What is 2024 starting to look like for you? In preparation for the suite of task and projects you will face this year, an interesting aspect we hear coming up for many is, where and how to best fit in with other colleagues working across the water and land management sectors? With this question as a starting point, we invite you to join the Queensland Water Modelling Network’s, Capacity, Collaboration and Capability team for a series of free, lunchtime Water Chats, where we will speak with several colleague’s about their roles, their focus and the interconnection of their needs, up and down the “water modelling pipeline”, here in Queensland.
In this series we will connect with decision makers, a water modeller, and a research scientist to hear about their unique responsibilities for water, the aspects that overlap with other colleagues, and the “elements” being sought up and down this “pipeline of effort”. Do they include data, information, modelled scenarios, visualisation options, probability or uncertainty profiles, etc.?
We are all doing our best to tell our story of water to a variety of stakeholders so, what are the elements we all need to hear and share to be more effective, transparent and clear, at every stage of the pipeline?
To begin this Water Chat Series we will focus our attention on decisions makers hearing from both a policy perspective and a regional water utility perspective. Later in April, we will hear from an experienced water modeller, and finally in May, from a groundwater research scientist. As we work back from decision-making, we can consider how well placed water modelling tools are to address various needs, and compare the options decision makers need to consider before diving into the role of research, and how new insights can ensure models are best simulating the behaviour and management impacts of our water systems.
Each of these webinars will run between 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM AEST (Brisbane time) and are a great way to spend your lunch break. These Water Chats are a conversation between the host Piet Filet and the day’s guest with plenty of time allocated for your questions and comments and further discussion.
We would love to have you attend and contribute to one or all in this series. Please find all the details and links to attend, below (links will be updated as the new booking page becomes available)
| Date | Guest | Role | Registration to attend |
| Wednesday 14 February | Steph Hogan | Executive Director, Strategic Water Initiatives, Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water | Link to event recording |
| Thursday 7 March | Mal Shepherd | Chief Development Officer, Sunwater | Link to event recording |
| Thursday 18 April | John Ruffini | Director Water Planning Services, Department of Environment and Sciences | Link to event recording |
| Thursday 9 May | Lucy Reading | Associate Professor (Groundwater), Queensland University of Technology | Link to register |
Booking link for Mal Shephard is now available.
And in the meantime, why not add the dates for all Water Chat events to your calendar and catch the full series over the next 4 months.