To manage water well, we must know where water is, how much is there, and its quality. We measure the amount and quality of water in Victoria's rivers, lakes, and groundwater aquifers.
Fifty-nine organisations currently take part in the partnerships. Collaboration means data is collected once, to the highest standard, for use by many. Each partner has their own monitoring need; to manage flood warning, operate storages, water allocation, evaluate waterway health, track environmental water, issue licences, or plan for sustainable resource use. The Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action manages this arrangement.
Partnerships vision
To enable effective evidence-based decision making and to inform the public.
Build a fully engaged partnership that delivers leading edge water monitoring and effectively transforms data into information. “Collaboration. Water information. Building knowledge.”
Partnerships objectives
- Deliver monitoring and data to meet monitoring objectives of partners and regulatory obligations
- Share data and monitoring knowledge to assist accuracy and completeness
- Efficient service procurement and cost sharing
- Infrastructure, equipment, and site management
Benefits of the approach
- Lower overall costs, as different organisations share the cost of data collection and monitoring site maintenance
- Providing consistent, accurate and reliable water data that is publicly available (Water Measurement Information System)
- Following standard data collection methodologies by all organisations supporting increased transparency and credibility
- The RWMP structure brings with it benefits for data collection and efficiency of public funds, including:
- consistent and reliable data with reduced data uncertainty, combined with a coordinated data collection approach, and focus on sharing of knowledge and data between partners
- allows data to be collected once and to be used by multiple organisations for different purposes
- enables sharing of knowledge and data between partner organisations
- cost sharing opportunities at monitoring sites between agencies
- centralised contract management and procurement, reducing administrative expenditure for each partner and provide a clear and transparent quarterly invoicing system that is managed by a contract manager
- audited methodologies and service standards along with operation and maintenance assistance and management and OH&S support
- knowledge and assistance, available through the regional coordinators
- a single consolidated data submission to the Bureau of Meteorology for Victoria
- all data collected on behalf of the partnerships is available to all partners via the Water Measurement Information System.
Partner Organisations
State and federal organisations
- Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)
- Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)
- Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA Victoria)
- Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA)
- Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH)
- Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA)
Catchment Management Authorities
- Corangamite
- East Gippsland
- Glenelg Hopkins
- Goulburn Broken
- Mallee
- Melbourne Water (previously Port Phillip)
- North Central
- North East
- West Gippsland
- Wimmera
Local Governments
- Alpine
- Baw Baw
- Benalla
- Buloke
- Campaspe
- Central Goldfields
- Colac Otway
- Corangamite
- East Gippsland
- Glenelg
- Golden Plains
- Greater Bendigo
- Greater Geelong
- Horsham
- Indigo
- Latrobe
- Mitchell
- Moira
- Moyne
- Murrindindi
- Shepparton
- Strathbogie
- Surf Coast
- Wangaratta
- Warrnambool
- Wellington
- Yarriambiak
Traditional Owners
- Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC)
Water Corporations
- Barwon Water
- Central Highlands Water
- Coliban Water
- East Gippsland Water
- Greater Western Water
- Gippsland Water
- Goulburn Valley Water
- Goulburn-Murray Water
- Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water
- Greater Western Water
- Lower Murray Water
- Melbourne Water
- North East Water
- South Gippsland Water
- Southern Rural Water
- Wannon Water
Reviewed 27 August 2024