Message from the Vice President, Sarah Watkins |
Welcome to our 6th edition of The Outlet and our second for 2021!
This year has already seen many successes, both big and small for the stormwater industry: from movement on key policy changes (including submissions from Stormwater Victoria) to another highly successful webinar and of course, the recent Stormwater National Conference!
Delivering such a high-quality conference, in a virtual environment shows the power of adaptation, planning and passion, which underpins our committees and industry.
For those that attended the virtual Awards Dinner last week, being able to catch up with old friends and celebrate together was a huge win for all present; although perhaps none more so than our Victoria award winners, City of Knox, and Highly Commended, ‘Chain of Ponds’ Collaboration Committee. Well done to all!
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Leadership Tip
'Celebrate success big or small along the way'
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Clearwater and DELWP Launched the Online Navigator Tool Resource Portal for Victoria’s Stormwater Planning Requirements on 25 March
The portal is a non-statutory support tool created to provide guidance and advice to assist with subdivisions and buildings and works developments. It can assist both applicants and assessors. DELWP’s stormwater management checklists and example development scenarios are embedded in the Portal, but they can also be accessed directly from the DELWP stormwater website.
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Constructed Waterway Design Training by Clearwater: Applying Constructed Waterway Manual Principles |
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Clearwater is taking registration for a ¾ day online training session (Thursday, 27th May) drawing on the guiding principles and deemed to comply design criteria from the Melbourne Water Constructed Waterway Design Manual. For those practitioners working in Melbourne Water’s area, this session is a must in understanding Melbourne Water’s expectations for constructed waterway designs including engineering, geomorphology, ecology, flood management and liveability elements that should be considered in a quality design process.
However, the session will also be relevant to areas outside the Melbourne Water area in terms of best practice waterway design elements. This course is targeted for design engineers, land development industry, and council staff reviewing waterway designs.
Register via this LINK early, as places are limited.
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Melbourne Water 2021 Price Submission
Melbourne Water lodged its 2021 Price Submission with the Essential Services Commission (ESC) on 9 November 2020. The submission details Melbourne Water’s proposed services in water, sewerage, waterways and drainage for the 2021-26 regulatory period, as well as the cost of delivering these services and the subsequent prices it intends to charge customers. The submission delivers the outcomes Melbourne Water customers value:
– Safe and reliable water and sewerage services
– Healthy waterways and protection of the environment
– To do everything reasonable to keep prices low
Melbourne Water is confident the submission delivers these priorities, and reduces the impact on customer bills. Melbourne Water’s prices are regulated by the ESC. The ESC is required to make a final price determination on the maximum prices that Melbourne Water may charge.
The ESC released their draft decision on 25 March 2021. Melbourne Water (and any other interested party) can respond to any matter in the decision. Responses are due by 4 May 2021. The draft decision delivers 99% of the revenue requirement that Melbourne Water proposed.
Melbourne Water is currently working through the details of the decision and preparing a response, including providing greater justification for proposed stormwater harvesting investments (e.g. Sunbury and Upper Merri Creek). The ESC is expected to make a final decision in June with new prices coming into effect on 1 July 2021.
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Meet the Speaker - Simon Roberts
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This time on 'Meet the Speaker', we get in touch with a past speaker, Simon Roberts, who spoke at ‘Blue Meets Green’ seminar back in 2019.
We wanted to catch up with him and see what he has been working on since. One of Simon’s focuses has been on his work at Our Future Cities, a volunteer-based organisation set out to expand the sources where new ideas can be found.
They do this by giving a wide range of voices a chance to contribute and influence the decisions that shape our cities.
Biography - Our Future Cities (OFC) Co-director and founder Simon Roberts is a leading water professional and is currently the acting economic regulation team leader at City West Water. Simon’s body of work focuses on a collaborative and holistic approach to planning that brings together all elements of the water cycle.
Equipped with a double honours degree in Engineering and Law, Simon has delivered innovative solutions for councils, water utilities, the Environmental Protection Authority (VIC), the Victorian Planning Authority and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. He has also held roles in both research and practice at Monash University, Environmental Justice Australia, Brisbane City Council, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, E2Designlab and the University of Witwatersrand.
SV (Tracey Pham): Hey Simon, thanks again for getting involved with the 'Meet the Speaker' segment. Let’s start with a brief background; how did you get interested in water?
Simon: I was studying civil engineering and wanted to work in an area with opportunities to deliver positive environmental outcomes. At one stage I looked into opportunities to be a structural engineer on wind turbines, however, this didn't go far and soon after I learned about WSUD & IWM in Prof Tim Fletcher's 3rd year class. This won me over to water for two reasons, firstly, WSUD and IWM fit the bill as they both have provided plenty of opportunities to deliver positive environmental outcomes, and secondly Tim's enthusiasm and genuine interest in water was infectious. I then joined Tim and a great group of water researchers on a couple of summer research projects and this set me off on the water path!
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SV: Oh yeh, I remember seeing you around the hydraulic labs there! And what are you up to now? What’s a favourite project that you’re working on at the moment?
Simon: There are plenty of exciting projects on the go. The integration of City West Water and Western Water provides a great opportunity to keep up the great IWM planning the broader western growth front, so this is a stand out given the potential scale of change.
I'm also really excited to keep working with the Our Future Cities team to see what water and broader city shaping initiatives we can drive. OFC is a volunteer organisation that has delivered interdisciplinary student competitions, mentoring, seminars and site visits with the aim of increasing the diversity of voices that are given a chance to contribute and influence the decisions that shape our cities.
We had a stellar 2020 program despite the challenges of the Covid-19 lockdown and are excited for what 2021 holds.
SV: That’s sounds very exciting and rewarding. Where do you see OFC going in the future/over the next year? What's the program?
Simon: Currently we are seeking sponsorship and partners to run a 2021 interdisciplinary competition. Last year we had hundreds of students from Victoria, Australia and even internationally dialing in to learn about Water Sensitive Cities, the UN SDGs and how to apply these to deliver better outcomes for the community and environment of Box Hill. We hope to deliver a new and improved program at a different location in the second half of 2021. So, if any of the readers have a project in mind, we would love to hear from them.
SV: Yes, I hope readers do get involved with OFC more. Moving away from work, what’s your favourite stormwater/ recreational spot to take your family & friends?
Simon: I have been living in Victoria for over 10 years now and I would love to take some of my VIC friends to my hometown of Bridgetown (WA) and take them down for a swim in the Blackwood River before popping over to Margaret River for some beach and winery time ;)
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You can get in contact with the team there.
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Position Paper on Infrastructure Victoria (IV) 30 Year Infrastructure Strategy
On December 2020, Infrastructure Victoria released the Victoria’s Draft 30-Year Infrastructure Strategy taking an integrated, cross‐sectoral view of infrastructure planning, making 95 draft recommendations to the Victorian Government across both metropolitan and regional Victoria. It presents a vision for a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable Victoria over the next 30 years, aiming to:
- Confront long-term challenges
- Manage urban change
- Harness infrastructure for productivity and growth, and
- Develop regional Victoria.
As the key body representing organisations and individuals involved in stormwater management, Stormwater Victoria was invited to participate in a stakeholder consultation session and to provide feedback on the objectives and strategies set out by The Strategy from a stormwater and environmental perspective.
The position paper details Stormwater Victoria’s position with regards to The Strategy, and includes recommendations for advancing Victoria’s industry practice. |
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Is Hydraulic Model Calibration to Historical Events
Host: Australian Water School
Date: 22nd April 2021
Time: 1.00 pm
Location: Online
Speaker: Chris Huxley
Becoming a Chartered Engineer Workshop
Host: Stormwater NSW
Date: 28th April 2021
Time: 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm
Location: Online
Speaker: TBC
Addressing Uncertainty in Catchment Models Using Machine Learning
Host: Stormwater QLD
Date: 6th May 2021
Time: 1.00 pm - 1.45 pm
Location: Online
Speaker: Aditya Singh
Host: Clearwater
Date:27th May 2021
Time: 10.00 am - 3.30 pm
Location: Online
Speakers: Jonathon McLean & Jenny Butcher
MUSIC X – Let’s Talk about it
Host: Stormwater Victoria
Date:27th May 2021
Time: 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm
Location: Online
Speakers: Katie Prout and Michael Mag
*Registration coming soon
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General Environmental Duty
Host: Stormwater Victoria
Date: July 2021
Time: 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm
Location: Online
Speaker: TBC
*Registration coming soon
Kingston City Council unpacks the Victorian Urban Stormwater Offsets
Host: Stormwater Victoria
Date: September 2021
Time: 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm
Location: Online
Speaker: Emily Boucher
*Registration coming soon
General Environmental Duty Webinar Series
Webinar 1
Local Government’s Role as Peer Regulators
Host: EPA Victoria
Date: 5th May 2021
Time: 10.30 am - 12.15 pm
Location: Online
*Registration coming soon
Webinar 2
A Session for Small & Medium Businesses - Understanding Risks and Your Duty to Protect the Environment
Host: EPA Victoria
Date: 19th May 2021
Time: 12.30 am - 1.30 pm
Location: Online
*Registration coming soon
Webinar 3
Waste Framework Overview
Host: EPA Victoria
Date: 3rd June 2021
Time: 1.00 pm - 1.45 pm
Location: Online
*Registration coming soon
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If you are interested in contributing an article, upcoming industry event or news item to The Outlet e-newsletter, please send an email to president@stormwatervictoria.com.au. |
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Stormwater Victoria Major Sponsor: |
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