Archived Industry News for Water Professionals
The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has announced the first round of funding is now open for eligible irrigators under the $83 million Sustaining the Basin: Irrigated Farm Modernisation Project.
Water flows from desal plant
Leighton has announced the production of the first large scale amount of drinking water from its Victorian Desalination Plant.
Irrigator group challenges Murray-Darling plan
A group representing hundreds of irrigators in South Australia and Victoria have lodged a challenge against the Murray-Darling Basin plan, attempting to have it ruled as unconstitutional.
Government pledges Murray water
The Federal Government has announced Murray-Darling Basin rivers and wetlands will receive as much as 1,449 gigalitres of Commonwealth environmental water in 2013.
Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems Atlas launched
A new online Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems Atlas has been launched, presenting the first comprehensive picture of Australia's groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
Jobs and Water Commission go in Queensland budget
Staff numbers in the Queensland Energy and Water Supply Department will be reduced by half, with 135 job losses reducing the department to a workforce of 273.
NSW Strategic Regional Land Use Policy released
The NSW Government has unveiled its Strategic Regional Land Use Policy, outlining 27 new measures designed to control competing land uses, with a focus on the impacts of coal seam gas mining on land and water resources.
Victorian Water Board appointments announced
The Victorian Water Minister Peter Walsh has announced the appointment of 55 directors to Victoria's 19 water corporation boards, including Melbourne Water.
Impact of extreme weather events on drinking water
While extreme weather events will inevitably impact water quality, the biggest risk to public health is not the intensity of these events but their increasingly close proximity to one another, UNSW researchers warn.
Victorian Desal testing begins
AquaSure has begun the first performance tests at the Victorian Desalination Plant to ensure drinking water being produced during the commissioning phase meets quality requirements.
Research to focus on water management reform
The impact of stormwater management on local wetlands and urban design will be the main focus for review as State and local governments, business, industry and The University of Western Australia prepare to launch new research that will guide water management reform in Western Australia.
Burke extends time for Murray-Darling Plan negotiations
A ministerial meeting of the Federal Government and Basin States has again failed to reach agreement over the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, although Federal Minister for Water Tony Burke said progress and some further concensus had been made on the details.
New CEO for Sydney Desal Plant
Keith Davies, formerly chief executive of Tarong Energy and Co-ordinator General of Queensland, has been appointed CEO of Sydney Desalination Plant Pty Ltd (SDP).
CSIRO denounces APPEA claims about groundwater impacts of coal seam gas mining
The debate about the impact of coal seam mining on groundwater has been fuelled by claims made in a television commercial produced by Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) and aired on Sunday 2 September that ‘CSIRO [and government studies] have shown that groundwater is safe with coal seam gas’.
NWC releases aquatic systems in water planning report
The National Water Commission has released a new report, Recognising the broader benefits of aquatic systems in water planning: an ecosystem services approach.
SA Premier launches River Run to campaign for the Murray
The South Australian Premier, Jay Weatherill, has continued his Fight for the Murray campaign with a week-long “River Run” from the State’s border to the Murray Mouth.
Vertessy appointed to lead BOM
Renowned water scientist Dr Rob Vertessy has been appointed director of Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology.
Dr Vertessy, who was appointed Deputy Director of the Bureau (Climate and Water) in 2007, has been acting as Director since December last year.
After a career spanning more than 20 years as a senior water scientist and leading researcher, Dr Vertessy joined the Bureau in 2007 and led the expansion of the Bureau’s role in providing the hydrological information central to the delivery of national water reform.
WA tightens petroleum regulations
The Western Australian Government has announced new petroleum environment regulations which mandate public disclosure of any chemicals introduced into a well or formation.
Water scarcity could hit food supply
Current trends in food production and consumption could lead to catastrophic water shortages, a report authored by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) has found.
MDBA plan inches closer
Federal Minister for Water, Tony Burke, has announced that his office will continue to work closely with the Murray Darling Basin Authority in releasing its final plan following an agreement with all Basin States.
Rainwater tank usage increases in Victoria
The number of Victorian households with rainwater tanks increased to 707,000 in 2011 from 600,000 in 2009, according to a report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).