The project Water Sensitive Urban Design Impediments and Potential: Contributions to the SA Urban Water Blueprint was funded by the Goyder Institute for Water Research. It aimed to identify and address the impediments and constraints, and identify opportunities and enabling mechanisms that will contribute in the strategic uptake of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) with a focus on local capacity building and cost of living for South Australia (SA). The project will provide government agencies and other stakeholders with the scientific, technical, social and economic background to target further specific actions in support of the implementation of WSUD in SA. This information can inform government in effectively implementing the relevant actions identified in the Water for Good plan. In addition, the project aligns with the activities and outcomes from the Business Case for a Water Sensitive Urban Design Capacity-Building Program for South Australia (Alluvium and Kate Black Consulting 2012) and supports the current WSUD capacity building program implementation initiative from the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Natural Resources Management Board (AMLR NRM Board). A primary objective of the WSUD project was to provide the knowledge-base that will support WSUD capacity building initiatives and in addition the SA Urban Water Blueprint. This Blueprint is being developed by DEWNR and aims to establish an integrated and strategic plan for urban water infrastructure investment in SA, including the strategic uptake of WSUD. The 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide (the Plan) seeks to create a most efficient planning system for Adelaide up to 2040. The Plan projects a steady population growth of 560,000 people and the development of an additional 258,000 homes by the Year 2040. It aims to provide for population and economic growth, whilst protecting the environment and heritage values of Greater Adelaide. The Plan envisages a Greater Adelaide made up of vibrant and liveable communities that are resilient to climate change impacts. Key principles of the Plan include the protection of natural resources and the engagement with communities (Government of South Australia 2012). The Plan also aims to increase the urban density in greater Adelaide, with a target of 70% of new housing comprised of infill development in existing urban areas and 30% of fringe development. WSUD can be a key approach for ensuring the sustainable development of Greater Adelaide.
There were three main objectives of the project, each representing one of three main project tasks: To investigate the impediments and drivers for WSUD specific to South Australian urban developments. To identify and understand community perceptions that have the potential to influence the uptake of WSUD systems in South Australia. To understand the potential of WSUD in South Australia to promote water conservation, reduce flooding risk, impacts of frequent flow from development on watercourses, the development of green space and water quality impacts on Gulf St Vincent. Highlights of the research included: The production of a spatial database of WSUD sites in South Australia for public use (Objective 1). Detailed socio-technical assessment of six WSUD developments was used as a basis for identifying critical factors that have impeded successful implementation of WSUD in the SA context (Objective 1). Mapping of stakeholder groups for WSUD in SA to understand roles and responsibilities, and possible gaps or lack of coordination among institutions. Engagement with these stakeholder groups to understand key drivers and impediments for WSUD implementation in SA (Objective 1). A detailed review of current WSUD policies in SA and a comparative analysis with other Australian jurisdictions (Objective 1) A community consultation, investigating the social and technical issues, drivers and opportunities for the uptake and management of WSUD systems (Objective 2). Determination of the impact of urban infill development on runoff volume, runoff peak flow rate and flood volumes and a means to explore the impact of WSUD on these volumes (Objective 3). Data on the ability of onsite and streetscale WSUD measures to improve the performance of drainage systems for events up to and including the design capacity (Objective 3).
The project has thematically mapped responsibility for WSUD in South Australian government. Based on feedback from local practioners, the project also provided evidence to support existing concerns over urban drainage capacity and the need to consider the impact of infill development on existing drainage measures. It has also provided some indication of the ability of on-site and street scale WSUD to restore drainage capacity. The existing work has led to a new project directed specifically at urban infill development in Greater Adelaide which is proposed to be funded by six local governments and the Stormwater Management Authority. This further research will be used to develop policy in response to the identified impact of infill development and WSUD. The project consultation helped to establish a Stormwater Liaison Group which meets quarterly to discuss stormwater issues in SA at the operator level. The group includes local researchers and state government representatives. This has led to a collaborative approach to the proposed research in Phase 2 where recommendations for policy development will be made, with in-kind support from the WSUD capacity building program manager.
Chris Wright holds significant experience in public sector senior leadership, having led policy, scientific and operational business units over the last twelve years in both State and Commonwealth government agencies. Chris has excellent experiences in leading policy and strategy formulation. He is skilled in building and maintaining networks across the public and private sectors to facilitate business delivery; leading and negotiating with others to achieve outcomes; and in bridging the science-policy gap, drawing on earlier roles in geospatial information systems (GIS) consulting. Chris’s formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Social Science, a Masters of Spatial Information Science and graduation from the AICD Company Directors course in 2019.
Dr Ilka Wallis is a hydrogeologist with areas of expertise in quantitative hydrogeology and geochemistry. Ilka focuses on the development of reactive geochemical transport models which integrate fundamental processes that are normally studied in isolation (hydrogeological, mineralogical, geochemical and biochemical).
Ilka is also an Adjunct Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Manitoba, Canada since 2017.
Peter Goonan is the Principal Aquatic Biologist in the Environmental Science Branch of the EPA. He has over 30 years’ experience monitoring the condition of aquatic ecosystems in SA and assessing the environmental effects caused by discharges, deposits and contaminants entering inland and coastal waters. He specialises in aquatic invertebrate identification and their responses to contaminants and water quality stressors. He also provides expert professional advice relating to water quality risks, regulation, policy, and strategic directions, and represents the EPA as an expert witness in court.
Dr Paul Monis is a technical expert within SA Water’s Business Services group, which provides scientific expertise to support the delivery of water and wastewater services to SA Water’s customers. He has specialist expertise in the areas of biotechnology and microbiology, with almost 20 years’ experience applying DNA-based and other technologies to address water quality challenges posed by microorganisms, especially enteric pathogens. Dr Monis also holds title of Adjunct Associate Professor at Flinders University, the University of Adelaide and UniSA.
Jennie’s role in the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) allows her to foster and strengthen opportunities for researchers to better connect with government to enable evidence-based decision making. Jennie has extensive experience working in both universities and government, allowing her to bridge the divide between the two sectors. She is focused on connecting natural resource researchers with natural resource decision makers, and facilitating fit for purpose partnerships.
Dr Tanya Doody is a Principal Research Scientist working on high impact spatial eco-hydrological projects within CSIRO’s Land and Water Business Unit. Dr Doody leads the Managing Water Ecosystems Group, based in Adelaide, Albury and Canberra and has significant experience in quantifying the water requirements of vegetation and at times, their impact on water resources. This involves ecophysiological field-based research to underpin remote sensing tools to scale regionally to improve our understanding of the effect of flood regimes on the health of water-dependent ecosystems on the Murray-Darling Basin floodplains. Additional research includes investigating the ecological response of vegetation to water availability and environmental water to inform integrated basin water planning and management.
Professor Lin Crase is Professor of Economics and Dean of Programs (Accounting & Finance) at UniSA. He joined UniSA in February 2016 as Head of School of Commerce. Prior to commencing at UniSA, Lin was Professor and Director of the Centre for Water Policy and Management at La Trobe University.
Lin’s research has focused on applied economics in the context of water. He has analysed water markets and the property rights that attend them, water pricing and numerous applications of water policy. Whilst his expertise includes the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia, he has also worked on projects in south Asia, Japan and Europe. Lin has published over 100 journal articles, numerous book chapters, four books and a range of other papers and opinion pieces.
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.
Justin has a PhD and a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours from the University of Adelaide.
Daniel Flaherty is the Accountant for the Goyder Institute for Water Research.
Daniel has extensive experience in higher education having worked in senior financial management roles at the University of South Australia, Flinders University and the University of Adelaide over the past 26 years. Daniel has also been a Board Director on a number of university related entities. Prior to that, Daniel has worked in a range of agencies in the Commonwealth and State Governments.
Daniel is a Fellow of CPA Australia and has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Adelaide.
Alec Rolston joined the Institute in 2021 as Research Program Manager of the Goyder Institute’s research projects in the Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin program. He has extensive experience in integrated water resource management, integrated catchment management, drinking water source protection and wetland ecology, conservation and management across Europe and Australia.
Alec holds a PhD from the National University of Ireland Maynooth and has worked with An Fóram Uisce|The Water Forum and the Dundalk Institute of Technology in Ireland as well as the MANTEL Innovative Training Network across Europe.
Alec spent his early career in Adelaide working with Flinders University through the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLAMM) Ecology Research Cluster and within the Department for Environment and Water.
Daniel Pierce has managed research projects at the Goyder Institute for Water Research since November 2017 under both the second and third terms of the Institute.
Daniel brings experience in project management and knowledge transfer and application from 4 years working as a Senior Hydrogeologist in the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) in South Australia and from 13 years of private sector work in environmental management, science and engineering in Australia and the South Pacific. His work with DEW has included providing technical advice to the development and revision of Water Allocation Plans around South Australia in collaboration with researchers and policy makers, and managing a team of groundwater modellers and hydrogeologists involved in an assortment of water resource management issues.
Daniel has a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons, Environmental) and a Bachelor of Science (Geography) from the University of Western Australia.
Professor Lombi’s main contributions to environmental research cover various aspects of contaminant risk assessment, biogeochemistry, ecotoxicology and waste management. Furthermore, the methodological development he has pursued in his research has provided the basis for collaborative efforts in a variety of research areas ranging from soil fertility and plant physiology to human health issues related to contaminant uptake via occupational exposure and diet. In the last few years he has been increasingly focusing on the transformation and toxicity of manufactured nanomaterials in the environment.
Dr Carmel Pollino is a Research Director for Land and Water at CSIRO. She has 20 years of experience working on water issues in Australia and throughout Asia. Carmel has degrees in science and environmental law and works across the science and policy interface. Significant areas of research in Environmental Flows, Hydrology, Ecology and Integrated River Basin Planning. Carmel is the lead and also a contributor to global working groups on water and has published widely in this domain.
Professor Bronwyn Gillanders is interim Head of School of Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide. Prof Gillanders completed her BSc at the University of Canterbury, MSc at the University of Otago and her PhD at the University of Sydney. She has a research background in environmental science focused predominantly on freshwater and marine ecology.
Her research interests include integrated marine management; coastal carbon opportunities; multiple use activities and cumulative impact assessment; biology, ecology and fisheries of cephalopods; stocking and provenance of fish; plastics in the marine environment including in seafood; use of fish bones (and other calcified structures) for assessing ecological and environmental change. She has trained and mentored ~70 Honours and Higher Degree Research students and shaped the future of 1000s of students through her undergraduate teaching. She is passionate about encouraging capable women to enter and remain in science careers.
Dan Jordan is the Director, Water Security, Policy and Planning, Department for Environment and Water (DEW). Dan is also the Basin Officials Committee Alternate Member for South Australia.
Professor Okke Batelaan is a graduate of the Free University of Amsterdam, Netherlands (MSc – Hydrogeology) and of the Free University Brussels, Belgium (PhD – Engineering). He worked for more than 20 years at the Free University Brussels and also led the hydrogeology group at the KU Leuven, Belgium since 2006. He was chairman of the Interuniversity Programme in Water Resources Engineering.
Since 2012 Okke Batelaan is Strategic Professor in Hydrogeology and currently Dean of the School of the Environment, Flinders University. Okke has broad experience in teaching groundwater hydrology, groundwater modelling, GIS and remote sensing for hydrological applications. He was supervisor of more than 140 MSc and 25 PhD students. He has extensive research experience and a publication record in shallow groundwater hydrology and modeling, recharge-discharge estimation and modeling, urban hydrology and distributed modelling, ecohydrology and impacts of land use and climate change on groundwater systems. He coordinated and participated in a large number of projects in Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and Australia. He is editor-in-chief of Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies and of MDPI-Hydrology.
