Water Sensitive and Liveable Communities in Regional and Remote Australia

Insights from research and practice suggest that while many Australian cities have made substantial progresses towards water sustainability and liveability outcomes, many regional and remote urban settlements risk falling behind. This is due in-part to a lack of access to contextually appropriate information, tools, resources and capacities.

As part of the Federal Governments National Environmental Science Program (NESP), researchers from Monash University, Curtin University and CSIRO are jointly conducting research exploring the potential for networked tools, resourcing, training and capacity building processes to support water and liveability outcomes in regional, rural and remote Australian communities.

Key priorities include:
• Listening carefully to what is happening in these contexts- identifying past and existing water and liveability progress, challenges and opportunities
• Identifying the way tools, knowledge products, networks and guidance can support immediate and long-term outcomes
• Identifying the appropriate pathways to operationalise these through systematised, place-centred approaches.

This report presents findings from a national survey and series of knowledge-holder workshops, detailing progress to date in addressing these priorities. We conclude by presenting a conceptual framework for system strengthening outcomes for regional and remote water service provision and liveability. overall finds highlight the importance for networked and place-based "anchoring instution" style initiatives to foster systematised approaches and networked capacities for the scaled adoption and sustainability of outcomes.