Melbourne Water are delighted to announce that we have awarded Jacobs the contract to deliver a comprehensive flood mitigation study for the Lower Maribyrnong River catchment. Jacobs is one of the world’s largest providers of flood modelling and mitigation services and has delivered major flood mitigation projects around the world.

Jacobs will draw on its Melbourne-based and international teams to design a plan that works for the unique needs of the Lower Maribyrnong River and its community. Jacobs has delivered major flood mitigation projects in many cities around the world, including the award-winning East Side Coastal Resiliency project in New York and the Thames Estuary tidal defence program in London.

We conducted a rigorous assessment process to choose Jacobs, which involved:

• engaging an external probity advisor to ensure the procurement process was fair and in line with government policies
• seeking independent subject matter expertise and advice during the technical evaluation of submissions.

Meet the project team

Register to meet the project team including Jacobs’ representatives, and find out more about the mitigation study, at our online webinar on Wednesday 19 February 2025 at 6pm to 6.30pm.

Next steps

In February 2025, we will share more information on the flood mitigation study, once Jacobs has been onboarded. This includes:

• timelines for key stages of the mitigation study project
• ways you can get involved at each stage
• how your views will inform decision-making.

Get involved

In the meantime, we encourage you to have your say on flood mitigation options and register your interest in the study by completing our survey by Sunday 9 February 2025.

You'll then have the opportunity to provide feedback on the most suitable options once community engagement begins in early 2025.

To sign up for further updates on the mitigation study click the ‘follow’ button at the top of this page.