Water Strategy Engagement - Kismet Forward

Water Strategy Community and Stakeholder Engagement

Jen facilitated three large stakeholder forums in 2013-2014 to inform the development of the Water Future Strategies for the Northern, Western and Central Regions of Greater Melbourne. This work was undertaken for Office of Living Victoria.

In 2016 Jen facilitated workshops involving 68 organisations with an interest in using and/or protecting Yarra River.
The workshops were convened by the Yarra River Protection Ministerial Advisory Committee. Their purpose was to enable the MAC to understand the most important Yarra River issues and opportunities for its stakeholders.
The workshop report (produced by Jen and Kylie Cirak) informed a series of recommendations to relevant Ministers later in the year.

In 2018 the Victorian Government appointed a Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) to make recommendations on how best to protect the health, amenity, access and community values of waterways in the West of Melbourne. Following consultation on issues and opportunities that the MAC might consider, a Discussion Paper was released in October 2019. In late 2019 Kismet Forward was asked to lead a process of gathering community feedback on the directions and opportunities that were outlined in the Discussion Paper. Jen, with colleagues Dr Tamara Boyd, Sally Chandler Ford and Kylie Cirak planned, implemented and reported on eight workshops and drop-in sessions with community members.

The Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy was reviewed in 2018, in preparation for the writing of a new strategy during 2019/2020.
Jen assisted the process with the design, facilitation and reporting of six drop-in sessions across the region to inform the review. Sally Chandler Ford assisted with the report.
A key part of the process was capacity building within the SWS team regarding the delivery of community and stakeholder engagement opportunities.

During 2019 Jen assisted DELWP with developing options for the best model for a Consultative Committee to support the development of the new Sustainable Water Strategy.