Now you can test whether your city is water sensitive (and prove it)

You can now benchmark your city (or town) against indicators of a water sensitive city.

Whether your city or town is just starting the transition to becoming a water sensitive city, or already well on its way, you will need evidence of what you’ve achieved. For the first time, a Water Sensitive Cities (WSC) Index is available to measure your city’s performance.

The CRCWSC’s index is a (fee-for-service) tool for benchmarking against 34 indicators that characterise a water sensitive city. It will let you know whether you’re close to being a water sensitive city, or whether you need to do more.

The index helps you by:

• fostering collaboration among stakeholders. The index uses a workshop based process (run by an accredited consultant) to gather experts, professionals and other interested groups. Everyone involved in the water cycle can come together to start the collaborative relationships needed to bring about real change.
• describing the key attributes of a water sensitive city. You can ensure workshop participants think about WSC concepts and principles in the same way.
• benchmarking your city’s water sensitive performance. The index translates the indicator scores into several measures of city status, to show the city’s progress towards greater water sensitivity.
• articulating shared WSC goals. The index helps participants identify what the city needs to improve, and how to improve.
• catering to different stakeholders. An accredited consultant presents and explains the index results during the workshop, so different participants can ask questions that are specific to their sector. The consultant then prepares a benchmarking and assessment report.
• supplying reliable evidence to use in seeking project funding or approval, and to track progress over time. The index is functional, reliable and scientifically robust. It has undergone two years of testing and validation with industry partners.
• becoming part of a unique network of water sensitive cities. Connect to a growing network of Australian and international cities, to share knowledge and learnings that can help as you transition to a water sensitive city.

Here’s how you can start

Visit the website or contact the CRCWSC or one of our WSC Index accredited consultants:

Melissa McGrath (from Josh Byrne & Associates, Western Australia)

Fiona Chandler (from Alluvium, Queensland)

Richard McManus (from Alluvium, New South Wales)

Helen Brookes (from Urbaqua, Western Australia)

Shelley Shepherd (from Urbaqua, Western Australia)

Sally Boer (from E2Designlab, Queensland)

Sara Lloyd (from E2Designlab, Victoria)

Lindsey Brown (from Foundry Consulting, Victoria).

We’ll explain how the index works, how long it takes to run, and what it costs.

You can also download a copy of our WSC Index value proposition flyer.