April 11th 2007

Will the day come when turning the tap produces nothing? With dams in Australian cities and towns reaching perilously low levels and fragile groundwater systems being siphoned at an alarming rate – will we run out of water at last?

Australia’s water crisis now dominates media current affairs and the political agendas of the major parties. But are we as a community facing this urgent matter with the sober pragmatism that is needed? Join a panel of experts discussing the many facets of the water crisis and add your voice to the greatest debate of our times.

Panel Chair and Moderator
Wendy Frew, Environment Reporter, Sydney Morning Herald

Expert Presenters

Professor Stuart White
Stuart White is Director of the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures. His advocacy and research over 20 years has focused on effective decision-making for urban infrastructure. Stuart has played a significant role in urban water planning in most states, most recently in Sydney and South-East Queensland.

Professor Tally Palmer
Director of the UTS Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management, Tally Palmer is an aquatic ecologist with broad experience in making water research useful in public policy development and integrated water resource management.

Professor Noel Merrick
Noel Merrick is Director of the UTS National Centre for Groundwater Management and expert in computer modelling of aquifer systems. He has prepared environmental impact studies for major infrastructure, resource and mining projects and written the national guidelines for peer review of groundwater models. Recently, he co-authored an issues paper on national groundwater reform.

Dr Glen Searle
Head of planning education in the UTS Faculty of Design Architecture and Building, Glen Searle has been immersed in urban management issues for more than 30 years. His research expertise lies in Sydney’s planning challenges, particularly the forces influencing the City’s infrastructure planning to date.

Chris Davis
Chris Davis is CEO of the Australian Water Association and has 34 years experience in the water industry, from operations and management to process design; in local government, consulting and contracting. He has been CEO of AWA for the past 15 years.

Resources

• flyer (PDF 116k)
• presentation slides - Professor Stuart White (PDF 1.3 MB)
• presentation slides - Professor Tally Palmer (PDF 9.4 MB)
• presentation slides - Professor Noel Merrick (PDF 1.3 MB)
• presentation slides - Dr Glen Searle (PDF 60 k)
• audio recording (MP3 50.4 MB)

UTSPEAKS: is a free public lecture series presented by UTS experts discussing a range of important issues confronting contemporary Australia