Change is difficult when investment and leadership in the mental healthcare system is poor. Victoria’s monetary investment is low compared with the rest of Australia, and grossly disproportionate compared with funding for physical health. Without a federal level discussion of what is needed and who is responsible in terms of leadership and funding, it will be difficult to implement change.

Despite the changes that occurred after European settlement, Melbourne’s urban waterways still contain remnant ecosystems, which faintly echo the diversity they once displayed. In addition to their contribution to the city’s environmental values, urban waterways also provide important social, economic, and aesthetic benefits.

Dr Ross Wissing’s decade working in WaterWatch showed him how to help local communities work with natural resource managers to learn about, understand, and improve the health of their local waterways. Ross fears declining investment means many of the mistakes of the past, and lessons learned, have been forgotten – and are now being repeated.

Microalgae have been gaining attention as a sustainable, less energy-intensive method for wastewater treatment. This involves growing them in the effluent, where they consume compounds containing nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as heavy metals, pesticides, and particular toxins. Microalgae view these as valuable nutrients, effectively removing pollutants from the water.

A lot must go right for us to have water for people and the environment here in Victoria. It’s got to be the right amount, of the right quality, at the right time and place. It’s something that many of us take for granted. The systems and institutions that get that water to us—the infrastructure, governance, maintenance practices, and demand management—are largely invisible to us.