The existing Technical Guidelines for Waterway Management (2007) have served as a resource to guide physical interventions on Victorian waterways by waterway managers, project offices and statutory planners for thirteen years. Advancement in the scientific understanding of waterways, management approaches and the advent of new technical tools available to design interventions means that an updated and modernised set of technical guidelines are needed.
This project encompassed an update to these guidelines where fluvial geomorphology and a clear, succinct link between problems and solutions through a decision framework was placed at the heart. The updated guidelines were developed in partnership with nine Victoria CMAs, Melbourne Water, DEECA and the consulting industry. A combination of industry workshops and peer-review the content, structure and usability of the guidelines were refined.
Using a four-step process, the guidelines help waterway managers decide if, where and how to intervene with onground works to manage one or more of four geomorphic processes: incision, aggradation, meander migration and avulsion. A comprehensive set of analysis methods and design aids support this process and the design of site-scale interventions in both urban and rural environments.
By capturing the latest science, management practices and the substantial experience in waterway management embedded within Victoria’s CMAs and Melbourne Water, the updated guidelines provide an invaluable resource for the wider industry. The updated guidelines add to the growing body of guidelines and standards that support waterway management and the drive for better outcomes for waterways and the values they support.