Bridging Issue #49

We covered a range of issues from lifting the profile of the network to developing an improved portal/platform where Fellows can connect, as well as closer engagement between the Fellows Committee and the PCT Board.

We also had a great discussion on sharpening the future focus of the network, the relative weight of connection versus content, and the important continued emphasis on leadership lessons, failures and successes.

As a result of this session, we are busy planning the following projects for the year ahead:

Ongoing Leading and Learning

• Fellows Annual Professional Development Day – Canberra, November 2022
• Biennial major event (e.g. WateRevolutions)
• Supporting the City Leads “Lunch with a Leader” series

Raising the Profile

• Engagement of the Fellows Committee (FC) with the PCT Board
• Supporting “Bridging”
• Review of the FC Terms of Reference
• Planning the 2022 Ripple Award

Building the Network

• Fellows-to-Fellows Networking Platform (e.g.Yammer)
• Events to support the graduating cohorts
• Giving Back
• Fellows Philanthropy
• Supporting and informing the Trust’s mentoring program.
  

Introduced by Sean Kelly, a 2018 PCT Fellow, the session began with an acknowledgement of country and of the relationships held with participants attending the session. In true Phil Duncan style, Phil challenged us to think through a cultural lens, use committal language in our workplaces and honour the past, get up and stand up, with and for Aboriginal people.

‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ was a key theme throughout the presentation, strengthening the message for self-determination and involvement of Aboriginal people in the decision-making process and the critically important task of healing country. Phil generously provided clear examples of how Aboriginal people are the first scientists, the oldest living culture in the world, have and continue to protect sites of cultural significance, have adapted to changing landscapes and flow regimes, and have used the constellations/sky country for navigation and timing for harvesting food sources. Phil identifies that Indigenous Cultural Science can, and in fact has been demonstrated to co-exist with Western Science, and that Indigenous culture inherently understands complexity and systems thinking by its very nature.

A powerful image of river systems across Australia was shown, where Phil described how the Darling system can be thought of as the ‘lungs’ and the Murray system, the ‘kidneys’, all vital organs that function in unison for the living being, the sacred Mother Earth. Phil identified key issues for the Murray Darling Basin system, that require greater fish passage, noting <10% of fish stocks remain since colonisation.

Phil acknowledged the challenges for Aboriginal people to continue their Lore as Custodians for the land, when facing such high levels of disadvantage. Phil acknowledged how generous Aboriginal people have been in sharing their knowledge, and challenged us to think about giving back, of reciprocity. Phil mentioned key pieces of legislation, including the United Nations Declaration of Rights for Indigenous Peoples, the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 and the Native Title Act as enablers for change, and the need for reform within the Water Act. Phil generously shared a framework to use in our projects including following Traditional Owner Protocols, Respect, Trust, Honesty, Inclusiveness, Integrity and Strong Values and shared how he has demonstrated these behaviours when working with Traditional Owners on a project.

The Q&A session kicked off with a discussion around how cultural flows can be managed within unregulated streams, noting the high attention on regulated systems. Phil noted an unregulated system should be managed no differently from a regulated system, ensuring there are allocations for cultural flow to maintain water connectivity and health. The issue was raised around the high level of time demands on Traditional Owners for engagement on projects and the need to invest in young Aboriginal people to reduce this burden. The requirement for cultural safety when Aboriginal people leave their communities was acknowledged and the support needed for them to return to country when they need to without explanation.

Reforms needed to deliver on the Murray Darling Basin plan were discussed, where wider engagement and integration were noted as an opportunity and shifting planning cycles beyond ten years to 30 – 50 years and beyond. Phil warned of concerns in the use of a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) as a tick box exercise, and that inclusion of legal responsibility should not be included in RAPs. Phil spoke of the opportunity for an entire Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PCT cohort, that could be run in conjunction with the regular science-to-policy PCT program and the opportunities for knowledge sharing that could occur. The question of what success would look like to Phil Duncan in this space was asked, and it was noted that currently women’s knowledges are missing and lacking voice. Phil further noted, that to understand success on the outside we need to have success on the inside. External success was described as more Aboriginal people involved in projects with genuine co-design from a whole of community perspective, noting that it would not be visible for 25 years, that success is not time critical, encouraging us to look internally and seek genuine partnerships with Traditional Owners and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in the first instance. This was further discussed from a research perspective, looking to nurture and support young Aboriginal people in the sciences. Finally, the Q&A was wrapped up with a discussion on leadership, Phil noted he doesn’t see himself as a ‘leader’, but he identifies a collective ‘us’ – the collective change we can make together.

I encourage everyone to watch the recorded part of this session (Passcode Y@b$t6tG), as there were far too many gems to cover here in the written word, I can only say it was, as it always is, an absolute honour and privilege to hear Phil Duncan speak. His generosity to share and challenge us, his commitment to improving the lives of First Nations People and to healing country are incredible. So take every opportunity to do this, and if it’s on country – all the better!

Part of the recipe for Anthony’s incredible success is the four principles to communicate science to people:

1. Give the punchline up first – if people are interested, they will hang on to hear the rest
2. Tell the story, don’t sell the story – Just tell a simple story about your science.  If you sound like you’re selling something it brings different values to the listener.
3. Use common language, bring people in – if you want to talk to people, use their language, they want to understand what you are saying.
4. Maintain your credibility – make sure the science is behind what you are saying, no matter what the story.

It was wonderful to hear about Anthony’s experiences across different roles, however the story that struck a chord with the assembled audience was around collaboration and co-design in a small community affected by poor air quality and making a commitment upfront to redesign an air monitoring network. 

Described as the new democracy, co-design was the commitment made from the government organisation he worked for at the time.  This filled an expectation from the community to discuss with them a complex situation full of emotion, review options and collectively reach a decision.  It’s not a venture which should be taken lightly with any community and it was an experience that had Anthony realise that the investment in time, effort, energy and planning up front with the community, followed by the actual workshops led to better outcomes on the ground, but more importantly, trust from a community.  

Anthony’s parting wisdom, very much in the spirit of PCT – we need to understand ourselves, how we lead and fit a career to match our strengths.

If you missed the online session with Anthony, you can see the recording HERE – you will need the Passcode: ?xw37@ND to access the recording.

To find out more about what Anthony is up to on the weekends, listen to Radio Marinara on RRR app through podcasts or check out his websites to find out more about science impact, and co-design and collaboration.

• https://www.scienceintoaction.com/
• https://www.authenticcodesign.com/

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Karlene noted that the geographical conditions of the two locations are somewhat similar, enabling the sharing of technical support.  She also encouraged Rajasthan to take advantage of new research and technologies being developed under the Australia India Water Centre, which engages with 17 leading technical institutes from India and nine from Australia. 

PCT Fellow (2021) Simone Stewart was also part of the delegation.

In August the NSSN facilitated an invitation-only workshop on Smart Sensing for Flooding Co-Design in response to the NSW Floods including stakeholders from governments, industry, universities and the broader community.

NSSN sensor research collaborations have included avoiding mass fish kills through using water sensors, quantum sensor use to manage and monitor aquifers in real time and drone seeding to revolutionise ecological restoration.

In December 2021, NSSN published a report Where is all the water? Written by major academic and government partners, the report reviews gaps and discrepancies in the data on water assets and provides a research platform for integrating different types of sensors and data analytics for modelling, prediction and decision making.

As we know, all good science to policy communication needs to be engaging.  To achieve this, the Community Voices session put the audience into a real-life mini experience of preparing for and negotiating for their country at the Delta River Commission after examining six community engagement principles that emerged from a deep dive investigation into Australia’s water reform journey. These principles acknowledge the high potential for conflict among stakeholders when attempting to manage water sustainably and address the safeguards needed to create an environment where all voices can be heard.

The Community Voices Summary Document can be downloaded HERE. 

Mark had a distinguished career which began with Brisbane City Council in 1973. Always a visionary leader, he led the then innovative new program for “Integrated Urban Water Management”. Today, this is a mainstream approach for many utilities.

In 2002 Mark ventured to London taking up the role of Deputy Director, International Water Association. Paul Reiter, IWA Executive Director, 2002-2012, said that:

“Mark was an integral part of the team that developed IWA after the merger of IWSA and IAWQ.  His breadth of knowledge about all the elements of integrated urban water management was complemented by his understanding of the diverse elements of IWA’s membership which contributed greatly to developing a long-term vision for IWA.  The generosity of Mark’s spirit and personality brought so much to the newly emergent IWA team as well as to so many of the members.”

Mark returned to Australia in 2005 and as CEO developed the International WaterCentre as a leading educational and leadership development organisation. In addition, Mark held numerous board and advisory roles for several water businesses and research institutions. This included managerial positions for Local and State Governments and board roles for organisations such as the Australian Water Recycling Centre of Excellence, Southeast Queensland (Gold Coast) Desalination Company, Western Corridor Recycled Water and Healthy Waterways. 

In April this year Mark was elected as Governing Council Chair of the Asia Pacific Water Council. He saw great opportunities in Australia having the Chair of the Council.  Still the visionary, Mark was excited by the opportunity.

Tom Mollenkopf, the President of the IWA, and previous CEO of the Trust, paid tribute to Mark and his work there, saying:

“Mark was a great friend, an inspirational leader in the water sector, and a wonderful human being. He served the International Water Association and the global water community with distinction. Amongst his many honours he was an IWA Fellow who brought a great intellect and humanity to international programmes.” 

Mark regularly engaged with the Trust in exploring new opportunities for collaboration with the International WaterCentre. CEO Darryl Day shared that:

“Mark was an inspirational leader, mentor and friend to the global water community. His vision, strategic intervention and courage changed the policy of governments and aspirations of organisations, but his greatest contribution is the friendship extended to everyone he met. Mark’s capacity to connect and support his extensive network, with empathy and friendship, is unrivalled. Mark’s passion was investing in water leaders, who will continue his legacy for generations. He was taken far too young.” 

In accepting the invitation to be a Friend of the Peter Cullen Trust, Michelle expressed her admiration for the enormous contribution Peter made to our understanding of our environment, thriving communities, and the importance of strong leaders shaping good policy and law across Australia.

Michelle also noted that the mission of the Trust – to bridge science, people and the environment – strongly aligns with her work and her personal approach to leadership.

When she has personal time out, Michelle is a keen walker and likes nothing better than pulling on a backpack and hiking trails in our great Western state.

She has remained grounded in a focus on human rights, gender equality and universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene. As we face into some of the most challenging times and address the water, sanitation and hygiene crisis Rosie is leading work across WaterAid on innovation which at its core she thinks of as change that adds value. She loves the possibility created by the intersection of her passion for diversity and inclusion with innovation.

As a leader fuelled by compassion, courage and service Rosie is well known for creating space for others to blossom in all aspects of her life. Leaning into her feminist practice of leader Rosie working with her Board and leadership team she is leading WaterAid through ongoing transformative processes so that we reflect the gender just and socially just world we strive to see externally.

The concerns are confronting in many Indigenous communities, especially concerns about water quality, scarcity, climate change and water governance. The conference also provided a platform to listen to members of communities, reflect deeply about the issues and highlight the importance of collaboration across organisations and geographies in working through these complex challenges.

PCT Fellow Simone Stewart provided an overview of the situation in South Australia and presented a paper “Supplying Water to Remote Communities – Multiple Problems Require Varied Solutions” which aimed to show the current status of the SA Aboriginal communities’ water supplies and to explain the complexity regarding water supply arrangements.

PCT Fellow Eric Vanweydeveld presented his work on a national review which was commissioned by the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA). The review aims to provide some clarity around the management of water services in remote Australia, and more specifically in relation to the Indigenous communities in each state and territory.  WSAA is collaborating with the Productivity Commission, the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) and Infrastructure Australia on this topic. However, the review is expected to serve a broader purpose for the industry overall in providing clarity on these matters.

A preliminary report has been published by WSAA. The final review is expected to be released in November 2022.

A single registration fee enables you to attend sessions within both events, and of course, the all-important social events. The huge industry exhibition, which is also part of this event, is free for all to attend whether you’re a conference delegate or not.

The conference theme is ‘Irrigation for the future – challenges, innovations and opportunities’, while the theme of the ICID Congress is ‘Innovation and research in agriculture water management to achieve sustainable development goals’.

Irrigation Australia is expecting a great turnout of delegates from Australia and further afield. The week promises to be huge.

What to expect

• 84 conference presentations at the Irrigation Australia Conference by experts in water management, policy, technology and more
• 70 presentations at the ICID 24^th Congress by international guest speakers
• Informative workshops: Murray-Darling Basin, Renewables in Agriculture, Women Working in Water Forum, Fish and Irrigation, Geosynthetics
• The exhibition: more than 100 leading irrigation industry suppliers will be showcasing their products (5, 6 and 7 October)
• A range of technical tours covering some of Australia’s most exciting irrigation and water management projects
• A great social program: all delegates are invited to the welcome reception and Outback Spectacular dinner
• A unique opportunity to make lasting friendships and connections with others in the industry

Find out more and register here: https://www.icid2022.com.au/iace-home/registration-iace/

For too long, rural and regional Australia has been forgotten – out of sight and out of mind for both state and federal Governments. I’ve seen the continual decline as services are torn out of regional centres and experienced the devastating effect that natural disasters have had on our people and communities.

That’s why, when Australia voted for change at the federal election in May, I was hopeful it might coincide with a change of luck for regional communities. When I returned to my home in western NSW, however, I found that many didn’t share my sense of hope. In fact, for many, the fear was palpable.

We often hear about the city/country divide in Australia, but what I’ve noticed over recent weeks is a country/ALP divide. Despite a few independents running strong campaigns, the regionally focused National Party managed to retain all their seats.

The Liberal Party also fared quite well in the country, largely retaining their regional seats, while suffering significant losses in and around capital cities.

Labor, on the other hand, performed very well around the capital cities, but barely managed to hold onto their regional NT seat of Lingiari, suffering a 4.5% swing against them.

It is worth considering why, after years spent neglecting rural communities, the coalition remains relatively popular in regional Australia.

Some might say it’s a result of Labor’s more ambitious climate targets, but I would argue against this. Recent Australia Institute research showed that 78% of regional Aussies believe we are already experiencing the impacts of climate change. The idea that country folk don’t recognise the need for climate action has been pushed by conservative politicians with particular agendas, but it’s far from reality.

So why didn’t rural Australia turn red, like the cities? For much of the campaign Labor were tight-lipped on big issues that affect rural areas like a drought strategy, live exports, and Murray Darling water recovery. The few regionally focused commitments that were made received scant media attention. This approach, combined with a prolonged fear campaign from the coalition, created angst and uncertainty about what a Labor government means for the regions.

Labor now has a choice: they can work with people in the country and prove to us that they’re seeking ‘a better future’ for both city and regional Australians, or they can deepen the current divide. Murray Watt, the new Agriculture Minister, has said climate action will be an opportunity for Labor to connect with the bush and I couldn’t agree more. But we have many more problems to address than climate change.

Labor would do well to progress their election commitments around digital connectivity, aged care and regional telehealth as soon as possible. But that, too, won’t be enough in isolation. Regional Australia needs broad, significant investment in services to address the many social, economic, and environmental challenges we face.

David Littleproud, the new leader of the National Party, also has a choice to make: he can act as a conduit between Parliament House and regional Australia by working constructively with Labor to ensure our voices are heard in Canberra. Or he can lead a party that will spend the next three years fanning the flames of fear that are currently simmering in the bush.

His predecessors may have struggled to put politics aside, but I hope he will choose the former and do what’s best for those of us in the country’s heartland.

It’s undeniable that, when it comes to winning the trust of regional voters, all political parties have their work cut out for them. I just hope, whatever choices they make, they consider the part of Australia that has already been on life support for far too long.

Kate McBride is a fifth-generation farmer and Anne Kantor Fellow at independent think tank The Australia Institute.

Accounting for Nature CEO Dr Adrian Ward said the certification of the Goondicum Environmental Account shows extensive commitment to their growing conservation credentials and they should be highly regarded for the adoption of transparent and credible practices.  

“To achieve a successful certification the Environmental Account must undergo rigorous activities including adhering to strict guidelines and processes, adoption, and specification of relevant natural asset class methods such as for soil, native vegetation and native fauna that are independently accredited by a panel of Australia’s leading scientists, making up the Accounting for Nature Science Accreditation Committee.”

“Accounting for Nature offers a tiered certification system to provide an easy identifiable label to support proponents’ claims and protect the integrity and quality of the standard,” Dr Ward said.

The self-verified tier two certification indicates that Goondicum will need to update their Environmental Account at least every five years.  Ongoing reporting and measurement will track changes to the health of the environment and inform ongoing certification.

Goondicum has worked with sustainability experts listed on the Accounting for Nature Accredited Experts Registry to complete this significant milestone for their Environmental Account and identify baseline results.

Dr Ward said the Accounting for Nature Framework offers a unique rating scale from 0-100 that simplifies the complexity of reporting change in the condition of the environment. This rating scale called the “Econd”, which is combined with a Pcond to determine uplift in productivity, is assigned a confidence level rating which is the result of the collective genius of decades of robust development by Australia’s leading scientific community and is what sets the Accounting for Nature® standard apart from many other standards. 

Ms Nadia Campbell, the Director of Goondicum Pastoral Co, said conservation in farming is a critical path for the future and the adoption of Environmental Accounting in our practices helps to achieve improved outcomes for the environment as well as increased productivity and support export market demands, especially within the European market.

“Undertaking the Environmental Account has quantified the ability for us to demonstrate that a sustainable grazing enterprise can operate alongside a healthy ecosystem. It allows us to lead a conversation and educate others about improving business not at the expense of the environment.”

“It has provided enhanced disclosure in our operations and aligns to our values in ensuring natural capital is valued in our business transactions, within the larger economy and ensures we can leave a proud legacy for future generations,” Ms Campbell said.

Information about the Goondicum Environmental Account can be viewed on Accounting for Nature’s Environmental Account Registry on its website https://www.accountingfornature.org/afn-project-40

A copy of the Goondicum Station account summary and information statement can be requested on Goondicum Pastoral Co’s website https://www.goondicumpastoralco.com.au/

Accounting for Nature is a not-for-profit venture that provides a world-leading scientifically rigorous standard to create transparent and credible environmental accounts.

The Accounting for Nature Framework is an internally recognised environmental accounting standard that can be used by any government, organisation or individual, who wants to understand whether actions are improving or degrading natural capital. Learn more www.accountingfornature.org