The Goyder Institute for Water Research has won the Australian Water Association National R&D Excellence Award for the second year running. Announced at the OZ’Water 2023 gala dinner in Sydney on 11 May, the award was accepted by Interim Director Dr Alec Rolston for the Institute’s Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin (HCHB) Research Program.
“I am delighted to receive this award on behalf of our partners and research teams,” said Goyder Institute Interim Director Dr Alec Rolston.
“It’s a great testament to the incredible efforts of our researchers that we were able to successfully deliver this nationally and internationally important research program under challenging timeframes, as well as during an unprecedented global pandemic,” said Dr Rolston.
The HCHB research program ran from July 2020 – June 2022 and involved 72 researchers across 13 institutions, in particular CSIRO, Flinders University, The University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia, and the South Australian Research and Development Institute. The Institute’s close partnership with the South Australian Department for Environment and Water (DEW) also played a critical role in ensuring the research would inform their decision-making processes.
The research formed an important part of the $77 million Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin (HCHB) Program, an initiative of the Australian and South Australian governments that aims to support the long-term health of the Coorong by providing evidence-based solutions to both immediate threats and future conditions under a changing climate. The Goyder Institute was the delivery partner for five research components of the HCHB Trials and Investigations project, providing independent research to inform future management decisions for the region.
Dr Rolston, who was also the Goyder HCHB Research Program Manager, went on to thank the exceptional Goyder Institute researchers, the Institute’s management board and research advisory committee, and the DEW staff who contributed to the research program as well as the Australian Water Association for its recognition.
“We’re honoured to have received the AWA R&D Excellence award for the second year in a row. We’re proud of the legacy we’re building and excited for the future as the Institute continues to grow and deliver sustainable, innovative, and integrated water management knowledge and solutions. Our Institute’s work is consistently being recognised as world-leading and nationally important, highlighting the critical collaborative partnership that the Institute has developed.”
The Institute would like to congratulate all 2023 finalists and award winners for their important contributions to water management across Australia.
