Greater Western Water continues to invest in communities across Melbourne's west

Greater Western Water (GWW) has awarded approximately $180,000 in grants and sponsorships to 26 local community groups across Melbourne’s west, supporting projects that strengthen community connections, celebrate culture, care for the environment and help local communities thrive.

The funding has been awarded through GWW’s Thriving Communities program, which provides award grants of up to $5,000 and $20,000 to community groups and organisations delivering projects that benefit local communities.  

General Manager Strategy and Partnerships, Kessia Thomson said this year’s program saw a record number of applications focused on water education, waterway health and environmental sustainability. 

“This year we are pleased to be supporting a large number of initiatives that promote grass roots programs around water literacy, sustainability and environmental stewardship, and it was fantastic to see more groups than ever with applications focused on water education and caring for local waterways,” she said. 

“We’re seeing more frequent dry conditions across our region, which makes it even more important to support local groups to help communities learn, connect and play their part in making every drop count,” she said. 

Several successful projects will help improve water literacy, protect waterways and promote sustainable living, including: 

• Jawbone Marine Sanctuary Care Group for The Creek and Bay Hands on Learning Program, combining habitat restoration, Indigenous cultural education and environmental science programs to improve the health of Kororoit Creek and Port Phillip Bay while building community stewardship. 

• Sanctuary of Sentient Beings for its Sanctuary Rewilding & Living Habitat Restoration Program in Beremboke. Located on Wadawurrung Country, the project will restore native habitat, protect waterways and strengthen biodiversity through revegetation, weed control, fencing and off-stream watering systems, helping landscapes, waterways and wildlife recover and thrive. 

• Footscray Community Arts for Lango Stage: Gathering on Country – Waterways, Culture and Community Integration, delivering First Nations-led cultural and ecological initiatives along the Maribyrnong River. 

• Werribee River Association for Platypus Watch: Putting Perridak Back on Track – Phase 2, expanding citizen science water quality monitoring and community education to help protect the Werribee River’s platypus population. 

• Celebrate Diversity Inc. for a multilingual water conservation program supporting culturally and linguistically diverse seniors across Wyndham. 

• Wyndham Bright Young Leaders for Every Drop Matters: Youth Water Action Project, empowering young people to promote water conservation and climate awareness. 

• Building Cultural Connections Australia for Flow Forward: Wise Women of Wyndham, helping women build practical water-saving and sustainability skills. 

Since its inception in 2022, Thriving Communities has supported more than 90 community-led projects, helping local organisations create opportunities for people to connect with each other, with Country and with the places they call home. 

The successful projects span GWW’s service region and reflect the breadth of community needs and aspirations, from environmental sustainability and waterway health to cultural celebration, youth development and social inclusion. 

“Thriving Communities helps our community deliver local events, projects and activities that connect people to community and Country, promote a sense of belonging and help our region prosper,” Ms Thomson said. 

For more information about the Thriving Communities program, and to see the full list of recipients visit gww.com.au/thriving-communities