Research Advisory Committee
The Research Advisory Committee (RAC) assists the Director in the development of the Research and Development Plan of the Goyder Institute and ensures that research is of international quality in areas that will ensure that South Australia’s science is being most effectively deployed to manage the water issues facing South Australia. It may conduct periodic reviews of Goyder Institute research project activities and make recommendations about the direction, content and details of future activities.
The RAC is chaired by the Goyder Institute Director and comprises a research coordinator from each research partner, up to two representatives from agencies as determined by the State, a representative of SARDI, a representative of the Australian Water Quality Centre, and up to three specialists as agreed by the Management Board.
The RAC met 10 times in 2010-11 to advise the Management Board on progress, milestones and implementation of Goyder Institute research activities and to consider the strategic direction for the research projects into the next year of the program.
The members of the RAC are:
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Dr Tony Minns, Director, Goyder Institute, Chair
Tony Minns is Director of the Goyder Institute for Water Research. After graduating from the South Australian Institute of Technology in 1982, Tony moved abroad to pursue a career in “water” that has included computational hydraulics and hydroinformatics at IHE-Delft (Netherlands); ecohydraulics at the University of Idaho (USA); sustainable water resources engineering at UniSA (Australia); marine and coastal management at Delft Hydraulics (Netherlands); and hydraulic engineering at Deltares (Netherlands). Before returning to Australia earlier this year to take up his position at the Goyder Institute, Tony was Scientific Director of the Hydraulic Engineering Division at Deltares in the Netherlands, an applied research and expert consultancy institute in Delft. In this position he was also responsible for the management of a 40 Meuro per year ($55 M /yr) water research programme to deliver science to underpin policy and decision-making for the Netherlands government and the Netherlands water industry. Email: director@goyderinstitute.org
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A/Prof Justin Brookes, Director, Water Research Centre, University of Adelaide
Justin has broad research interests in limnology and water treatment with a primary focus on coupling between hydrodynamics, biology and water quality contaminants such as cyanobacteria and pathogens. He is a founding member of the management committee of the IWA Specialist Group on Lake and Reservoir Management and member of the Steering Committee for the Global Lakes Ecological Observatory Network .
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/justin.brookes
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A/Prof Michael Burch, RDI Manager, Australian Water Quality Centre
Mike has a Science degree in from Adelaide University and has worked in freshwater science since 1977. Mike began work as an Operations Biologist for SA Water (formerly Engineering &Water Supply Department) in 1981 and has been working in the water industry for over 30 years. In the last 20 years he has been involved in research and management activities related to reservoir management, in particular the control of algal blooms and toxic cyanobacteria. This includes chemical control, aeration and mixing, water treatment, and toxin and odour management.
He was the National Algal Manager for the Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand (ARMCANZ) from 1999-2002. The purpose of this role was to provide national coordination for both scientific and management activities related to toxic algal issues in freshwater for the three levels of government in Australia ( - national, state and local).
During that time he was responsible for developing the current Australian drinking water and recreational water guidelines for cyanobacteria and toxins for the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. He was also involved in toxic algal management issues internationally for the USEPA, World Health Organization (WHO) and for UNESCO. He has worked in an advisory capacity on consultancies on water quality management in France, China, Taiwan, New Zealand & Sri Lanka. He is a founding and management committee member of the International Water Association Specialist Group on Lake and Reservoir Management.
Mike is also an Affiliate Associate Professor, in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Adelaide.
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Ms Sandy Carruthers, Director, Science, Monitoring and Knowledge, DEWNR
Sandy is Director of the Science, Monitoring and Knowledge Branch in the Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources. The Branch has lead responsibility for identifying, collecting, storing and analysing water related data and presenting it in a form that informs policy development and program design/delivery. The Branch also has responsibility for the broader natural resource management science and information support for the department, as well as providing a lead role in developing partnerships with external researchers and research institutions to inform the management of natural resources for the State.
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Prof Peter Cook, Professor of Hydrogeology, Flinders University
Dr Peter Cook is Professor of Hydrogeology at Flinders University, and Senior Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO Land and Water. He is also Deputy Director of the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training. One of Australia’s foremost groundwater scientists, Professor Cook has more than 20 years experience in groundwater research, spanning the fields of groundwater hydrology, ecohydrology, isotope hydrology, unsaturated zone flow process, and surface water – groundwater interaction. He has co-written books on environmental tracers and ecohydrology. He was the National Ground Water Association’s Henry Darcy Dinstinguished Lecturer in Ground Water Science in 2009, the first time this honour has been awarded to a scientist from outside North America.
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Prof Jim Cox, Principal Scientist, Water Resources and Irrigated Crops, SARDI
Jim Cox is Professor of Hydrology in the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide. The position is a joint initiative between the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI). Jim did a BSc at Flinders University, majoring in Hydrology and was awarded a PhD from the University of Western Australia in 1988. Prior to Jim’s current position he was Principal Scientist managing the Water Resources and Irrigated Crops Research within SARDI for 2.5 years and before that Senior Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO Land and Water for 15 years managing research programs within the Water for Healthy Country Flagship. Jim’s research interests span three key research areas related to hydrology: catchment water balances; soil physical and chemical properties that affect water and solute transport in catchments; and soil-water-drainage theory. He has an extensive publication list, currently supervisors 4 PhD students and has been involved in water-related research projects throughout Australia and overseas including China and most recently, the Philippines.
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/james.w.cox
http://www.sardi.sa.gov.au/staff_profiles/water__irrigation/jim_cox
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Mr Neil Power, Director, State Research Coordination, DEWNR
Neil is the Director, State Research Coordination, Goyder Institute with the Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Neil has extensive experience in managing technical assessment programs in surface water hydrology, groundwater and water ecology in the Department for Water and experience in water resource management and policy advice. Neil is the Chair of the National Groundwater Working Group, which is a national policy advisory group to the National Resources Management Ministerial Council and he chaired a COAG working group on groundwater in 2008.
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Dr Ian Prosser, Science Director, WfHC Flagship, CSIRO
Dr Ian Prosser is the Science Director for the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Program in CSIRO. The Program has over 300 research staff working across Australia to improve management of water resources for urban, rural and environmental uses. Ian has 20 years research experience on catchment hydrology and water quality, and has recently completed a book on water resources in Australia.
http://www.csiro.au/en/Organisation-Structure/Flagships/Water-for-a-Healthy-Country-Flagship/IanProsser.aspx
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Prof Chris Saint, Director, SA Water, Centre for Water Management and Reuse
Chris Saint took up the position of Director at the SA Water Centre for Water Management and Reuse in July 2011. He has 30 years postgraduate experience in broad areas of environmental science including: biochemistry and genetics of pollutant biodegradation; microbial-plant interactions, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), microbiological detection methodologies (including field/on-line monitoring); taste and odour issues; water treatment; wastewater microbiology and pathogens in catchments. Recent involvement has also included issues regarding wastewater re-use and stormwater capture and harvesting. Until June 2011 Chris worked for SA Water Corporation, initially he established an internationally recognised water microbiology research group and was responsible for the operation of a microbiology diagnostic unit. For the last 10 years he managed SA Water’s Research and Development portfolio. Chris took a key role in formulating the research directions for SA Water and introduced a technology transfer strategy that maximised implementation of R&D outcomes. He has also provided high level advice on water related issues to government and industry organisations and brokered R&D alliances and linkages. Chris also holds Adjunct Professor positions at the University of Adelaide and Research Centre for Eco-environmental Sciences in Beijing.
http://people.unisa.edu.au/Christopher.Saint
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