Water Sector News

1. The Queensland Cabinet was briefed by the Bureau of Meteorology today on what to expect from the coming wet season. Premier and Minister for Reconstruction Anna Bligh said the Cabinet also received an update on the Government's implementation of the Commission of Inquiry's recommendations. The Premier said that key actions by the Government included a review of the Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine Dams Flood Mitigation Manuals; a clear line of command to lower the dams and a review of disaster management plans of 22 local governments that are susceptible to flooding. (Queensland Government)

2. Water Minister Peter Walsh announced the appointment of new directors to the boards of Melbourne's water corporations. This year, a record 630 expressions of interest were submitted to the Department of Sustainability and Environment for review by an independent selection panel. Chief Executive of AWA, Mr Tom Mollenkopf, was appointed to the Board of Western Water. (Premier of Victoria)

3. Victoria University researchers have received almost $2.7 million in grants from government and industry partners for three innovative desalination projects. The projects will focus on improving efficiency in groundwater desalination techniques, industry guidelines for regulators and policy makers and prevention of biological fouling during desalination. (Victoria University)

4. Average daily residential water consumption fell across South East Queensland to 151 litres per person over the past fortnight, Queensland Water Commission (QWC) figures show. QWC General Manager, Regional Planning and Policy, Abel Immaraj said this was below last week's 156 litre average. Mr Immaraj said the QWC's regular consumption figure would now be calculated on a fortnightly basis, to better reflect actual residential water usage. Fortnightly estimates will remove variances as a result of the filling and emptying of reservoirs. (Queensland Water Commission)

5. The World Bank has posted an online brochure that showcases innovative and diverse initiatives from across its water portfolio. Case studies range from the Water Footprints Network that supports businesses improving their water use efficiency, to innovative financing mechanisms helping to expand rural water access in Kenya. (World Bank)

6. National Water Commissioner, Laurie Arthur, has released a new report Strengthening Australia's water markets and called on governments to continue work on opening access to trading and improving market performance. (National Water Commission)

7. The Government has outlined $6.55 million in funding for construction of a new pipeline to deliver clean, potable and secure water to the community of Barraba in northern NSW. Water Minister Tony Burke and Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, Simon Crean announced funding towards the $19.7 million project to build a new 27 kilometre pipeline to supply water from Split Rock Dam to Barraba residents. (SEWPAC)

8. Ministers Joe Ludwig and Bill Shorten said ABS data shows 99 per cent of Australian agricultural businesses are entirely owned by Australians. (Assistant Treasurer, Senator Ludwig)

9. The Australian Bureau of Statistics issued 'Agricultural Land and Water Ownership Survey, December 2010'. (ABS)

Member News

Through the National Workforce Development Fund (NWDF), the Australian Government is providing industry with significant funding over four years to support training and workforce development in areas of current and future skills need. AWA in collaboration with City West Water (CWW) and the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) is offering to submit an NWDF application on behalf of the water industry to support the delivery of the Diploma of Engineering Technology and the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. If you would like more information this please contact petra.kelly@awa.asn.au or call 02 9436 0055.

The International WaterCentre (IWC) is pleased to announce the recipients of six IWC Water Leadership Program scholarships for 2011/12. These scholarships will help the participants to develop the abilities they need to influence, drive change and advance challenging integrated water management projects — abilities associated with the most effective integrated water management leaders.The recipients and scholarship sponsors are: Michael Galloway (Manly Council, NSW) - National Water Commission Water Leadership Scholarship; Sarah Jones (Healthy Waterways, QLD) - Queensland Department of Environmental and Resources Management Water Leadership Scholarship; Jessica Littlejohn (Hydro Environmental, VIC) - SA Water Leadership Scholarship; Penny Mueller (Moonee Valley City Council, VIC) and Dr Elizabeth Wallis (Yarra Ranges Council, VIC) - Melbourne Water Stormwater Leadership Scholarships; and Matthew O’Connell (North East CMA, VIC) - Department of Sustainability and Environment Regional Water Leadership Scholarship. The IWC Water Leadership Program is supported by the AWA and WSAA. Online applications can be made until 31 October 2011 by visiting www.watercentre.org/leadership

The University of Sydney has been managing since 2007, on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Australia-Korea Foundation, a leadership exchange program between young professionals in Australia and Korea in the field of green energy and sustainability. This year’s program theme is “Sustainable Water Resource Management” and will be conducted in Korea. This initiative will send ten early career professionals with leadership potential to Korea to participate in this year’s program. For more information visit the Sydney University website.

The National Water Skills Audit has been extended to 23 September. AWA invites Human Resource Personnel, Water Division Managers, and Corporate Managers to participate.

The Audit will assess the water industry’s current skills needs and skills requirements into the future. To take part click here.

Events and Courses

LIMITED SPACES LEFT! - AWA Workshop: Predictive Tools for Chemical Risk Analysis and Management of Water - 13 October, Melbourne

Fugacity modelling is a tool that can be employed to investigate the physical and chemical properties that influence the behaviour of chemicals in water and wastewater streams. The process employs an understanding of the behaviour of chemical pollutants in various environments and can assist the decision making process with regards to management of chemicals in water. This workshop will examine applications of fugacity modelling by exploring practical examples and demonstrating its relevance to the water sector. For more information and registration click here.

Jobs

There are 55 jobs on the H₂Oz website. View them here

Job of the week:

Water Supply Modeller

Queensland Water Commission
Business Development/Consulting/Sales
Brisbane metropolitan

$79,878 - $87,233 p.a.

This position provides specialist skills in water supply modelling to support the provision of safe and secure water supplies for SEQ.

Closing Date: 23/09/2011

Tenders

If you would like to advertise a tender on the AWA website please contact Lian Turk.

In The Media

• Singapore’s average annual rainfall is more than double that of notoriously soggy Britain, so the casual observer might be surprised to learn that the place has a shortage of drinking water. Yet with around 7,000 people per square kilometre, Singapore is the third most densely populated country in the world. Its land mass is not large enough to supply its 5m inhabitants with water. (The Economist)

• A new water sharing and storage arrangement for the Murray-Darling Basin has come into effect between South Australia and the eastern states. (ABC)

• Sydneysiders face steep rises in water bills, despite making big reductions in the amount of water they use. (SMH)

• Rainwater is flowing out to sea as consumers pay an extra $100 a year to drink desalinated water. (Sun Herald)

• Three former Liberal MPs have been appointed to Victorian water company boards, leading to immediate "jobs for the boys'' accusations against the Baillieu government. (The Age)

• A major restructure of Tasmania's water and sewerage corporations is set to save $2.3 million, prompting calls for further streamlining of the system. (Launceston Examiner)

• Murray-Darling Basin Authority chairman Craig Knowles says a long-awaited management plan for Australia's largest river system will be released in November. (ABC)

• More than 2300 water mains have burst or leaked since March last year, wasting billions of litres of water, SA Water has revealed. (Adelaide Advertiser)

• The body that oversees Tasmania's three regional water and sewerage corporations will be downsized. (Tasmanian Mercury)

• Hunter Water in New South Wales is doing the work that in Tasmania is done by four water and sewerage corporations. Hunter Water Corporation provides water and sewerage to 520,000 people. (Launceston Examiner)

• Offsetting carbon emissions for Canberra's major water security projects has cost Actew, and therefore all water users, about $15.5 million. (Canberra Times)