Our Foundation

The Trust was founded on the philosophy that, to improve Australia’s water and environmental management, we need to enhance the link between good science and effective policy making. This requires effective leadership skills, particularly around communicating in ways that bring science to life and make it relevant for politicians and policy makers. It also requires respectful, informed and meaningful collaboration which is the key to responsible and sustainable water management, now and in the future.

The late Professor Peter Cullen AO was a water scientist with a superb capacity to synthesise and communicate complex ideas in a simple, clear way to local communities, policy makers and politicians. Peter made an enormous contribution to the management of water resources in Australia and was instrumental in elevating the need for water reform to a topic of national debate. He was highly influential in Australian government decisions to invest at unprecedented levels in the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality, the National Water Initiative, and the National Plan for Water Security. The Trust is a registered charity and a Deductible Gift Recipient.