The Governing Board held its meeting in Canberra recently and considered a range of interesting developments. On our side the Board received reports from several key staff including Kelvin Montagu who gave an update on the CRCs Education Program.

It was pleasing to note that we are on target with our capacity building aim of 50 post-graduate students on their way to completion.

On a sad note we accepted the resignation of Peter Cornish as Research Program Leader. Peter has retired from the University of Western Sydney but he will still be pursuing some research interests as an associate.

Speaking of people leaving, Shahbaz Khan has accepted a prestigious appointment as the ‘Chief of Section on Sustainable Water Resources Development and Management’ with UNESCO in Paris. This is certainly a significant honour and I, with the Chairman and board of CRC IF, offer our congratulations and best wishes to Shahbaz on his appointment.

Also at the Board meeting we met with staff from the Commonwealth CRC Programme and CRC Association to get an update on the change of government, new minister and so on.

The Innovation Review was top of the page and to quote Michael Hartmann from the CRCA, “The CRC Review is not about change, rather it is about evolution. It's about steering the ship on the right course, rather than merely shuffling the deck chairs.” For more information go to the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research website.

One consequence of the Innovation Review is the delay in the next selection round for CRCs. Originally the new CRCs would have commenced in July 2009 but the review and subsequent adjustment to the new guidelines will probably push that out to January 2010 at the earliest. Food for thought given that this CRC is due to close it’s doors in June 2010.

Ian Atkinson

The Picturing Water Use and Justice PhotoVoice exhibition (mentioned in INFLO, December 2007) is on now at the Adelaide Fringe 2008.

The exhibition is an example of the innovative research technique PhotoVoice, in which participants are given a disposable camera and a diary to craft a “photo essay”.

Hosted by Artlab Australia, the exhibition is a key part of UniSA’s Centre for Comparative Water Policies and Laws (CCWPL) research for the Cooperative Research Centre for Irrigation Futures (CRC IF).

CCWPL Director and CRC IF Project Leader Professor Jennifer McKay said the aim of the research project is to learn about the perceptions and attitudes among large volume water users on current water policy, usage and regulations.

“The PhotoVoice exercise complements our other, more traditional research methods by giving us insights into how the irrigators view water,” she said.

"The story the exhibition tells is about drought, the sense of attachment to land, and the growing focus on sustainable management.

“The preliminary conclusions are that the PhotoVoice exercise provides a deep engagement of the community in the research project.”

Several hundred photographs were taken in South Australia’s South East and in New South Wales’ Murrumbidgee region.

At the end of the PhotoVoice exercise, the participants got together to look at each other’s pictures and to discuss the topics raised by them. The final selection of photographs was made by the participants themselves and will also be shown in the case study regions.

The entire research project is expected to be completed within two years.

Picturing Water Use and Justice opened on February 21 at Artlab Australia, 70 Kintore Avenue, Adelaide. The exhibition is open from 9am to 5pm weekdays until Friday March 14.

Prior to joining the CRC for Irrigation Futures, Virginie Gillet studied agronomy at the Enita Clermont, in France and completed a Masters of Science in Social Water Management at the National Center for Agronomic Study in Hot Areas, in Montpellier, France.

Virginie’s work experience includes Editorial Assistant for Agronomy: Agriculture & Environment, a French peer reviewed journal (now called Agronomy for Sustainable Development); Water Consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office in Latin America and the Caribbean; and Associate Professional Officer for the FAO Special Programme International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage.

Virginie commenced her CRC IF research project at the University of South Australia in September of last year. Her research looks at the water reallocation process and contributes to the Social, Cultural, Institutional and Policy Frameworks project.

“There is an over-allocation of water from basins and aquifers in Australia," Virginie said. "The flow required for environmental sustainability has not been considered in many water management areas.”

The aim of Virginie’s project is to look at the way the water reallocation and planning process occurs in order to achieve Environmental Sustainable Development.

“Around the world awareness of the need of environmental flows and of addressing over-allocation is rising,” Virginie said.

“The lessons and impacts of current Australian water planning will be very useful for other countries when dealing with the introduction of environmental flows.

“Agriculture will be expected to save water in the future in order to contribute to this environmental allocation. Being an agronomist and involved in agricultural water management, this issue is a high priority for me.”

Virginie expects to complete her CRC IF project in June 2010.

“With my background in water management in developing countries, I hope to be able to dedicate and apply the Australian experience acquired during my PhD studies to developing countries again.”

The Irrigation Futures of the Goulburn Broken Catchment project used scenario planning coupled with extensive stakeholder engagement to develop a vision and strategies for irrigated agriculture in the Goulburn Broken catchment over the next 30 years.

The Irrigation Futures of the Goulburn Broken Catchment series of reports is now available online at the CRC for Irrigation Futures website. These web resources provide readers with guidance on the processes used and key outputs from the project.

The major output provides an overview of the region, future challenges and opportunities, four scenarios of how the future might unfold, and strategies that various groups within the region may wish to consider as they reposition themselves for change (Scenarios of the future).

The other key output is an overview of the processes used with stakeholders in scenario formulation, impact assessment and strategy development (Regional scenario planning in practice). This is provided as a guide to assist other regions wishing to use a similar approach within their community.

Other elements of the project (both processes such as the stakeholder engagement plan, and specific outputs such as guidelines for achieving flexibility within irrigation service delivery) are also provided as a model which other users can adapt to their own needs.

The reports can be downloaded via the link below.

More information...

The CRC for Irrigation Futures would like to congratulate PhD graduate Ganesh Keremane who has been awarded the CRC IF Directors Award.

The award is given to high performing candidates for on-time completion of thesis and scientific publications.

As part of the award, Ganesh will have an approved conference registration and related travel costs paid by the CRC IF to a maximum value of $3,000.

The award will be presented at the 2008 Annual Research Forum in September.

More information...

On Tuesday 12 February over 35 participants from local councils, government agencies, CRC IF partners and a range of other stakeholders attended the Water Matters for Western Sydney Research Forum held on the Hawkesbury Campus of the University of Western Sydney (UWS).

The forum was jointly organised by UWS and the University of New England as part of CRC IF’s System Harmonisation research for the Western Sydney RIBP.

The aim of the forum was to bring together researchers, stakeholders, government agencies and community groups on a common platform to understand and explore issues, challenges and opportunities for sustainable water futures of Western Sydney region; and create awareness of water issues and challenges of Western Sydney and increase opportunities for networking and collaboration across institutions and agencies.

Professor Vijay P. Singh from Texas A & M University gave the keynote presentation titled ‘Hydrology of urban and peri-urban landscapes: international experience and context for Western Sydney’. Other presentations by researchers from NSW DPI, UWS and UNE focussed on food security issues, opportunities for water cycle harmonisation through RIBP, adequacy of water supplies in the South Creek Catchment, issues of stakeholder engagement, the value of water in social, environmental and economic contexts and institutional and policy challenges for the Western Sydney RIBP.

The forum ended with a panel discussion that further confirmed the complexity and difficulties of water cycle harmonisation in urban/peri-urban landscape and provided opportunities for collaboration with a range of stakeholders and governement agencies.

Entries in the 2008 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are now open!

Presented annually by the Australian Museum, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes reward excellence in the categories of:

Opportunity for entry into the 2008 Riversymposium Young Water Scientist Award is now open to any young scientist currently undertaking postgraduate research on water through any recognised institution within Australia.

This award promotes excellence in the development of young scientists who are capable researchers, communicators and innovative thinkers.

To recognise postgraduate water researchers who demonstrate these characteristics, the International Riversymposium in partnership with GHD and the Water Forum CRCs will present an award to a Young Water Scientist at the 11th International Riversymposium held in Brisbane, 1 - 4 September 2008.

The International Riversymposium is now managing this prestigious award to provide opportunities for researchers throughout Australia to enter. The award was an initiative of the Water Forum CRCs.

Postgraduate research students (PhD) who are either in the final stages of their projects or who have submitted their theses since 1 March 2007 on research topics relating to water are invited to apply to the International Riversymposium organisers now!

For details on how to apply visit the Riversymposium website.

More information...

What would one need to put in place to fix the Murray Darling Basin's problems no matter what climatic future arrives? What would a future-proofed MDB entitlement system look like?

This question was to be answered in a droplet but two pages wasn't enough. The answer required a full report, which can be downloaded at the link below.

The report proposes a confident step-change to a future-proofed regime that a Minister could confidently describe as likely to work - likely to work no mater what climatic regime the future brings us.

A new entitlement system, as well as a new plan, is needed. We need to a system that has integrity. Until the property-right foundations upon which the Basin is run are fixed, problems will continue to occur.

Earlier droplets and many reports related to water policy can be downloaded from www.myoung.net.au or at the link below.

More information...