Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust Launched

Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong has announced $1 million funding to help establish the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust.

As quoted in the press release, Senator Wong said:

The creation of a perpetual legacy in name of Peter Cullen is a fitting tribute to this great Australian on the anniversary of his death a year ago today. Professor Cullen made an enormous contribution to the management of natural resources in Australia, most of all around rivers and freshwater ecology. As a founding National Water Commissioner, a leading member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, and in his many other roles, Professor Cullen was an inspiring and influential leader in the important debate about water in this country.

The Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust will honour and continue Peter's legacy by building water science knowledge and skills in Australia, promoting informed exchange and debate on national water issues, and contributing to improved environmental water management.

The objectives of the Trust are to:

Protect and enhance the Australian natural environment, in particular aquatic environments and their catchments; and
Provide and facilitate learning, communications and informed debate about aquatic environments and their catchments, and about things that influence them.

The intention of the trust is to support early career researchers and people who can "speak for the rivers" with clarity and credibility and may also support proposals to build capacity in science and science policy linkages.