The Concerned Waterways Alliance has provided a detailed response to Melbourne Water’s Price Submission 2026 Playback process, calling for stronger commitments to waterway health, catchment protection, and climate resilience.
While CWA supports Melbourne Water’s five key outcomes—especially its focus on water supply resilience and sewerage upgrades—we urge clearer, more ambitious investment in measures that protect rivers as living ecosystems. Our submission highlights the need to prioritise climate-independent water sources, protect forested catchments from damaging fire management practices, and ensure that infrastructure upgrades don’t come at the expense of river health or inter-basin equity.
We also call for:
- Transparent reporting on catchment and waterway condition.
- Nature-based drainage solutions to manage stormwater and flood risks.
- Greater co-design with communities and Traditional Owners.
- Genuine progress on restoring degraded waterways, not just “slowing the decline”.
CWA will make a more detailed submission in October when the draft pricing proposal is released. For now, we urge Melbourne Water to ensure its final plan reflects the true ecological and community value of our rivers and catchments.