We hope that everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday season. We are all now well and truly ‘back on deck’ after spending some valuable time with family and friends in preparation for what will be an important year for the Institute.
During 2022 we will be continuing to build on the achievements of 2020 and 2021 outlined in our Annual Report 2021. In particular, we will continue to bring leading water decision-makers and researchers together to collaboratively identify, establish and deliver critical research to support priority water management issues for state, national and international governments and industries.
One of our research programs established during 2020 and currently being delivered is filling important knowledge gaps to inform the South Australian Government’s Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin Program, which is jointly funded by the Australian and South Australian governments. This research is making substantial contributions to achieving the third-term goals of our Strategic Plan 2020-2023, with important progress made during 2020 and 2021 as outlined in our In Focus articles and Annual Report 2021. Our Partners are working hard to complete the projects during 2022 such that the new knowledge and data can be used by DEW to inform future management decisions for the Coorong.
Some new and exciting initiatives of the Institute will be announced in coming months. These will continue to build collaborative partnerships with governments, industry and communities to advance water research and management in South Australia and Australia. One of these is the ONE Basin Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), for which a final decision will be made in May. We are already working hard with the ONE Basin CRC partners in preparing for the Stage 2 bid and interview that are due in February and March, respectively. If the bid is successful, we will have the pleasing task of working with partners to establish the ONE Basin CRC during the second half of 2022.
In addition to building partnerships at the national level, in March 2022 we will be looking to build new international partnerships through the International Conference on Water Management and Sustainability: Solutions for Arid Regions. We are co-leading the conference with United Arab Emirates University and the Department for Environment and Water and currently working on an exciting, engaging and productive program. The conference is to be held in Dubai in March and involve leading water experts from across the world. For more information on the Conference please visit here.
We will also be involved in the OzWater Conference in Brisbane in May 2022, where we are a finalist in the Australian Water Association’s National R&D Award, following the announcement of the Institute as the winner of the South Australian Branch R&D Award. There will no doubt be strong competition, but regardless of the outcome, it’s exciting for the Institute Partners to receive the national recognition for the Institute’s achievements.
It’s hard to believe, but as outlined in the 2021 wrap-up and Annual Report 2021, we are now half-way through the third-term of the Institute. With this in mind, our attention during 2022 will also turn to the goal of the Strategic Plan 2020-2023 to establish an ongoing operating model for the Institute. This will ensure that the Institute can continue to advance water research and management in South Australia and Australia for many years to come.
We hope that the 2022 has had a productive start for everyone. We look forward to working with you during the year!
Kane Aldridge
Director, Goyder Institute for Water Research
