There has been a proliferation of research into water planning in response to water reform in the past 5 years. Research has focused on reviewing water planning case studies, applying theoretical models and developing tools for planners.

Much of this research has not adequately described the real-world complexity of water planning. Planning theory often describes a linear process with minimal recognition of externalities. We have learnt that the only way to effectively engage in planning is by seeking opportunities to build on existing initiatives and responsing to local concerns.

As part of a regional water planning process we visited a remote indigenous community at the edge of Lake Gregory in the Kimberley,WA. We visited the community to discuss water planning. We came away with a collaborative research program to study fish parasites infesting local fish.

This is an atypical response to a typical problem in water planning. The greatest water issue for people at Lake Gregory was ‘worms in their fish’. In addition, the community was embarking on Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA) planning which was their current focus of cultural and environmental planning; there was not much room for other planning.

In this case we integrated water planning with IPA planning, addressed local issues through collaborative research and built capacity through tailored waterways education. These strategies were required to ensure that scarce regional capacity was strengthened and that our work respected existing planning effort and didn’t divert energy and focus. Above all, it was a necessary approach to engage community in water planning.