A not-for-profit, a state-owned corporation and philanthropic organisation are combining their strengths to drive systems change.
The Sydney Drinking Water Catchment (SDWC) covers 16 thousand square kilometres, 38% of which is agricultural land. About 60% of the NSW population consumes water supplied by creeks and streams in these areas. Climate change and long-term degradation issues are putting increasing pressure on these important landscapes.
Mulloon Institute’s new Water Stewardship Program has been developed in partnership with WaterNSW and is empowering communities to respond to these challenges. It marks a turning point for WaterNSW, which is aiming to advance its approach to waterway and landscape restoration in response to evaluation, insight and lessons learned.
The Program will drive community collaboration, and fund innovative landscape-scale projects across the SDWCs that restore local water cycles and enhance water quality, security and catchment health. The pilot phase of the program will run from 2025-2027. A series of demonstration projects will provide proof-of-concept for how the funding guidelines and Expression of Interest processes will work in the long term.
The Water Stewardship Program’s Pilot Phase Expression of Interest form is available for download.
Funding Guidelines for Landholders & Community
Project types, eligibility, funding and more!
The Regenerative Power of Water
Alongside WaterNSW, we have created a publication that clarifies how and why landscape rehydration heals landscapes, and the steps involved in applying these methods to care for the precious water that flows through our catchments.
Photo Gallery – click on photos to enlarge
Backing from The Ian Potter Foundation is enabling the Institute to adopt a community-centric and innovative approach to program design. Tailored resources, community events and capacity-building will also be part of the pilot phase which aims to foster and support emerging communities of practice (CoPs). Collaborative approaches to water stewardship among farmers, custodians, Landcare, local councils, businesses and other community stakeholders will be encouraged. These key elements will all contribute to the formation of a robust, adaptable program supported by WaterNSW for the long term.
“We are building a water stewardship culture that safeguards the long-term vitality of our waterways and landscapes.”
WaterNSW
“We have long needed a well-designed funding pathway for community-led projects focused on water quality, security and climate resilience and are thrilled that we can now make this happen”.
Carolyn Hall – CEO, Mulloon Institute
Deep dive into the project so far
One Year On – first year roundup (March 2026)
The Regenerative Power of Water publication – download or purchase (September 2025)
Launch of The Regenerative Power of Water publication at the Mulloon Field Day (November 2025)
Building resilient landscapes in Hartley Vale (November 2025)
Bowral Co-op Grower Information Series (September 2025)
Bundanon Art Museum’s 2025 Science Week Symposium (August 2025)
Science Week: Celebrating the Hydrological Landscape (August 2025)
Sharing knowledge at the Bombay Catchment Field Day (August 2025)
Launch of the Water Stewardship Program (May 2025)
A taste of gamification – innovative training for WSP staff (March 2025)
Announcing the Water Stewardship Program partnership (March 2025)
Our approach – Building Communities of Practice
This program can offer a suite of hands-on programs in landscape
rehydration and restoration, from presentations, workshops and
bootcamps to mentoring programs and tailored farm tours. Our
programs can be catered to your community.
Field Days
Introducing the Mulloon Institute's approach to fostering drought resilience and restoring degraded land. Participants gain a foundational understanding of landscape processes and the critical role of water cycling in functional landscapes.
Bootcamps
A skills-based, two-day course to build participants' capacity to implement a landscape rehydration project and optimise water cycling on their property.
Mentoring
Select bootcamp graduates are offered one-on-one mentoring to support them to design, plan and implement a low-risk project.
Professionals Program
Natural resource management professionals and community leaders are supported to advance their technical skills in landscape rehydration and strengthen their community engagement strategies to support improved ecological and farming outcomes in their region.
Project Day
A practical, on-ground event for the whole community to see a project designed and built resulting from the Mentoring Program
... and more!
We're excited to collaborate with your community.
Interested?
Mulloon Institute welcomes interest from across the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment to take part in this pilot phase. If you or your community are interested in learning more, please submit an EOI form.
Funding partnerships
