IWM Strategy for the City of Whitehorse

Elmhurst Basin

Client: The City of Whitehorse

The City of Whitehorse required an Integrated Water Management (IWM) plan to assist in improved water management across the municipality in line with a water-sensitive city's vision and to support a range of related strategic outcomes. Such outcomes incorporate environmental, economic, and community benefits to help build urban resilience, responding to the challenges of climate change and urban development.

Morphum, in partnership with Jamie Comley Environmental Consulting, was engaged to develop the IWM Strategy for Council. Their approach was to engage as broadly and deeply with council staff as possible surrounding the planning, delivery, and ongoing management of the IWM initiatives to allow for a more relevant, meaningful, and well-supported strategy in the future.

Glen Valley Road

We provided a crucial difference in the IWM plan by delivering Council with an interactive GIS-based online tool that they could use for ongoing IWM planning, monitoring, and reporting. We carried out the following:

  1. Document review and desktop analysis of key strategic documents, management plans, and reference documents.

  2. IWM (Water Balance/Catchment) analysis, integrated catchment tool, and technical report.

  3. Community consultation and council workshops.

  4. Final technical report and IWM strategy for Whitehorse.

We delivered Council a comprehensive action plan to support their IWM strategy. We utilised an interactive GIS-based online catchment assessment tool and provided Council with a plan for the next five years with timings, indicative cost, resource requirements, and responsibilities.

Wurundjeri Wetland

Implementing an IWM strategy will allow Council to prioritise and consider investing in various IWM opportunities. In addition, the strategy will value all water as a treasured resource, encourage healthy landscapes and waterways, and reduce the city's risk of flooding. You can read more about it here.