CRC for Water Sensitive Cities – one year on

From the CEO

The CRC is now one year into its operation and how fast the year has gone. We have achieved a lot this year, but there is much more to be done.

Achievements

• We have established the administrative structure for the CRC and have now commenced 27 projects involving multiple research organisations.
• We have established our stakeholder advisory, and research advisory, sub-committees for each of the research programs.
• Since 1st of July 2012, we have convened two very successful and well-attended industry partners’ workshops, Brisbane in September 2012 and Perth in April 2013. Two researchers’ workshops were also convened, the second in May 2013 bringing together over 90 researchers across 20 research disciplines to foster integration and inter-disciplinary research outcomes.
• We have presented 26 seminars in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Dubbo – this is on average once every other week over the year.
• The CRC Board have met five times and have come together with the CRC Executive on developing the Strategic Plan for the CRC twice.
• Three new organisations have joined the CRC and a few more are expected in the coming months.

blueprint2013

The Cities as Water Supply Catchments projects continue to progress throughout this first year; blueprint2013 Stormwater Management in a Water Sensitive City will be issued in the next week together with the release of the beta version of modelling modules for simulating the effects of stormwater management on stream ecosystem health, urban micro-climate and peak flow reduction. A module directed at simulating the effect on planning rules on the types and distribution of WSUD elements will also be featured.

Awards

Our researchers continue to be recognised for their excellence, notably Professor Ana Deletic being awarded the Victoria Prize for excellence in science and Professor Jurg Keller named the AWA Water Professional of the Year.

More to come in 2013/14

There is still much to do as we continue to ramp up our activities in FY13/14. There will be more workshops and seminars as insights and outputs from the new projects start to roll in to supplement the research insights of the Cities as Water Supply Catchments projects. Our international engagement will commence ramping up in FY13/14 with a number of potential new international partners.

In addition, we will place a high priority in commencing research activities in Singapore and in the establishment of the Water Sensitive Cities Design Institute. A research design workshop, the first of two planned, will be held in Singapore on the 16th and 17th of July to commence three projects. The Water Sensitive Cities Design Institute will be launched in the latter half of this calendar year and will provide the platform for research synthesis around real projects. We are planning to hold at least three design charrettes in the next twelve months. Small to medium enterprises will also have the opportunity to access CRC knowledge and participate in CRC activities through joining the Design Institute.

Professor Tony Wong
CEO