Kingston City’s water planning and management has been recognised as among the best in Australia.
The city’s Integrated Water Strategy has received the Excellence in Strategic or Master Planning gong at the National Stormwater Industry Awards.
This major industry accolade highlights the sector-wide leadership in responding to the huge pressures being placed on every part of the water cycle by changes to climate and increased urbanisation.
Kingston has a proud history of being pioneers in integrated water management and played an important role in stormwater quality and other related initiatives for decades.
The city takes a holistic, integrated approach to managing it’s water delivering significant benefits.
It supports the liveability of the city by cooling the environment, keeps the council’s award-winning sports grounds in top condition, reduces pollution from entering the bay and waterways, and improves how they manage flooding.
Since launching the strategy in late 2022 the council has been working on many exciting projects in partnership with the community and key stakeholders, including:
• The construction of several multi-million-dollar drainage projects to address flooding in the south of Kingston, including Chelsea, Edithvale, and Bonbeach.
• The construction of an innovative stormwater treatment system at Keeley Park in Clayton South that was a first for any council in Australia.
• Partnering with South East Water to install a major $72 million recycled water pipeline along the Mordialloc Bypass, with works scheduled to start by April 2025.
• The installation of a huge litter trap at the Mentone Lifesaving Club to collect litter from Mentone shopping areas before entering the bay.
• Partnering with the cities of Greater Dandenong and Casey, Melbourne Water, and state agencies to develop an action plan to reduce litter flowing into the Patterson River.
The strategy outlines the vision and steps needed to become a water sensitive city by 2040, a place where healthy waterways are valued, the community is engaged in making wise choices about water and the built and natural environments are in harmony.
