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.
After just over two years of very intensive activity, the Hawkesbury-Nepean River Recovery Program (HNRRP) is coming to an end, having successfully delivered its intended outcomes on time and under budget. The final edition of HNRRP e-news reflects on some of the major achievements from the seven HNRRP projects and celebrates the great work that has been done to improve the health of the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment. The Hawkesbury-Nepean river system frames the western edge of the Sydney Basin and is one of New South Wales’ most important natural assets.
The Australian Government is calling for applications for funding to support eligible stormwater harvesting and reuse projects under the National Urban Water and Desalination Plan: stormwater harvesting and reuse grants round. Projects are sought that capture, treat and use stormwater to ease the pressure on drinking water supplies and deliver improved water quality to our urban waterways. Applications are due by Wednesday, 7 December 2011 (5pm AEDT).
The last edition of HNRRP e-news discussed how the Hawkesbury-Nepean River Recovery Program is meeting one of its key objectives – the prevention of an estimated 48.2 tonnes of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) entering the Hawkesbury-Nepean river system each year. In the June 2011 edition of HNRRP e-news we look at our other key objective – securing 7.24 gigalitres (billion litres) per year for additional environmental flows in the Hawkesbury-Nepean river system. You can also read about the HNRRP projects and how they are progressing as the program nears completion.