Director’s column

It has been a whirlwind month – now into my fifth week as Flagship Director and having had the opportunity to get an overview of research progress I am impressed by what has been achieved in terms of research outcomes and the development of strong collaborations. I look forward to building on these achievements, while also strengthening and refining our research focus.

In this, our fourth issue we report on some work in progress as well as research already being applied in the Australian community; be it the Manager Aquifer Recharge Trial in Western Australia, one of the largest in the world, or our research on Gnangara Mound where trials are providing irrigators with real time information to help guide irrigation decisions.

This issue also introduces the Water Resources Observation Network (WRON) a web based information system that will tell us how much water we have now and expect to have in the future, who is entitled to use it and under what conditions. CSIRO, through the Flagship, has recently committed an additional $9 million to the development of what we and our alliance partners believe will be a major step forward in water resource management across Australia.

The Flagship's research on water and the relationship between soil health, invertebrates and revegetation success is already informing revegetation programs across Victoria.

Developing the next generation of water resource scientists is an opportunity made possible through the Flagship scholarship program. Meet two of our students from Monash University who are completing PhDs in our Urban Waterscapes program.

I would also like to introduce Scott Keyworth. Scott is Manager, Research Adoption and will work with our research teams and external partners to ensure our research outcomes translate to usable products and actions. Scott brings a wealth of experience in research management and policy development. Prior to joining the Flagship he was responsible for the implementation of a range of strategies for the Murray-Darling Basin Commission. Scott is contactable on
02 6246 4997.

I thank my predecessor Colin Creighton, for the significant effort he has invested in establishing and managing the Flagship and look forward to building on these strong foundations.

I hope you enjoy the read and welcome your feedback or questions regarding our research.

Tom Hatton
Director, Water for a Healthy Country Flagship
 

Update Home

Message from the Director

Building a Water Resources Observation Network

Science supporting the Living Murray

Giving revegetation strategies the edge

Recreation in the Coorong

Real-time monitoring helps irrigators to be water wise

Determining requirements for managed aquifer recharge in WA

Assessing land condition and sediment delivery in Great Barrier Reef catchments

A community creating its future options

WaterSmart Irrigation in the Murray

Meet some scientists from the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship

Meet Tom Hatton

Meet Wenju Cai

Meet some students from the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship

Meet David McCarthy

Meet Mirela Magyar

EARLIER UPDATES 

November 2004

April 2005

September 2005

The Water for a Healthy Country Flagship is a CSIRO initiative and part of the National Research Flagships program that aims to deliver scientific solutions to advance Australia's most important national objectives. One of the largest scientific initiatives ever mounted in Australia, it aligns closely with the Federal Government's National Research Priorities. The initiative brings together our national research resources to deliver breakthroughs in fields ranging from healthcare to light metals and the environment.