Water quality is essential for human and ecosystem health. In Australia and New Zealand, modelling of water quality is crucial for characterising and managing water resources and providing support for planning and regulation, yet current modelling practice does not meet these needs fully. This calls for re-thinking strategies and priorities for water quality modelling that include the broader modelling community (which encompasses practitioners, land–water managers who use model results, and those who collect data). There is little precedent of collaborative strategy development involving a broader modelling community. We therefore undertook a new initiative to develop long-term collaborative strategies and priorities for modelling water quality for Australia and New Zealand. Key findings from this process are presented in this commentary paper. Specifically, we convened a group of water quality modellers from different sectors (government, consulting, and academia) to collaboratively identify the current status and challenges, future visions and potential strategic areas of water quality modelling. Actions are proposed in the key areas of: making a stronger case for water quality modelling; community building; making data and models more available and accessible; and leveraging new and emerging technologies for data collection and modelling. Our process and findings are likely to resonate with modellers facing similar strategic challenges globally.