Water Sector News

1. A report prepared by NSW Public Works on 'Brackish groundwater: A viable community water supply option?' has been published by the National Water Commission as a Waterlines Report. This report investigated the feasibility of using reverse osmosis technology in remote areas to treat brackish groundwater.  The sub-consultants City Water Technology, Agsol and MS Consulting, several remote community water supplies and technology suppliers have also contributed to this report. (National Water Commission)

2. The Commonwealth Department of Industry is consulting on a refresh of the National Research Priorities. This is an opportunity to have your say on how water research, specifically urban water research, is being prioritised by national funding agencies such as the Australian Research Council.
(Department of Industry)

3. Allconnex customers will receive water and wastewater services from their local council from 1 July 2012 after legislation was passed in Parliament. Minister for Water Utilities Stephen Robertson the South-East Queensland Water (Distribution and Retail restructuring) and Other Legislation Amendment Act would allow the Gold Coast, Redland and Logan City councils to withdraw their business from Allconnex and establish their own Council water businesses. (Queensland Government)

4. QLD Water Utilities Minister Stephen Robertson said the time had come for LNP Leader Campbell Newman to come clean on whether or not he expects Logan and Redlands ratepayers to share the cost of disestablishing Allconnex. Mr Robertson also called on Mr Newman to reveal how he plans to pay for his as yet un-costed four point water plan. The South-East Queensland Water (Distribution and Retail Restructuring) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill is scheduled to be debated in Parliament today. (Queensland Government)

5. QLD Premier Anna Bligh has announced a $10 million plan to give communities in South Western Queensland the chance they need to research and build essential flood mitigation projects. The $10 million boost is in addition to the Natural Disaster Resilience Program - a four-year, $44 million program designed to assist local councils and other organisations better prepare for and mitigate the effects of natural disasters. (Queensland Government)

6. The New South Wales Irrigators Council has called on the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to recalculate and republish figures determining the average annual inflow to the Basin in light of the past two years of high water availability. Council Chief Executive Officer Andrew Gregson says the Authority is to use “best available science” to draw the Basin Plan – and new inflow data could have a material impact on it. (NSWIC)

7. Shadow Minister Barnaby Joyce said the MDBA is relying on out-of-date data for its recommendations to take 2,750 gigalitres from productive use in the Murray-Darling Basin. (Barnaby Joyce)

8. Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young called on the Government to release legal advice on whether the MDBA's draft plan complies with the Commonwealth Water Act. (Senator Hanson-Young)

9. A new World Bank guide book says urban flooding is a serious and growing development challenge for fast-growing low- and middle-income countries in East Asia, underscoring an urgent need to build flood risk management into regular planning of cities and towns. (IWA)

10. The African Development Bank has approved wastewater reuse funding worth 64.45 million Tunisian dinars ($42.7 million) for a project to improve the quality of irrigation water used on 5,000ha of arable land. (IWA)

11. The University of Adelaide's Professor Mike Young, has been appointed to the Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Chair of Australian Studies, a prestigious visiting professorship at Harvard University. Mike Young is Professor of Water Economics and Management at the University of Adelaide and was founding Executive Director of the University's Environment Institute. At Harvard, Young will be aiming to translate the Australian experience in water management into recommendations that are internationally applicable. (University of Adelaide)

12. The fifth wave of a Newspoll water saving survey was undertaken in December 2011 for Smart Approved WaterMark. As with previous years, a telephone survey was conducted across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, supplemented by an online survey. (Smart Approved WaterMark)

13. Cyclones and labour problems in 2011 at the Melbourne desalination plant in Victoria, cost the Suez Environnement group a total of € 237 million, group CEO Jean-Louis Chaussade said when the group's figures for the year were announced on 8 February 2012. Chaussade also announced that, at the end of January 2012, the project was 89 per cent complete with first water expected in mid-2012 and finalisation by the year end. (D&WR) 
 

Member News

Water Management Law and Policy (WMLP) Specialist Network committee member, Anne Pye, developed an overview on Water Quality Governance. Regulatory and policy approaches towards the use of recycled water in Australia are closely entwined with simultaneous policy developments regarding water quality in general and drinking water quality in particular. Anne Pye has written a chronological summary of some of those developments and the ensuing policy discussions which have been documented in various national reports. (AWA)

The Australian and New Zealand Biosolids Partnership (ANZBP) is seeking proposals from teams of experts to review existing information on wastewater and biosolids management. The purpose of the project is to develop a discussion paper of climate change issues relevant to the management of biosolids in Australia under the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Futures Legislation Package and the corresponding Carbon Pricing Scheme (the Scheme). Approximately $25,000 is available to fund this research and the project is to be completed prior to the close of the 2011-12 financial year. The request for proposal and instructions are available from the homepage of the ANZBP Website. For additional information contact the ANZBP Project Manager Gregory Priest on 02 9467 8432 or at gpriest@awa.asn.au.

The NSW Minister for Finance and Services, the Hon Greg Pearce, seeks nominations from suitably qualified persons for appointment to the Independent Water Advisory Panel. The Independent Water Advisory Panel provides the Minister with expert advice in relation to water planning for the Lower Hunter and greater Sydney regions. This advice forms a key input to the development of the Metropolitan and Lower Hunter water plans. The Minister is particularly seeking persons with demonstrated expertise and knowledge relevant to urban water resource matters related to the Lower Hunter and/or greater Sydney regions.  Experience in the areas of hydrology, water systems planning, groundwater management, and/or river health is desirable, but expertise in any aspect of integrated water cycle management in relation to the Lower Hunter and/or greater Sydney regions will be highly regarded. For further information contact Ms Judy Biirrell 02 9372 8578 or email judy.birrell@services.nsw.gov.au

KSB Australia is pleased to announce that they have relocated their Sydney office at Riverwood to new premises at Eastern Creek.  Please note their new phone number 02 9830 6700 and contact email address ksbnswsales@ksb.com.au.

Events and Courses

Call for abstracts now open - 2nd National Small Water and Wastewater Systems Conference, 26-28 September 2012, Newcastle AWA's Small Water and Wastewater Systems (SWWS) Specialist Network invites you to submit an abstract for their conference, which will  provide a forum for learning and knowledge sharing on the re-emerging role of decentralised water systems. Reflecting on recent changes, the conference will focus on how decentralised water and wastewater systems can provide a solution for environmental and economic sustainability. Submissions close 30 March 2012. AWA is seeking sponsors and exhibitors  for this conference. For more information visit www.awa.asn.au/SWWSconference

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN - Biosolids and Source Management Conference, 18-20 June 2012, Gold Coast
Early bird registration are now open for the combined Biosolids and Source Management conference. Keynotes include Dr. John Novak, Virginia Tech (USA); Professor Jurg Keller, Director, Advanced Water Management Centre; Bill Barber, AECOM and Michael Catchpole, Allconnex. The conference will allow sharing of knowledge on the treatment process as a whole and influent contaminants that may reduce the outlets for this reuse. Download the registration brochure and program here. To register go to www.awa.asn.au/bsmconference

REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN - OZWATER'12, 8-10 May 2012, Sydney
Ozwater is the 'must attend' event on the water industry calendar. Its comprehensive program includes over 170 platform presentations, seven eminent keynote speakers, workshops, electronic posters, technical tours and an extensive trade exhibition. To download the registration brochure and program or to register for Ozwater go to www.ozwater.org

Call for abstracts now open - 2nd National Operations Conference, 12-14 September 2012, Darwin
AWA's Operations Specialist Network invites you to submit an abstract for this conference, which will  provide a forum for learning and knowledge sharing on the challenges being faced by those working in operations in a changing climate and industry. Reflecting the top-end location, there will be a focus on small and remote operations, as well as topical issues like mining and recovery from natural disasters. Submissions close 30 March 2012. For more information visit www.awa.asn.au/natopconference

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – AWA-IWA Leading Edge Technology, 3-7 June 2012, Brisbane
The International Water Association’s Leading Edge Technology (LET) visits Australia for the first time in 2012. LET showcases the very latest developments in water and wastewater technology, from those concepts emerging from the laboratory, to others on the verge making their way to full commercial application. This event includes topics ranging from: Resilient technologies and technologies for disaster recovery, to Sustainable water technologies, Energy recovery and efficiency, and many others. The event includes many networking opportunities and concludes with technical tours.  This is a chance to meet with and hear from scientists and technology developers at the front of their fields globally.  To register and to review the full draft program go to: www.let2012.org  

Jobs

There are 31 jobs on the H2Oz website, view them here.

Job of the week:

PROGRAM LEADER - Electrical
Sydney Catchment Authority
Engineering, Engineering: Electrical
Sydney metropolitan

$118,684 - $125,950 p.a. plus Superannuation

You will lead the organisation's Electrical Asset Reliability program by providing specialist electrical expertise to maximise the availability, reliability and compliance of assets.

Closing Date: 9/03/2012

In The Media

For all AWA media clips please visit the AWA RSS feed. 

• The axing of water retailer Allconnex has been given the nod, prompting a Bligh Government minister to profess a “sense of sadness” for Gold Coast residents who would bear the cost. (Brisbane Times)

• Sydney's water reserves could reach full capacity within three months, raising the prospect that drinking water will be flowing out to sea afterwards while households are paying millions of dollars for desalinated water. (SMH)

• Australia has had its wettest two-year period on record. (SMH)

• Public confidence in coal-seam gas development has collapsed in the sector's production heartland of Queensland. (The Australian)

• With climate change threatening to diminish water supplies in the fast-growing Southwest of the United States, more cities are considering the potential of reclaimed water. A new report from the US National Academy of Sciences said that if coastal communities used advanced treatment procedures on the effluent that is now sent out to sea, it could increase the amount of municipal water available by as much as 27 per cent. (NY Times)
 

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