Source 2012 Conference Proceedings Now Available

The recent  Source 2012 conference attracted 180 delegates who heard from a range of speakers about how  Source

models can be used to assist river and waterway management. Source has been adopted as Australia’s national hydrological modelling platform so it will be important for all of us working in natural resources management to be aware of the power of the models and how they can be used to underpin decision making. If you would like to learn more about Source, or  review the presentations,  many of them are now  available on the e-Water website.

A new Source Community of Practice has also been established to share knowledge and assist people to apply Source models to ‘real life’ river management issues.  If you would like  to be involved in the Source Community of Practice please email: contact@ewater.com.au.

e-Water also invites you to keep  informed of their not-for profit work by subscribing to regular email updates or by connecting with them on Facebook or Twitter through this link.

 e-Water

Learning about community engagement from Abundant Water

Sunny Forsyth from Abundant Water is passionate about teaching people without access to clean water to make a filter using materials that are easily accessible (clay and coffee grounds).  Sunny spends much of his time in Lao but returns to Australia regularly to share what he is doing and to seek ongoing support from organisations and individuals alike.

Abundant Water have recently produced this video which I think is well worth a look as it presents the approach they use to engaging people in small communities.  What I like about it is that Sunny and his team have thought through the economic, cultural and social aspects of a local persons life and developed a product that can be made within that framework.  I hope you enjoy watching Sunny and maybe think about making a contribution.  If you are off to Lao

anytime soon, Abundant Water now offer tours of their compound so you can experience first hand the power of sharing knowledge to improve people’s lives.

Siwan

More Groundwater Publications from the National Water Commission

The NWC has issued the following Waterlines Reports:

Guidance for groundwater storage utilisation in water planning describes how extraction regimes should be selected as part of the

planning process by weighing up the benefits of extraction versus the risks associated with changes to water levels, pressures, recharge and discharge on both short and long term basis.  (Download from NWC)

Australian groundwater modelling guidelines highlights the development of updated guidelines that promote a consistent and sound approach to groundwater flow and solute transport models in Australia. (Download from NWC)

‘Assessment of groundwater licensing, metering and extraction estimation arrangements and techniques in Australia’ provides a summary of jurisdictional progress towards achieving the licensing and metering expectations of the National Water Initiative (NWI), and considers alternative extraction estimation arrangements given the practical difficulties in achieving full metering over the short to medium term.  (Download from NWC)

Happiness is looking at the world from a different perspective

Dr Tim Sharp posted this blog which I thought I would share with all of you.  Tim talks about how we can take a different look at the world as happiness is often there, amidst the real troubles of the world,we just don’t tend to look for it.

River to Reef – Thank you Healthy Waterways Alliance

Mackay

Last week I spent three days in Mackay participating in the Healthy Waterways Alliance Workshop and Symposium.  I had a really interesting time and became very aware of how living in the Murray-Darling Basin tends to obscure everything else going on in this big country of ours.  As we flew into Mackay I was astounded to see ship upon ship, all waiting for the opportunity to come into port and load up with coal.  Mackay is entering an interesting period of history with the relatively new coal industry expanding, and the traditional sugar and grazing industries adapting to changes in land and water management practices.  Socially this will be a testing time for the region, with a disparity in income and a demographic mix that will present challenges.  Environmentally, having that beautiful reef on your doorstep means that you are acutely aware of how our actions on land are impacting on this precious part of our planet.

I was heartened to meet such fabulous and committed people working on behalf of all of us to look after this part of Australia.  The presentations at the Symposium were high quality and ranged from fish passage, to log jams, sediment reduction approaches and reef research – I learnt so much.  The Beaconsfield Public School children who are “Reef Guardians” stole the show with their knowledge, concern and

love for the reef shining through as they talked about the practical steps they have put in place to look after turtles, reduce sediment and pollution, and revegetate for biodiversity conservation.  I also enjoyed celebrating the achievements of local sugar growers who had put in place innovative practices to reduce their environmental impact.

I always feel privileged to be asked to go to someone’s ‘home patch’ and share the things I feel are important, and this trip added to my wealth of positive experiences working in Natural Resources Management.  Thank you Sal, Mel, Kerri, Claire and Rob for inviting me up to Reef Catchments, and an extra special thank you to the lovely Julie for looking after me so well.

Siwan