Read the vision and transition strategy for Greater Sydney

Now available online, the CRCWSC’s Vision and Transition Strategy for a Water Sensitive Greater Sydney will help orient and coordinate strategic action across the many stakeholders who need to work together to achieve Greater Sydney’s envisioned water future.

We worked with 51 of Sydney’s leaders and strategic thinkers from across water, planning, environment and other related sectors between July and September 2017. We facilitated discussions across three full-day workshops, conducted stakeholder interviews, and applied benchmarking and diagnostic tools to the Greater Sydney context.

What is the vision for Sydney?

Sydney is a beautiful, prosperous and resilient city with thriving communities, healthy ecosystems and cherished urban landscapes supported by active water stewardship.  

1. Sydney’s land and water environments are healthy, cherished and actively enhanced through the community’s commitment to stewardship.
2. Aboriginal water knowledge, values and ways of thinking are understood and embraced by Sydney communities, forming a unique part of people’s local identity, sense of belonging and aspirations for their water future.
3. Sydney is filled with beautiful green and blue spaces that celebrate water, enhance liveability and provide multiple benefits for people and the environment.
4. Water governance supports a water sensitive Sydney through collaborative, integrated, adaptive and inclusive arrangements.
5. Sydney’s water and other resources are managed holistically to ensure the city’s long-term sustainability.
6. Adaptive, efficient and innovative water technologies and infrastructure systems support the prosperity and resilience of Sydney.
7. Community health, safety and wellbeing are ensured through reliable and flexible water system services that support equity and choice.

Splash recently held a Greater Sydney Overview of Water Smart Cities Forum, which included a presentation by Katie Hammer on the Vision and Transition Strategy for a Water Sensitive Greater Sydney. A breakout session with attendees identified the next steps for Sydney’s transition and how stakeholders and organisations might go about this.

The publication is an output of CRCWSC Integrated Research Project 1 (IRP1): Water sensitive city visions and transition strategies. Its companion document, the forthcoming Benchmarking, envisioning and transition planning for a water sensitive greater Sydney: final case report, provides a full description of the case study method and detailed analyses that underpin the results.

For more information

Contact Katie Hammer on +61 3 9905 4213 or katie.hammer@monash.edu