Who are we
The Cooks River Alliance is a partnership between councils in the Cooks River Catchment –Bayside, Canterbury-Bankstown, Inner West, Strathfield and Sydney Water.
Since 1997, councils and others along the river and across the catchment have worked together to improve the health of the Cooks River. Over this time the Alliance governance structure has adapted to changing priorities and circumstances.
What We Do
The Alliance uses the combined resources, experience, knowledge and skills within the councils and the community to address the complex environmental problems of the Cooks River.
The Alliance has eight goals across three focus areas:
- An Alliance of valued partnerships
- Advocacy for the health of the river, catchment and habitats
- Communities taking action
More details on Alliance focus areas, goals and strategies can be found in our 2022-2025 strategic plan, A River for Place and People.
Alliance Structure
The Alliance operates at five levels: Management Committee, Executive Committee, the Catchment Congress, Theme Teams and Cooks River Alliance Secretariat.
The Management Committee provides strategic direction and makes decisions on Alliance activities. The Committee consists of nominated Councillors from Councils that have made an agreed financial contribution to the Alliance. These are Bayside Council, City of Canterbury Bankstown, Inner West Council and Strathfield Council.
The Executive Committee of senior Council staff provides administrative direction to the Secretariat and advice to the Management Committee.
The Catchment Congress is an essential function of the Alliance< governance structure. The Congress provides information, advice and recommendations to the Alliance Management Committee. Members of the Congress can be representatives from all levels of government, public authorities and community organisations, and where appropriate, industry and business.
Theme teams are subcommittees of the Congress formed around specific issues and projects, such as developing the Cooks River Catchment Coastal Management Program. Teams can be long or short term and make recommendations to the Congress around policy and actions.
The Alliance staff are a resource for all member councils, providing recommendations to the Management Committee and implementing Alliance actions. Alliance staff work to provide a whole of catchment service and support the governance structure of the Alliance. The Secretariat is hosted by the City of Canterbury Bankstown.
Partners & Stakeholders
Each member council of the Alliance has signed a Memorandum of Understanding and has made a financial contribution to support the day-to-day running of the Alliance.
Cooks River Alliance stakeholders are those people, groups and organisations who make decisions that affect the catchment on a day-to-day basis including residents, businesses, schools, utility companies, and government agencies.