Townsville Transition Strategy (IRP1-TS3)
Introduction
Townsville presents a unique opportunity to demonstrate how the IRP1 process could be used to catalyse stakeholder and community action to address the water-related issues currently experienced in Townsville. The current severe drought combined with development opportunities and attention on the Great Barrier Reef provide an excellent opportunity for testing the processes involved in IRP1.
Townsville will undergo a preliminary process to develop a benchmark of its current water sensitive performance, a vision of Townsville as a future water sensitive city, and strategies for achieving the vision. These outcomes will be achieved through two in-depth sessions with stakeholders to explore the local challenges and aspirations related to becoming a water sensitive city.
Session 1 was held across two days (8 - 9 November, 2017), with each day having a specific objective:
Day 1: Benchmarking Townsville's water sensitive performance
The purpose of this workshop was to benchmark Townsville's current water sensitive performance using the Water Sensitive Cities (WSC) Index. Stakeholders from across Townsville's water, planning, and development sectors attended the workshop to score each of the goals and indicators. The scores determined in the workshop helped identify current gaps and challenges in the system, which were addressed in subsequent workshops.
Day 2: Envisioning a water sensitive Townsville
Day 2 focused on developing a vision for Townsville as a future water sensitive city. Workshop activities identified what characteristics Townsville needs to have in order to remain liveable, sustainable, and resilient in the face of future uncertain conditions. Stakeholders from across Townsville's water, planning, and development sectors engaged in the visioning activity.
The second session in Townsville was held on Tuesday 5 December, 2017. The workshop focused on refining the vision developed for Townsville as a water sensitive city, and developing a suite of high-level strategies for overcoming the current challenges and achieving the vision.
Reports
For further information, refer to the following reports: