Water planning report has national impact
USC Regional and Urban Planning lecturer Claudia Baldwin has co-authored a comprehensive report into Australia’s water planning practices which already has sent more than a few ripples across the country.
Ms Baldwin and two researchers from New South Wales, Mark Hamstead and Vanessa O’Keefe, produced the report after winning a National Water Commission (NWC) competitive tender last year.
After eight months of compiling case studies and interviewing water planners and users across all States, the trio produced a 528-page report entitled “Water Planning Processes and Lessons Learned This was published as the NWC’s “Waterlines Series—Occasional paper No 6” in April.
Ms Baldwin said the report, which highlights some of the best water management practices across Australia, had already prompted the NWC to take action.
“The National Water Commission, as a result of our report, is funding a project that will involve applying some of the good practices of three particular new water planning processes around the country,” she said.
“The NWC also is allocating millions of dollars for funding new postgraduate courses in water planning, establishing best-practice guidelines for water planning, doing training with local water planners and establishing an evaluation system for continuing improvement.
“This is going to have a huge impact on water planning in Australia.”
Ms Baldwin said she and her co-authors had sought to determine how far Australia had progressed since water planning first started more than a decade ago.
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Sport scientist attends historic 2020 Summit
University of the Sunshine Coast sport and exercise scientist Associate Professor Brendan Burkett enjoyed the experience of attending the Federal Government’s 2020 Summit in Canberra in April.
Dr Burkett, the Director of USC’s Centre for Healthy Activities, Sport and Exercise, was among 1,000 leading Australians invited by the government to help develop long-term options for the nation’s future across 10 major themes.
He was one of 100 summit participants who focused on a long-term national health strategy that included preventative health, workforce planning and the ageing population.
Dr Burkett, whose work at USC ranges from fall prevention for elderly people to fine-tuning the performances of elite athletes, described the summit as “a very exciting experience”.
“The fact that we were all working together to help improve this great country was really worthwhile,” he said.
“It was good to catch up with some old colleagues and friends and, more importantly, to develop some new relationships in both the professional and personal area. Often, it is these connections that can provide a new idea to answering a challenging question.”
Two USC adjunct academics—Professor Ian Lowe and John Mendoza—also attended the 2020 Summit. Professor Lowe is an expert in environmental issues, while Mr Mendoza specialises in mental health and drug use issues.
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USC research features on ABC’s Catalyst
Research by a University of the Sunshine Coast marine scientist into the effects of four-wheel-drive vehicles on beach ecosystems featured on ABC Television’s highly-regarded science program, Catalyst, in May.
Catalyst reporter Ruben Meerman interviewed Associate Professor Thomas Schlacher on Fraser Island and the Noosa North Shore about the impact that human activities are having on the tiny creatures that make their homes in sand.
Dr Schlacher explained that vehicular traffic along beaches made it difficult for macrobenthic invertebrates, like sea-snails, shrimp and other creatures, to survive in some areas.
He said these animals played a crucial role in the food chain and their loss could have significant impacts on beach ecosystems. The Catalyst interview with Dr Schlacher is on the Catalyst website.
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