Archived Industry News for Water Professionals - September, 2012
The Victorian Water Minister Peter Walsh has announced the appointment of 55 directors to Victoria's 19 water corporation boards, including Melbourne Water.
Mr Walsh said water boards were driven to build strong partnerships with their communities and customers, to deliver high quality and sustainable water services to their regions.
"Each of the 55 board directors appointed today will play an important role in setting the strategic direction of their authorities, implementing proper governance and sound financial management and delivering fairer water prices for households under Water Plan Three," Mr Walsh said.
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.