Natural resource management requires a proactive effort to protect, enhance and conserve water resources. This is based on the principles that people should be able to live in a clean and safe environment, that quality and availability of water should be protected and that natural ecosystems be maintained. It is essential to have clean and healthy public and private water supplies, and for waterways and wetlands to be preserved or enhanced.

Protection and enhancement of water quality, and the environments that depend on water, ensures that we have clean, high quality water supplies, clean groundwater, and healthy, productive wetlands and waterways (rivers and estuaries) now and in the future.
The protection of wetlands, waterways and water supplies and the restoration of degraded environments are carried out through land use planning and management, by government and industry. This involves developing policies to protect water resources, tackling major environmental threats such as salinity, auditing the effects of land use and where necessary arranging remedial works.

Works on the ground, usually undertaken in conjunction with local government or community groups, include erosion control, revegetation and weed control, provision of public access and facilities, and restoration of river pools.