Upcoming Events
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On behalf of the Conference Committee, we are pleased to announce that the 2015 Stormwater Queensland Conference will be held on Wednesday, 15th and Thursday, 16th July, with a Technical Tour to be held on Friday, 17th July. The two-day Conference will be held at The Armitage Centre, Empire Theatre in Toowoomba.
In recent years, more sustainable water management has been a key focus of the ‘Garden City’. In 2009, the city’s water supply was at an all-time low of 7.7%, leading to major water restrictions, a proposed (and subsequently rejected) indirect potable re-use scheme, and the construction of a $187 Million pipeline from Wivenhoe Dam. In January 2011, however, the city and surrounding areas were devastated by flash flooding.
With significant growth predicted in the region, Toowoomba Regional Council is committed to managing its water cycle more sustainably, including the extreme events. Council’s goals are to “plan and deliver safe and effective stormwater management outcomes and a flood resilient region” and “advance water use efficiency and water cycle innovation throughout the region” (Toowoomba Regional Council Corporate Plan, 2014-19).
This Conference provides a unique opportunity to bring together the best and brightest minds within the stormwater industry in Queensland (and beyond) to share and gain knowledge, experience and expertise – and build strong collaborative partnerships.
As in past years, we aim to build a strong conference program that will provide an opportunity for delegates to learn from the experience of others on a broad range of topics, and continue to provide these stormwater professionals with an insight into the key factors that have resulted in successful urban water management projects across Queensland.
If you would like to receive further information about the 2015 Stormwater Queensland Conference, please contact GEMS Event Management on +61 2 9744 5252.
Stormwater Australia invites you to attend STORMWATER 2016, the 4th National Conference convened by Stormwater Australia, to be held from Monday, 29th August to Friday, 2nd September, 2016 in Surfers Paradise, Queensland.
In 2009, the United Nations reported that more than half the world’s population lived in urban centres. This proportion is set to increase to 66% by 2050, when it is estimated that city dwellers will live and share their neighbourhoods with an additional 2.5 billion people.
As our cities grow and evolve, it is imperative that we manage our resource and our natural resources to ensure they continue to provide clean, healthy environments for ourselves and the next generation. Access to adequate supplies of safe and fit-for-purpose water will be increasingly important to meet the needs of a growing population, while the responsible management of runoff from both increasing sprawl and density in existing urban areas will be needed to increase our resilience to natural disasters such as flood and heat waves, and to avoid further environmental and social degradation.
The modern stormwater industry seeks to balance traditional issues with emerging priorities which are being placed on our infrastructure. Practitioners are experienced in working at the coal face, often pragmatically dealing with issues in a complex environment where policy requirements are often unclear, but the demand for good outcomes and multiple benefits are not. The growing need to work in multidisciplinary teams, to lead and influence, to understand and assimilate different points of view and technical requirements, will be core skills required in the future.
Challenge and change brings opportunity. Fiscal constraints are an ever present reality. New and emerging technologies are developed to provide technical solutions. Increasingly we are seeing new business models that empower greater choice. Increasingly we are looking to solve nexus issues around water, energy and food. In an increasingly connected world, information has a new currency to support decision making and engagement with community. As economies around the world transition to make better use of all this knowledge, there is potential to develop new markets and trade opportunities.
The ‘Rising to the Challenge’ Conference will reach out beyond our core industry practitioners to engage with a broader group of committed and talented people who will all need to work together to develop the solutions of the future. Stormwater Australia invites you and your colleagues from all disciplines and experiences to participate in what we anticipate to be an exciting and engaging Conference that builds upon earlier successes, inspires participants and provide opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
For all enquiries and registrations please visit – www.stormwater2016.com.au
