn’t describe every natural resources of the region or prescribe actions or directions for every natural resource problem. It expresses the current policies and plans of many agencies and organisations as targets that we can all pursue together. The Strategy is based on a principle that the common pursuit of a shared vision and targets will help us manage our natural resources more sustainably as the foundation for society’s economic and social wellbeing.
For success, we need inspired and committed partnerships between the professional, scientific and social disciplines, the wider community and business interests involved in all aspects of natural resource management. There is much to learn from past actions and experience in integrated catchment management in the region, including ecological knowledge of Traditional Owners, and the strategy builds on this history.
Using this strategy
This Regional Catchment Strategy contains information and links that can assist the planning, project development, management and fund-seeking for various organisations and people. These include:
Landcare and community environment groups
Use the regional Catchment Strategy’s descriptions of Condition, Challenges, and Targets in the Themes and Local Areas pages to guide your group’s strategic planning, priority-setting and project design.
Include your priority projects in the Prospectus, adding weight to efforts to secure funding and bringing your project ideas to the attention of potential funders.
Local government strategic planners
Use the Guide for Planners to find Regional Catchment Strategy advice, information, policy contexts and targets that should be considered in development of Council policy and planning.
Use detailed information and links in the Themes pages to identify policy and planning undertaken by other organisations and potential partners to help achieve your goals and vision.
Quote the Regional Catchment Strategy’s information and targets to demonstrate that your planning links and contributes to region-scale objectives.
Policy and strategy writers
Use the Regional Catchment Strategy Themes and Local Areas pages to identify the range of national, State and regional policy and planning that is in place and relevant to your work.
Quote the Regional Catchment Strategy’s information and targets to demonstrate that your policy development and planning links to regional and community aspirations.
Use the Regional Catchment Strategy’s extensive list of Partner Organisations and its Prospectus to identify organisations to consult with and actions that will have local community support.
Conservation, sustainability and agricultural project designers
Use Regional Catchment Strategy information in the Themes and Local Areas pages to guide your project aims and designs so they can contribute to meeting national, state and regional priorities.
Include your priority projects in the Prospectus, adding weight to efforts to secure funding and bringing your project ideas to the attention of potential funders. Use the Prospectus to find others that may partner with you. Use the connections between your project and regional strategy to marshal support for your proposals.
Students, speakers, politicians, campaigners and nature-lovers
Use this Regional Catchment Strategy as a source of organised, easy-to-read information about this region’s natural resources, their values and condition, and what might be done to conserve them.
Quote the strategy’s descriptions of Condition, Challenges, and Targets, in its Themes and Local Areas pages in talks, submissions and arguments.
Use the strategy as a resource and reference for tertiary and secondary education assignments.
Local government statutory planners
Use the Guide for Planners to quickly find Regional Catchment Strategy advice and information relevant to Council planning applications and decision-making.
This will help meet Victoria Planning Provision requirements for considering the Regional Catchment Strategy and various clauses related to natural resource management.
Committees of management, landholders and businesses
Use the Regional Catchment Strategy’s Themes and Local Areas and Prospectus pages to see the environmental values, challenges and responses in your area and identify opportunities for you to partner, contribute and benefit.
Public, private, philanthropic and commercial investors
Use the Regional Catchment Strategy Prospectus, to find project ideas of regional importance that match your funding objectives and interests.
Use the project summaries to find more information and contact details.
