Sydney Water Engineering Panel

Eminent Speakers Presentation: Roger and Jean Venables

Engineers Australia, in conjunction with AGIC is pleased to host joint Eminent Speakers, Roger & Jean Venables, both sustainability experts in civil engineering from the UK.

Please see the attached flyers for details & link for online registration.

Both Roger & Jean will present in Sydney (1st Nov), Melbourne (3rd Nov) & Perth (4th Nov)

Jean only will be presenting in Brisbane on the 28th Oct as part of the SSEE AGM & Dinner – separate registration & costs apply – see the flyer attached.

Further details: http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/eminentspeaker/

Presentation on the Murray Darling Basin Plan

The EA Sydney Water Engineering Panel is excited to announce that Mr Rob Freeman, CEO MDBA, will present an overview of the newly released Murray-Darling Basin Plan at a specially convened EA Seminar to be held at the University of New South Wales on 23rd November, 2010. Following the presentation, discussion of the Basin Plan will be led by a Panel of experts and stakeholders from diverse range of backgrounds including Dr John Williams, Commissioner, NSW Natural Resources Commission; Prof. Richard Kingsford, Environmental Scientist, UNSW; Mr Andrew Gregson, Chief Executive Officer, NSW Irrigators; and Mr Charles Armstrong, President, NSW Farmers’ Association.

Please join us for what we anticipate will be an informative and lively discussion of Australia’s most topical water subject. Note that while attendance at the Seminar is free, seating is limited so it is essential that you RSVP to ensure your attendance. In order to ensure a wide ranging and balanced discussion, questions from the floor will be pre-selected and moderated by the EA Sydney Water Engineering Panel.

Please refer to the attached flyer for full details.

Date: Tuesday November 23rd 2010
Time: Refreshments from 5:30 pm for 6:00pm
Venue: ~~Mathews Theatre~~ Law Theatre Map Reference F8, University of New South Wales, Kensington Campus (http://www.sydneywaterpanel.org.au/?page_id=249)

Limited Seating! RSVP: http://www.sydneywaterpanel.org.au/?page_id=246.
Pre-register a question: http://www.sydneywaterpanel.org.au/?page_id=246.

Enquiries: Grantley Smith or Scott Button: mdb-pres@sydneywaterpanel.org.au.

Water Resources Planning and Design Under a Changing Climate

The next Panel presentation is titled “Water Resources Planning and Design Under a Changing Climate” and will be given by Dr Seth Westra, UNSW. It will be given on the 26th October 2010, 5:30 for a 6pm start at the EA Auditorium, Chatswood. The full abstract is available on the flier but as a teaser:

Water supply systems, flood protection works and a range of other climate-sensitive infrastructure traditionally have been designed based on the assumption that the future climate will mirror what has occurred in the past. Although this assumption has been questioned due to the natural fluctuations of climate, such variability usually can be accommodated by using long instrumental records or information from paleo-climate sources. In contrast, human-induced climate change is expected to push a range of hydrological variables well outside the envelope of what has occurred in the past, leading some researchers to proclaim this assumption that underpins so much of hydrological design is now ‘dead’.

Climate Change Flier

UNSW Seminar on Hurricane Katrina

There is a seminar on Hurricane Katrina being presented by Dr. Andrew W. Garcia at UNSW on 28th September 2010 5:30 for a 6pm start. If you are interested please have a look at the attached flier for further details.

Hurricane Katrina Presentation Flier

Cancellation of Darcy Lecture

Due to unforeseen personal problems the presenter is unable to make the Sydney leg of the Darcy Lecture series. Therefore, at this late stage we have unfortunately had to cancel the event.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

If you have any further queries, please contact:
Dr Peter Brady
E: peter.brady@eng.uts.edu.au
M: +61 410 490 797

PRCC National Conference

The organisers of the Practical Responses to Climate Change National Conference have just released the program for the event. We’ve mirrored their announcement below and if you are interested I’ve also linked to their program.

The Practical Responses to Climate Change National Conference is pleased to advise that the program is now available on-line. Our program features international and national keynote speakers, plenary panel sessions designed to provide an opportunity for open discussion amongst experienced industry representatives and delegates, and of course a full program of peer reviewed papers in our four themes: Coasts & Estuaries; Water Resources; Catchments, Floodplains & Waterways; Planning & Policy.

Visit the ‘presenters’ page on the Conference website www.climatechange2010.org and follow the links to view all Conference presentation abstracts.

2010 Darcy Lecturer and Topic

Further to my previous post, the Lecturer and the Topic for the 2010 Darcy Lecture has been confirmed. The oration will be given by Dr Tim Scheibe on the topic: Quantifying Flow and Reactive Transport in the Heterogeneous Subsurface Environment: From Pores to Porous Media and Facies to Aquifers. Full details including an extended abstract and biography of the Lecturer are given below.

Once again the lecture is free but RSVP (peter.brady@eng.uts.edu.au) is requested for catering. Alcoholic, non-alcoholic and light refreshments will be available after the Lecture.

Darcy Lecture Confirmed for 21st September

In conjunction with the IAH NSW Branch the Panel is pleased to announce that the prestigious Darcy Lecture will again be held in Sydney. The Lecture will be given by Dr Tim Scheibe at the new UTS Aerial Function Centre on the 21st September 2010, 5:30pm for 6:00pm. The Lecture will be followed by light refreshments and beverages to allow for a chance to interact with Tim.

More details on the topic of the Lecture will be posted shortly.

The event is free but RSVP (peter.brady@eng.uts.edu.au) is requested for catering.

Venue Details:
UTS Aerial Function Centre
Level 7, Building 10
Access via Jones Street off Broadway
Five minutes walk from Central.

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Cancellation of August Presentation

It is with regret that I have to announce that we have had to cancel the Water Panel’s August presentation. We had a willing speaker but last minute scheduling clashes with conferences meant he couldn’t make it.

Tentatively we have rescheduled the presentation for February/March of next year.

At this late stage we are unable to secure an alternate speaker.

Sorry if this causes any inconvenience.

EA: Adequate and secure water supplies

Engineers Australia have called for the water engineering industries thoughts to be included in a submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry. The original note published by EA is mirrored below for your information:

Most Australians, particularly urban dwellers, regard adequate and secure water as a basic right. Yet we know that water utilities have been struggling to satisfy the needs of present populations with severe water restrictions in place in many urban areas for prolonged periods. Governments have been sufficiently nervous to invest in water desalination plants, long regarded as one of the more expensive options for adding to water supplies.

Engineers Australia put out an excellent publication on sensitive urban water design some years ago. Support for the theme of this work was reflected in the online survey of members. About 85% of members thought that it would be difficult to exceptionally difficult for present centrally supplied water systems to meet the needs of an increased population. Yet 75% thought that it was relatively straight forward or not particularly difficult to supplement central water supplied with local water solutions. How do we get across the messages of total water cycle management to the public? To political leaders? What can we do to make better use of existing central water supply systems? What happened to recycling? Why has it gone off the boil?

These issues are central to Engineers Australia’s submission to the population strategy process. As well we need to get our thoughts together to prepare for the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Urban Water Systems later this year (November 2010).

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