Guided by a water quality framework, the Victorian Government delivers policies and programs that support effective water quality management.
On this page:
Why water quality matters
Water quality is a key measure of waterway condition. When thinking about water quality, we might consider:
Physical attributes: Is the water clear or cloudy? How well does the water hold heat?
Chemical attributes: How much oxygen is in the water? Is the water salty?
Biological attributes: Can this water sustain life?
It determines the suitability of water for a particular purpose. Better quality water can support a wider range of uses than poor quality water. Good water quality is vital for supporting many types of plants and animals. For example, some native fish species require specific water temperatures to trigger breeding.
Good water quality supports a range of values: native aquatic species, human consumption, traditional owner cultural use, agricultural, irrigation, industrial and commercial use, water-based recreation and aquaculture.
Some of the things that threaten good water quality are:
major accidents, like spills, leaks or discharges to waterways
waste and wastewater from business and industry
over-extraction of water.
Understanding our water quality
Regular monitoring informs a range of Victorian Government programs and initiatives. Keeping an eye on water quality helps to target management strategies to the greatest risks so that our waterways can support native fish and aquatic species. It also means we can enjoy more of our waterways for recreation too.
The Victorian Government invests in regional waterway management activities that improve waterway health, including water quality.
For example, we fund catchment management authorities (CMAs) to implement Regional Waterway Management Strategies. Some activities in these strategies that help improve water quality include riparian fencing, erosion control, revegetation works and delivering water for the environment. Find out more about the Victorian Waterway Management Program.
Water quality in our waterways and bays
In Victoria, water quality in our waterways and bays is managed by:
councils
catchment management authorities
the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)
Parks Victoria
water corporations
Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA)
the Australian Department of Health.
Many community groups also improve water quality through weed control, fencing, revegetation and litter collection.
Here's some of the work we’re doing with Victorian Government agencies and communities:
The Environment Protection Act 2017 came into effect in 2021 and established the new framework for environmental protection, including a general environmental duty and Environment Reference Standard.
We work with the Australian Government and other states and territories to develop water quality and waste management guidelines.
Managing nutrient and sediment loads in waterways and bays
We manage nutrient loads and sediments into Victoria’s largest marine bays to maintain good environmental and recreational water quality. This supports healthy and diverse ecosystems and the wide variety of human uses. The Environmental Management Plan for Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay (2017-2027) describes the benefits of managing nutrient loads.
The Central and Gippsland Sustainable Water Strategy policies and actions include addressing marine pollution load objective for:
A water quality management framework encompasses legislation and action at the Australian Government, Victorian Government, and regional level. These are outlined below.
Water Act 2007
Murray Darling Basin Agreement
Basin Plan
Water trading rules
National Water Quality Management Strategy
Murray Darling Basin agreement
Basin Plan
Water quality objectives and targets for water resource plans
Salinity targets
Long-term watering plans
Water Act 1989
Waterway management
Floodplain and drainage management
Water use licences
Water trading regulations
Sustainable water strategies
Safe Drinking Water Act 2003
Safe drinking water regulations
Catchment and Land Protection Act
Integrate management and protection of catchments
Maintain and enhance the quality of the State’s land and water resources, including associated plant and animal life
Regional catchment strategy development
Planning and Environment Act 2003
Victoria’s planning provisions, like land use planning
The following outlines the roles and responsibilities of key agencies in water quality management and incident response.
Role description
Facilitate sustainable development of primary industries.
Control agency for water and sewerage disruption, blue green algae and emergency events.
Develop state legislation and policy for water quality management.
Responsibilities
Ensure a continuous water resources assessment program that provides for the collection, collation, analysis and publication of information about water quality (including salinity).
Develop Victorian policy on water quality management.
Provide inter-governmental, statewide and regional liaison for water quality issues.
Co-ordinate blue-green algae management across Victoria.
Manage public lands for water quality benefits.
Provide input to national water quality management policy.
Invest in regional management activities to improve water quality.
Work with landholders (dairy, beef, vegetable, horticulture, intensive livestock) to recognise and reduce impacts on water quality.
Role description
Manage parks on behalf of DEECA.
Responsibilities
Manage public lands to reduce risk to waterways from poor water quality.
Ensure messages are communicated about marine and coastal values protected within parks and reserves (for example, Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries) at risk from poor water quality.
Manage litter in the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers.
Role description
Develop waterway managers and regional waterway management.
Responsibilities
Develop and implement programs and activities that protect or improve water quality.
Support and facilitate the implementation of regional land use planning measures to improve water quality.
Provide water quality advice for emergency water quality management (for example, blackwater and fish deaths).
Undertake community stewardship and awareness programs with a focus on protecting water quality through changes in personal behaviours.
Contribute to water quality monitoring.
Role description
Independent regulator to protect and improve water quality, control agency for pollution of inland waters.
Responsibilities
Work with industry (rural, industrial, building, commercial) sectors, government agencies and resource managers to assess and understand key drivers for and stressors on water quality.
Work with government to develop legal frameworks and regulatory tools to manage and protect water quality.
Set environment reference standards for acceptable water quality and indicators for healthy waterways.
Support industry and water quality management agencies to comply with the general environmental duty through guidance and advice.
Monitor compliance with the law through the use of data and investigations to protect and manage water quality.
Investigate water quality pollution incidents.
Enforce the law through legal actions where required in accordance with compliance and enforcement policy.
Role description
Develop and implement local and state planning policy.
Responsibilities
Consider waterway management objectives in the statutory planning processes and maintenance of stormwater drainage systems
Develop municipal stormwater management plans (or contribute to Integrated Water Cycle Plans) that consider land use change and land management practices under local Planning Schemes.
Ensure that subdivision designs comply with the Water Sensitive Urban Design requirements of the planning scheme and industry guidelines for best practice management.
Undertake actions to improve stormwater quality.
Manage public lands for water quality benefits.
Manage septic tanks (including preparation and implementation of Domestic Wastewater Management Plans) and stormwater drainage services for water quality benefits.
Facilitate the implementation of regional land use planning measures to improve water quality.
Role description
Protect and enhance public health Regulate drinking water.
Planning and policy development Control agency for drinking water contamination.
Responsibilities
Administer the Safe Drinking Water Act (2003).
Provide advice on potential public health effects of hazards in water (including chemical and microbial hazards in drinking water as well as recreational waters).
Provide advice on managing public health risk.
Role
Produce goods and services.
Responsibilities
Minimise impacts on water quality by the implementation of best management practices in accordance with ‘duty of care’ responsibilities and good corporate citizenship.
Role
Personal behaviour and participation in programs.
Responsibilities
Avoid and report pollution.
Reduce individual water consumption.
Participate in community monitoring programs such as Waterwatch.
Role
Manage 5 alpine resorts in Victoria.
Responsibilities
Provide or arrange required basic services and utilities, including water supply and sewerage.
Role
Manage Victoria’s planning system to create liveable, sustainable communities.
Responsibilities
Manage environmental assessments of projects with potentially significant environmental effects, including water quality impacts.
Ensure planning policy and urban design minimise the impact of land use change on water quality.
Role
Marine pollution incidents in Victorian waters.
Responsibilities
Ensure Victoria is adequately prepared for and effectively responds to any marine pollution incident in State coastal waters up to three nautical miles offshore.
