Fourth Annual Water Symposium

" Water for the Future has four key priorities: tackling climate change, using water wisely, supporting healthy rivers and securing our water supplies."

Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, Minister for Climate Change and Water

This is the underlying theme of the 4th Annual Water Symposium, taking place on the 20th February in LAqua, Sydney. The Symposium has been designed to cover the current issues and risks faced by the Australian water industry, especially climate change, ageing infrastructure and over-allocated water - which are all impacting on the security of our water. Symposium topic highlights include:

Sustainable Water Management
One of the many challenges for the water industry today is how to secure a sustainable water supply in the face of our changing climate and the pressure of economic development. It is clear that our rivers are strained and our water over-allocated. How will Australia, as a whole, address and overcome these challenges?
A Healthy Future?
With the emergence of different supply options and a greater emphasis on sustainability, the water industry faces the task of updating its quality standards and its accountability for whole system quality management.
A Tradeable Market
As National Water Commissioner Chloe Munro suggests "“Getting our water prices right will encourage wiser water use, ensure that new sources of water supply are brought on line in a timely fashion, and ensure water service providers have sufficient revenue to... to plan for the future”.
New Approaches to Integration and Sustainability
Australia is committed to ‘climate change’ adaptation. But climate change is a stressor. How does it relate to other stressors? How do stressors relate to ecosystem conditions?

The Symposium will bring together the extensive experience of some of Australia's leading water experts in panel discussion and the presentation of case studies. Some of the invited speakers include:

Greg Hunt MP, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water
Ken Matthews AO, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, National Water Commission
Robert Freeman, Chief Executive, Murray-Darling Basin Authority
Professor Mike Young, Member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists
Joe Dimasi, Executive General Manager, Regulatory Affairs Division, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission