Thank you for a rewarding and successful year
We have just wrapped up another successful year for the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, one that was marked by some significant key highlights. I sincerely thank everyone for their hard work and dedication to our mission of making water sensitive cities a reality. My reflection for the year has been a glowing recognition of the increasing culture of cooperation and of a common mission amongst our partnership. The achievements we have made this year are through dedication and hard work towards fostering cooperation, building on our demonstrated excellence in research and research translation. We have a great team and we have great partners.
The year started with the executive team preparing for the major Commonwealth Government review of the CRCWSC, and ended with a very successful project development workshop that is a culmination of a five-city series of workshops with our stakeholders. Attended in total by 180 delegates from 115 stakeholders organisations, these workshops help identify stakeholder project needs and opportunities for the coming years.
The CRCWSC came through with flying colours in the major review by the Commonwealth Government with the review panel concluding that “Overall it was clear that the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities’ research delivers significant positive impact and benefits to the Australian urban water management industry”. This is recognition of the 130+ tangible outputs from our 1st tranche of projects that have and will continue to deliver value to our partner and stakeholders-at-large.
More than 220 government, industry and research participants in the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC) gathered in Brisbane in September for the 2nd Water Sensitive Cities Conference. I was very pleased with the feedback from industry and government attendees and the high level of engagement from the audience in the diverse array of research and case studies being presented.
We have a growing international recognition of our reputation for world class research and research translation. Our approach to interdisciplinary research across the social-technical arena was featured in an invited article in Nature in September. The CRCWSC signed a Centre of Excellence partnership agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in November, with the specific objective to undertake diagnostics and provide strategic advice to the bank in guiding development of investment programs in urban water infrastructure (in transforming developing cities into water sensitive cities). Our participation in strategic think-tank events in China with direct linkages to the Central Government is another example of the global reach of our work.
On behalf of the Board and the Executive Team, I wish you all a relaxing, safe and enjoyable Christmas and holiday break. 2016 promises to be another rewarding and high achieving year for the CRCWSC partnership.
Tony Wong
Chief Executive
CRC for Water Sensitive Cities