Shires of Golden Plains, Moorabool, Pyrenees, and Greater Goldfields

Green-Blue Infrastructure (GBI) refers to natural and built assets within urban landscapes that manage living vegetation and open space (green) and water (blue).

A significant IWM opportunity in many small towns, these underrated assets are critical to the health and well-being of smaller communities.

In partnership with Foresight Advisory Tony designed and facilitated a series of interactive workshops with staff across all Councils involved. The workshops led to a practical introductory-level guide for deploying Green-Blue Infrastructure in a small town context, from the streetscape scale to whole-of-township and spanning all urban infrastructure types.

The project also created a series of high level GBI concepts for particular townships that have proved inavluable for Council staff. O fparticular note is the Beaufort Linear Parklands concept which is now in the design phase.

The Guide is available across the state via the Adapt Grampians website and is being implemented through the Central Highlands IWM Forum.

Small Towns GBI Guide

Deakin University

Established in 1974 in a small valley at the base of the Barrabool Hills on Geelong's western outskirts, Deakin’s Waurn Ponds Campus continues to grow, leading to significant water-related problems, including an undersized stormwater and drainage network, regular flooding of buildings, high reliance on drinking water and low water pressure.

The Integrated Water Management Plan identified the myriad of water-system-related issues facing the campus and employed a collaborative co-design process to create practical solutions that were well supported across departments.

The Plan has led to significant improvements and is a foundation for Deakin’s Climate-Ready Campus aspirations.

Initaive arising from the plan include connection to Barwon Water’s Regional Class A Recycled Water Network, conversion of the central stormwater chain-of-ponds into ecological stormwater treatment wetlands and extensive flood mitigation works.

More about Deakin's IWM Plan

Surf Coast Shire

Surf Coast Shire’s Sustainable Water Use Feasibility Study (SWUFS), undertaken by TOverman Sustainability in partnership with Engeny, identified opportunities to reduce Council’s corporate potable water consumption at specific sporting reserves and in its Civil operations.

The study involved background research, a long list of opportunities, shortlisting and the development of high-level concept plans for three options. It identified significant advancements made through drainage upgrades, warm season turf and irrigation efficiencies, and several potential opportunities to further reduce drinking water consumption, particularly accessing recycled water where available.

DEECA, VicWater

Managing compliance for Onsite Domestic Wastewater Systems (Septics) is a significant role for local governmant across Victoria.

Councils are provided little formal support for this role, but opportunities may exist to work with Water Corporations given their extensive water-related compliance systems.

Tony partnered with Weeran Consulting to identify opportunities for Councils and Water Corporations to collaborate to improve onsite domestic wastewater systems (OWMS) management.

The report identified opportunities to work together, including sharing knowledge of OWMS-related environmental and health impacts, reporting, compliance, inspections, and education.

Surf Coast Shire

A historic township in southwestern Victoria experiencing significant urban growth, Winchelsea straddles the picturesque Barwon River and has many current end emerging water-system-related issues, such as flooding, drainage and disconnected green spaces.

The Winchelsea IWM Plan was one of the state's first whole-of-township scale IWM plans and provided a model for others to follow.

The Plan has helped the Council secure external and internal funding for practical projects to enhance community liveability and amenity.

Winchelsea IWM Plan

Shire of Campaspe

The Campaspe Shire comprises numerous townships of small-medium size, each with its own unique liveability and amenity challenges.

Water-related issues such as drainage, flooding, water security and green spaces are shared across the shire, which recognised the need for a strategic approach to applying IWM.

Tony partnered with RM Consulting to develop a municipality-wide IWM Strategy for the Shire, which involved deliberative engagement workshops, site-based visits with stakeholders, and community engagement sessions to understand local issues and aspirations across ten Shire townships.

The practical concept opportunities developed through the process have been essential to help the Shire secure external funding to implement various place-based projects.

Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, Barossa Grape and Wine Association

The Barossa New Water concept involves taking recycled water from the Adelaide wastewater treatment plant to the Barossa and Eden Valley wine regions for long-term water security of viticulture and associated state-wide benefits. With multiple strategic and operational challenges, PIRSA engaged Tony to design and facilitate engagement with the affected viticulture industry.

The project involved a series of facilitated virtual workshops with more than 70 participants to identify the challenges, opportunities and constraints and co-design various options to address critical issues. Tony's consultation report became a critical background paper for all stakeholders and was presented to the relevant Minister and state cabinet.