Federal funding of almost $4 million has been announced to support the adoption of the eWater ‘Source’ platform to aid water planning and management across Australia. It is matched by a combined New South Wales, Victorian, Queensland, South Australian, ACT and Northern Territory government contribution, bringing the total funding to nearly $8 million.

 

Opening the Source 2012 conference at the University of Canberra, Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water, Senator Don Farrell said that the adoption of the eWater ‘Source’ water modelling system would formalise a 2008 COAG agreement to develop a national strategy to help ensure future water planning and management represents best practice. 

 

“Source links science, policy and management to help policy makers and operators consider future scenarios and alternative water management options for catchments, urban environments and river systems across the nation,” Senator Farrell said.

 

 

“It will provide national consistency in water resource planning across jurisdictions, by integrating the economic and environmental uses of water to better assist how we plan and deliver water for cities, irrigation, industry, mining, wetlands and waterways.”

 

 

 “‘Source’ is the culmination of more than 20 years of research and development and significant collaboration with governments, national water authorities, private industry partners and Australia’s leading hydrologic and ecological scientists,” Senator Farrell said.

 

‘Source’ and the National Hydrologic Modelling Platform support the National Water Initiative, Australia’s blueprint for water reform, by providing an integrated approach to managing surface, ground and environmental water in rural and urban catchments across Australia.