The new CRC for Water Sensitive Cities brings together the inter-disciplinary research expertise and thought-leadership to undertake research that will revolutionise water management in Australia and overseas. In collaboration with over 70 research, industry and government partners, we will deliver the socio-technical urban water management solutions, education and training programs, and industry engagement required to make towns and cities water sensitive.
Globally, urban growth will add 1.5 billion people to cities by 2030, making the difficult task of urban water provisions even more challenging. In the article Global Urban Growth and the Geography of Water Availability, Quality, and Delivery, the authors develop a conceptual framework of urban water provision as composed of three axes: water availability, water quality, and water delivery. For each axis, quantitative proxy measures are calculated for all cities with more than 50,000 residents, and then the strategies cities are using in response if they are deficient on one of the axes are briefly discussed.
Participants are encouraged to submit their photos of water – the good, bad and the ugly – in western Sydney for the Water in the Landscape Photo Competition. The photo competition is open to any photo that captures water in a natural or urban environment and has three categories – schools, individuals 16 years and over, and individuals 15 years and younger. First, second and third prizes will be awarded for each category. The competition closes on 31 July 2012.
Commercial and industrial companies that can demonstrate recent water savings are encouraged to nominate for the 2012 Prime Minister’s Water Wise Award. The Award is now in its third year and recognises the significant savings in water use achieved by businesses in the commercial and industrial sectors. These sectors, on average, use around 15 to 20 per cent of urban water in Australia. Greater water efficiency in commercial and industrial operations takes pressure off fresh water supplies in urban and regional areas. Nominations will close on Friday 20 July 2012.
The Living Melbourne Living Victoria Implementation Plan recommends the changes required to Melbourne’s water system to ensure it is able to support Melbourne’s needs into the future, in the face of continued population growth and an uncertain climate. While the plan focuses specifically on Melbourne, the principles applied and approaches developed have broad applicability across Victoria’s regional urban communities.
A consultation statement has been prepared that aims to encourage water sensitive urban design across South Australia and suggests targets for water conservation, stormwater management and environmental water quality and community feedback is invited on the new approach. The feedback will be used to develop a water sensitive urban design policy for South Australia.
In November 2011 the Australian Government announced funding of almost $148 million for world-class collaborative research and innovation under the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program. The funding includes $30 million for the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities and $28 million for the CRC for Low Carbon Living.
The CRC for Water Sensitive Cities will deliver the socio-technical urban water management solutions, education and training programs, and industry engagement required to make Australian towns and cities water sensitive.
The CRC for Low Carbon Living brings together key property, planning and policy organisations with leading Australian researchers to develop new social, technological and policy tools for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment.
The Productivity Commission’s final inquiry report into Australia’s Urban Water Sector was released on 12 October 2011. In undertaking the inquiry, the Commission identified opportunities for efficiency gains in the structural, institutional, regulatory and other arrangements that govern the sector.
The National Water Commission has released the third biennial assessment of the National Water Initiative (NWI). It reviews the extent to which the initiative has improved the sustainable management of Australia’s water resources and contributed to the national interest. The assessment also reports on impacts on regional, rural and urban communities.
Urban Developer can model and assess systems based on multiple and alternative service delivery strategies, for successful Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM). This next generation software tool from eWater challenges the conventional silo approach to modeling the different streams of the urban water cycle of stormwater, waste water, water supply and re-use options.