We're excited to share the latest in our Lorne: Water, Your Say project.

A newly established Lorne Community Working Group met for the first time as part of the Lorne: Water, Your Say program, which was launched in May 2023. This group will help Barwon Water design a sustainable and resilient water future by sharing their knowledge, local insights and the community’s priorities and values.

Why It Matters

We are moving to a hotter, drier and more variable climate where extremely dry conditions are possible year to year. In 2015/16, Lorne experienced hot and dry conditions that saw our storages at Lorne drop very quickly to levels where supply needed to be restricted and water carted to the town for the first time to supplement supplies.

Community Contributions

The newly formed Community Working Group, which met for the first time on Monday 25 September, contributed their thoughts to a critical flow study on the St George River – their connection to the river, memories, stories and what’s important to them. This study will ultimately determine how much water is required to support the river’s health.

This builds on the insights collected throughout Lorne in May 2023 with more than 125 community members at pop-ups and information sessions.

Being waterwise today and everyday

Whether you’re a permanent resident, a holiday home owner, or run a local business in Lorne, it’s important to be waterwise all year round.

Did you know we have a variety of support programs to help customers use water wisely? Our WaterAssist Home plumbing program helps residential customers with a free plumbing service to repair or replace inefficient water fittings to the value of $360. We also have WaterSmart rebate and WaterSmart grant programs to support local businesses to upgrade to more water efficient appliances or implement larger water saving projects. We’re here to help, so for more information about these programs, as well as tips and advice on ways to save get in touch or visit, www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au/water-and-waste/saving-...

And remember, it doesn’t matter if you’re a permanent resident or a visitor to the region, our Permanent Water Saving Rules (which are good water habits!) apply all year round.

Stay Informed

We will be out and about throughout Summer. For more details about when and where we will be, follow the Lorne: Water, Your Say project.