Waterways and Wetlands research projects

RMIT and Melbourne University both have long term research partnership agreements with Melbourne Water. The research projects for the next 5 years have now been finalised and are listed below. Many of these research projects cover the Dandenong Creek Catchment area and will be very useful in directing future priority planning for Living Links.

This list is explored further in the attached prospectus Melbourne Waterways Research Partnership Practice Partnership Prospectus 2023-2028

• MWRPP – Melbourne Waterways Research Practice Partnership (University of Melbourne)
• W1: The impacts of ‘next generation’ citizen science programs
• W2: Exploring the optimum combination of centralised and decentralised approaches to stormwater management
• W3: Protecting Sunbury streams and headwaters from urbanisation
• W4: Review and refining our long-term water quality monitoring network to support waterway management under a changing climate
• W5: Development and application of stream and wetlands habitat suitability models (HSMs) to support Healthy Waterways Strategy planning
• W6: Relationship between physical form and ecological health of waterways
• W7: Major sources and fate of sediments in streams, wetlands, estuaries and bays to inform management opportunities
• W8: Improving stream management using ecological modelling and DNA metabarcoding
• W9: Traditional Owner-led restoration of urban billabongs
• W10: Developing methods, metrics and strategic management frameworks for waterway function as a key environmental value
• W11: Application of real-time-control technology to the management of stormwater
• W12: Monitoring riparian and instream vegetation condition, extent and benefits for environmental values
• W13: Approaches to increasing the resilience of vegetation in a changing climate
• W14: Assessment of deer control effectiveness at the Cardinia, Silvan and Upper Yarra water supply reservoirs
• W15: Irrigating the urban forest with stormwater

This list is explored further in the attached prospectus Aquatic Pollution Prevention Partnership Prospectus 2023-2028

A3P (Aquatic Pollution Prevention Partnership) (RMIT University)

• A1: A decision support framework (DSF) to help prioritise water quality management actions across the region, set management targets and assess management effectiveness
• A2: Understanding the threat of climate change to water quality in waterways to inform mitigation opportunities
• A3: Understanding how toxicants impact waterway and wetland function
• A4: Understanding the ecological risks of treated and untreated wastewater discharges to waterways
• A5: Assessment of pollutant risks and the need for management interventions at environmentally sensitive sites across the region
• A6: Understanding the major sources, pathways and waterway health impacts of chemicals of concern in waterways to inform risk assessments and management interventions
• A7: Managing the impacts of toxicants in urban stormwater and wastewater treatment plant discharges on the health of estuaries and bays
• A8: Understanding ecological risks from pesticide spraying activities on or near waterways and suitable management alternatives.
• A9: Industrial effective and affordable opportunities for the treatment of industrial pollutants in stormwater drains