The Regional Water Productivity project was part of the University of Melbourne’s engaged research initiative, Carlton Connect. It engaged over 1000 stakeholders in the water sector in Australia to investigate challenges and opportunities for improving regional water productivity to ensure sustainable outcomes from water use for agricultural development, regional industries, communities and the environment.
Description of collaboration and engaged research: RIRG members Dr Margaret Ayre and Professor Ruth Nettle worked in collaboration with the members of the ‘Water’ theme of Carlton Connect to lead, design, conduct and integrate a major, national-scale survey of water sector stakeholders to engage them on issues of innovation in regional water use and management (Ayre, Nettle et al. 2016). We used a unique, two-stage Delphi decision process to identify research-practice priorities for innovation.
Impact and value: The results of the national survey on regional water productivity directly informed the development of Carlton Connect’s first major policy intervention: A Blueprint for Regional Water Productivity. The Blueprint which serves the National Water Initiative – Australia’s key water reform initiative – is a synthesis of an extensive consultation process aimed at developing a common framework to deliver innovative solutions to address the water management challenges facing state and national communities. The Blueprint was launched by the Federal Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, in 2014 and was recognised as “an innovative and collaborative framework…to position Australia as a world leader in water resource management”.
The Framework has been used to guide discussions between policy makers, researchers, communities and industry on investment and action towards water productivity improvements. This has directly influenced the Victorian Government’s current policy framework, Water for Victoria.
The blueprint: Stewardson, M., Skinner, D., Ayre, M., Barlow, Cook, B., Farquharson, R., Fuentes, S., Godden, L., Karoly, D., Langford, Nemes, V., Nettle, R., Peel, S., Pettigrove, V., 2014, A Blueprint for Regional Water Productivity. The University of Melbourne. Parkville
Professor Ruth Nettle
ranettle@unimelb.edu.au
14 Nov 2020