Waterways, Victoria

Waterways Melbourne, Victoria
Main Lake at Waterways, Victoria
Waterways
Coordinates	38°00′58″S 145°07′48″E / 38.016°S 145.130°E / -38.016; 145.130
Population	2,422 (2021 census)[1]
Established	2002
Postcode(s)	3195
Location	25 km (16 mi) from Melbourne 5 km (3 mi) from Mordialloc
LGA(s)	City of Kingston
State electorate(s)	Mordialloc
Federal division(s)	Isaacs
Suburbs around Waterways: Braeside Keysborough Braeside Waterways Keysborough Aspendale Gardens Bangholme

Waterways is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 25 km (16 mi) south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Kingston local government area. Waterways recorded a population of 2,422 at the 2021 census.^[1]

Originally a housing development, it is surrounded by the much larger suburbs of Braeside, Aspendale Gardens, Keysborough and Bangholme, and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway traverses the western side of the suburb. It is Australia's only suburb that's 20% parkland and 40% water, and over 46 hectares (110 acres) of wildlife sanctuary were artificially created in and around the old wetlands along the Mordialloc Creek (a distributary of lower Dandenong Creek), hence the suburb's name.

The suburb's location is environmentally sensitive as it is situated directly between two important conservation areas, the Braeside Park and Edithvale Wetlands. Planning permits are strictly regulated and gardens monitored to prevent the introduction of foreign species that may become invasive and threaten the abundant native wildlife in the area. The Mornington Peninsula branch of the Bird Observers Club of Australia or PENBOC have documented 105 different species of birds in the area, and domestic cats are forbidden for this reason.