Our FY1718 stakeholder annual report is out

The CRC for Water Sensitive Cities’ Stakeholder annual report FY1718 packages our work highlights for the year, and opens up our thinking about the CRC’s future.

In the report, our Chair, Cheryl Batagol, explains the CRC has made significant progress in delivering the impact that we envisioned. Well into Tranche 2 in FY1718, we focused on applying the knowledge that Tranche 1 generated. We added to our 700+ knowledge assets and 1,000 publications, grew our body of evidence of practical application, and secured opportunities for collaboration and research adoption.

In particular, we:

• completed three water sensitive city vision and transition strategies (IRP1) (with a further three completed in early FY1819)
• released beta testing versions of economic valuation tools (IRP2)
• identified infill typologies and case study sites (IRP4)
• produced scoping papers about integrated urban and water planning (IRP3) and high groundwater developments (IRP5).

Our international activities in India and China added to our understanding of how to implement water sensitive approaches in real world situations.

But Cheryl notes there is still much to do. The big question, then, is how we approach the expiry of the CRCWSC’s term in June 2021. Cheryl reveals early discussions with our Essential Participants Reference Group in February 2018 confirmed an appetite for a Tranche 3 program. Our Water Sensitive Cities Institute is one option for a post-2021 entity; another potentially complementary option is a new CRC entity. Cheryl explains how we’re managing this decision making and preparing for the transition.

Also in the report, we hear from our CEO, Professor Tony Wong. He notes the CRCWSC’s FY1718 activities focused on bringing water sensitive city visions to life, as we concentrate our research on the needs and priorities of Participants and industry.

Across the report, the message is clear: from a strong focus in FY1718 on fostering the uptake of WSC principles, the CRCWSC now seeks more opportunities to generate value for existing Participants, and create new markets for, our commercial Participants.

Download the report to find out more about our activities in FY1718.