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Hello MRWA Friends,
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Well it has been an exciting start to 2026. We have been deep in writing submissions, building an election campaign, engaging with universities, facilitating water literacy events, quilting with community, playing climate resilience board games and activating new relationships in the west through our Greater Melbourne Foundation network. Here's a snapshot of what we've been up to.
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Working toward a Pre-colonial Virtual Landscape
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Over the past few months we have spent time working with Indigenous artist Brett Leavy on developing a virtual map of Maribyrnong River which will be embedded in a much bigger project called Virtual Songlines. Brett’s company, Bilbie XR Labs is a First Nations social impact organisation whose mission is to empower First Nations communities to record and preserve the traditional knowledge and connection of First Nations people to their country. They are on a mission to facilitate a national culture of truth-telling that is deeply place-based, First Nations-led, and historically rigorous.
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Our local placed-based Maribyrnong project focuses on the lower reaches of Maribyrnong/Mirrangbamurn using maps from the 1800s to help us imagine what this place would have been like pre-contact. We are currently working through approval processes with Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Cultural Heritage Corporation for this to be made available publicly. We will keep you posted as things progress. It the meantime checkout Brett's Virtual Songlines site - there is so much already there to explore.
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This project has been enabled through our partnership with DEECA and Greater Western Water.
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Walking Country
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Where possible the MRWA team like to be on Country together to remind ourselves why we are doing this work. In March, we had the privilege of walking together with Brimbank Council, Greater Western Water and Melbourne Water staff down to the three way confluence site of the Maribyrnong Catchment.
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This site, where Deep and Jacksons creek converge to form the upper most point of Maribyrnong/ Mirrangbamurn feels special, sacred and significant. It is easy to imagine the importance of this place to Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people. Soft grasslands over volcanic plains lead to steep majestic escarpments. This extraordinary landscape, up high and down low, is truly spectacular. It was only afterwards when we looked on google maps that we realised how close Melbourne Airport runways are to this significant sight! Unsettling to say the least.
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On the other hand, it was inspiring to hear from the Brimbank conservation team, Zoe, Martha and Paul about the stewardship they are enacting in this site and how they are working in collaboration with Wurundjeri Elders and agencies to care deeply for Country in spite of some of the surrounding urban challenges.
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Collaborating Across the Catchment
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Melbourne Water are in the process of establishing a Maribyrnong Collaboration to address long standing issues in the catchment. Think Chain of Ponds Collaboration but at a bigger scale. This is such an exciting development and we are super keen to be part of this process over the coming years. We are currently sitting on the steering committee and participated in the inaugural workshop session that brought Wurundjeri, agencies, councils and communities together to collectively shape the priorities and vision for this collaboration.
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Partnering in the West
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We are truly excited about a new form of philanthropy that MRWA is taking part in. We are one of over 10 small/medium organisations in the west who have recently received funding from Greater Melbourne Foundation (GMF). The GMF team have kick-started a co-design process where representatives from all these organisations work together with the intention of creating a self-sustaining group over time. The organisations range from social services & justice groups, environment groups, Cultural, community & arts groups as well as local business and public transport and educational participants.
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It has been an inspiring process as we find ourselves amongst people who understand and have worked in the non-profit justice and climate resilience space for many years and who deeply know the constraints and challenges as well as the rewards of working in these areas. It is rare for this confluence of people to gather with such shared purpose.
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A shout out to Karyn Bosomworth and Kerry Farrance from GMF who have been quietly shepherding us into a form of place-based philanthropy that is not project or single outcome focused but is deliberately paying attention to the in-between networks that keep communities alive. They have created a structure for us to get to know one another, find synergies and make natural connections.
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The overarching vision is for advancing economic and climate justice in the west. We spent a fabulous day at Footscray Arts Centre workshopping our shared understandings of the west, its past, present and aspirations for the future as well as working out how this disparate yet intrinsically connected web might work together over the next couple of years. To our great delight it became clear that Maribyrnong River was of paramount importance to these communities and there was a desire to centre its flowing presence in our collective work. Stay tuned as we dream into a more just, equitable and resilient future that hopefully reimagines our relationship with Maribyrnong River - not as just something to be extracted from but as something that we resource and truly care for.
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Activating Urgent Action in the Maribyrnong Catchment
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Amelia Young - Strategic Advocacy Advisor
We are absolutely thrilled to welcome environmental consultant Amelia Young into our network. She has been working with us over the past six weeks as a strategic advisor to develop an advocacy campaign for galvanising urgent action in the Maribyrnong Catchment in the lead up to the state election.
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Amelia comes to us with over two decades of environmental advocacy experience in a range of roles at The Wilderness Society - most recently as their National Campaigns Director. She is a social and environmental justice campaign leader with high levels of experience in organisational development, team management and leadership, and in campaign strategy. Amelia is bringing this wealth of knowledge and experience to our patch and has already amassed an extraordinary amount of intelligence about our catchment. To top it off - she is an all round good person and a pleasure to work with! We are truly excited about how this new chapter will help bolster our mission.
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Tackling Data Centre Creep and Water Reform
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We continue to play our part in the Concern Waterways Alliance (CWA) alongside our colleagues across the Southern Basin of Victoria. The level of technical knowledge (and passion) in this group is astounding - it is no small community voice but a mighty gathering of minds that is sounding the alarm in the water world with expertise, credibility and care-filled action. We are so proud to call ourselves a member of this group and we often take our lead from their wise counsel. Two major submissions are worthy of community attention:
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This CWA position paper outlines how Victoria faces rising pressure from hyperscale data centres whose water-intensive cooling could consume up to 19.7GL annually, threatening stressed rivers. Current planning and pricing fail to curb demand or ensure transparency. Stronger regulation, efficiency standards, and use of non-potable water are needed to protect river health, affordability, and community trust.
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In short the CWA warns that Victoria’s rivers are in crisis, with declining inflows, over-allocation, and weak governance. Unregulated dams, forestry, pollution, and industrial demand worsen pressures. Urgent reforms including updated limits, independent oversight, transparent pricing, and stronger community and First Nations involvement are needed to restore waterways, ensure sustainable use, and rebuild public trust.
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Supporting Water Agencies to do their Jobs
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MRWA calls for Investment in Rivers Now
MRWA is calling on the Essential Services Commission to reinstate $7.28 million in funding for waterway management in Melbourne Water’s upcoming pricing decision.
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This funding supports essential, on-the-ground work, like planting native vegetation, restoring habitats, and maintaining wetlands, that keeps our rivers healthy. It’s a modest investment with significant long-term benefits for both the environment and the community. Victoria already recognises that rivers are living systems. Laws such as the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017 and planning reforms like Amendment VC278 make it clear that healthy waterways are essential to Melbourne’s liveability. But current funding decisions don’t yet reflect this reality.
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Cutting this funding comes at the wrong time. Environmental standards have increased, and responsibilities for managing waterways have expanded. At the same time, community support is strong. Melbourne Water's own data shows that more than 80% of people back greater investment in river health, and many are willing to pay for it.
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Healthy rivers also reduce risk. The 2022 Maribyrnong flood highlighted how waterway condition, land use, and flood impacts are closely connected. Underinvestment in river systems can increase vulnerability to future extreme events.
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There is also growing pressure from new large water users, such as data centres, which could further strain the system. Reducing investment in river health while planning for increased demand creates unnecessary risk.
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Reinstating this funding is a practical, cost-effective step that supports community-led action, meets legal obligations, and protects our waterways for future generations. Come on ESC - ensure rivers are prioritised now so that our children don't have to bare the brunt of our inaction.
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Working with SRW & DEECA on the Impact of Dams
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Water Resource Risks in Upper Moorabool and Upper Maribyrnong
A huge shout out to Southern Rural Water for navigating a complex and politically sensitive program to deliver part of the Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy (Action 4–13): the cumulative impact of small catchment dams.
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The results confirm what community see on the ground in the Maribyrnong catchment:
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Between 2009–2025:
• The number of dams have increased from 6,889 → 7,048 (+2%)
• Total Dam Storage has jumped from 13,238 ML → 14,088 ML (+6%)
• Annual Water captured has increased from 6,559 ML → 6,907 ML/year (+5%)
• Share of inflows intercepted annually has increased from 7.6% → 8.0% (→ 9.5% under future climate).
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Less water reaching the river means:
• declining habitat and connectivity
• poorer water quality
• pressure on supply and local economies
• impacts on wellbeing and cultural values
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If we’re serious about rivers as living systems, this is where we need to act. Because river health isn’t shaped by one big decision, it’s shaped by the sum of many small ones. The good news? The solutions are practical:
• identify hotspot catchments
• register all dams
• cap new and expanded dams
• tighten definitions and shared data across agencies
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The full report is available here. We’ll be working with Southern Rural Water and DEECA around next steps and will keep the community posted.
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Learning about Waste Water Treatment
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A Community Tour to the Western Treatment Plant
Ensuring we have a community that is well informed and literate about the issues that face our rivers and creeks is a high priority for us. Using lots of different strategies, we are committed to finding thoughtful ways to help people connect with and care for the waterways that matter to them. Recently a group of our community visited the Western Treatment Plant to learn more about our how our waste water is treated. We enjoyed the amazing Ramsar wetland which we discovered is a destination for the endangered orange bellied parrot as well as a home to a good population of the endangered growling grass frog. Love that!
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After the tour we had a lovely time exploring the specially designed Melbourne Water Education space engaging with 'The Future Water Story'. This is a fun and interactive digital simulation that combines cutting-edge technology with critical thinking.
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This tour was made possible through our partnership with Melbourne Water. Shout out to Leesa and Jacquie and the staff at the treatment plant for making this tour and experience possible.
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Building Relationships with Universities
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We are continuing our collaborations with a number of different RMIT groups. Landscape Architecture students are exploring environmental connectivity in Riddells Creek.
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Sustainability and Environmental Science students are developing some short videos for us about Maribyrnong river, tackling big issues around flows, living entity concepts and the impacts of data centres.
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Soon we will be engaging with Bachelor of Social Science lecturers to consider the connection between environmental wellness and human wellness. We are hoping to have some River Sensing time with them down in Footscray.
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We are also forging connections with a team at Victoria University who are heading up the new Brimbank Tech School. They are cooking up some amazing interactions with Maribyrnong River which is just a stone's throw away from their campus. Stay tuned on this one...
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Quilting with Community
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There is something magical happening along our rivers and creeks. A gentle network of stitchers and sewers have been sending whispers throughout the catchment sharing information about our Maribyrnong quilting project. Without really trying, this mycelium-like web has been spreading the word so that we now have over 100 people contributing to the project - including someone's mother from London!
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We have spent lovely afternoons and evenings with groups in Maribyrnong, Sunbury, Riddells Creek, Gisborne, and Lancefield. Plus people further afield are wanting to be part of this slow stitching movement including the beautiful folk from the Native Fish Association. Water agencies too want their piece of the action with Greater Western Water holding sessions in both Sunbury and Footscray. Next week our friends and colleagues at RMIT University have invited us to run a session too. Yikes - how big is this quilt going to be? Well, as big as it needs to be we say!
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The deadline for individual pieces is end of May - so stitchers ensure you finish your piece by then. We will be working with specialists from Seabreeze Quilters in June/July to weave it all together ready to make a splash in the lead up to our election campaign.
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Contact angela.clarke@maribyrnongriver.org.au if you would like to contribute.
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Playing The Adaptation Game
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We have recently participated in the roll out of The Adaptation Game in Moonee Valley and Maribyrnong LGAs. Angela and Nikki are now trained facilitators of this extraordinary climate adaptation board game. The process aims to boost the capacity of communities to prepare for increased flooding, extreme weather events and other climate impacts. It's a hands-on, in-person board game that gets people thinking and working creatively together to find local solutions to game scenarios.
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Gamifying this important community education is an inspired way to engage people in meaningful resilience building and preparedness. The beauty of the design is its focus on local maps and evidence-based climate information. So, yes there is a Maribyrnong version that is different to the Moonee Valley version. As a player, you get to find your own street on the maps and see in real time how a flood, a heat wave or a superstorm might actually affect you and your family. The discussions and connections that ensue are fascinating and rather than being depressing are actually very inspiring.
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We are keen to have a version of the game in all of the municipalities in the catchment.
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Launching Our New Engagement Series: CONFLUENCE
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Confluence: People and Places Connected by Rivers
We’re excited to launch Confluence, a new MRWA series designed to bring people together to explore the many dimensions of water: ecological, cultural, social and deeply personal. These sessions create space for conversation, reflection and connection, helping us better understand our relationship with rivers and what it means to care for them.
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Date: Sunday, 10th May 2026
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Time: 10am - 12pm (please arrive 9.45 for boarding)
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Board: Footscray Wharf (opp 60 Maribyrnong Street Footscray)
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Bookings Essential: https://events.humanitix.com/tramboat-what-the-river-carries
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Our first event invites you onto the water itself with a workshop led by Psychology for a Safe Climate. Inspired by the Work That Reconnects, the workshop moves through a gentle spiral: from gratitude, through honouring our pain, toward new ways of seeing and finally, to opening to what wants to happen next. You'll leave with more than memories of a beautiful morning on the water. You'll leave with a felt sense of belonging to this place, and some idea of how you might tend that belonging going forward.
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This event has been enable by our partnerships with Greater Melbourne Foundation, Melbourne Water and Maribyrnong City Council.
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Settling into our new home
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A new home @ Heritage Cottage in Woodlands Park, Essendon
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In January, Moonee Valley Sustainability and MRWA joined forces to sign a one year lease with Moonee Valley City Council for use of the Heritage Cottage at Woodlands Park, Essendon.
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The Council have generously offered us this space at a significantly reduced rate. We are using it as an office and meeting space. It is light, open and a pleasure to be in the park amongst the ducks and corellas! Thanks to all our friends and benefactors who have donated furniture for the space. It is lovely to have a home base and office space. If you are in the area please drop by and come and say hello.
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We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the following funders. We also gratefully acknowledge the many volunteers who provide in-kind contributions to our our work.
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The Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association acknowledges that the lands and waterways of the Maribyrnong, Mirrangbamurn catchment, are the unceded territories of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong/ Boon Wurrung peoples. We pay our respect to their Ancestors, who cared for Country for millennia, and to all Traditional Owners who continue to speak and care for their Country.
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