19 April 2021

In February, the Victorian Government announced that the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority will be integrated into Melbourne Water from 1 January 2022.

This means that the catchment management and waterway management roles for the Port Phillip and Western Port region will be together under one organisation, bringing the region in line with the rest of Victoria.

Over the last two months, staff at PPWCMA and Melbourne Water have been working with DELWP to plan for the transition. Lots of great conversations have been happening and both organisations are excited for the new benefits and opportunities to come for the region’s people and environment.

Both organisations have a long and proud history of supporting communities to deliver projects that protect environmental assets, address priority issues and improve the health of the region.

Melbourne Water values the strong relationships PPWCMA has built with its partner organisations and community groups, and these will be preserved and become an integral part of Melbourne Water.

The integration will address the challenges faced by PPWCMA as a small organisation and increase the overall capability and capacity to support organisations and communities in the Port Phillip and Western Port region.

We understand that you may have questions regarding the future of particular PPWCMA programs, funding and staff roles. This is a priority to work through. 

As a start, a series of detailed discussions will occur through late April and May between PPWCMA and Melbourne Water representatives to explore the potential pathways for each of our major programs and projects.  This is part of the development and roll-out of a detailed integration plan covering all aspects of the integration.

While the integration planning is occurring through the rest of 2021, it will be business as usual at both organisations.

We will continue to provide regular updates to through PPWCMA staff, our regular enews and other communication channels.