Rising to the Challenge at Stormwater Australia 2016 Conference: "We will all need to work together to develop the solutions of the future," stated Andrew Allan in his 'Message from the President'
Note to Reader:
Download Rising to the Challenge to view the final program for the Stormwater Australia 2016 conference, a biannual event.
A Message from the President of Stormwater Australia
“In 2009, the United Nations reported that more than half the world’s population lived in urban centres. This proportion is set to increase to 66% by 2050, when it is estimated that city dwellers will live and share their neighbourhoods with an additional 2.5 billion people,” stated Andrew Allan, President of Stormwater Australia. In his day job he is the Strategic Water Engineer with the City of Manningham in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
“As our cities grow and evolve, it is imperative that we manage our natural resources to ensure they continue to provide clean, healthy environments for ourselves and the next generation. Access to adequate supplies of safe and fit-for-purpose water will be increasingly important to meet the needs of a growing population, while the responsible management of runoff from both increasing sprawl and density in existing urban areas will be needed to increase our resilience to natural disasters such as flood and heat waves, and to avoid further environmental and social degradation.”
Challenge and Change Brings Opportunity
“The modern stormwater industry seeks to balance traditional issues with emerging priorities which are being placed on our infrastructure. Practitioners are experienced in working at the coal face, often pragmatically dealing with issues in a complex environment, where policy requirements are often unclear, but the demand for good outcomes and multiple benefits are not. The growing need to work in multidisciplinary teams, to lead and influence, to understand and assimilate different points of view and technical requirements, will be core skills required in the future.”
“Challenge and change brings opportunity. Fiscal constraints are an ever present reality. New and emerging technologies are developed to provide technical solutions. Increasingly we are seeing new business models that empower greater choice. Increasingly we are looking to solve nexus issues around water, energy and food. In an increasingly connected world, information has a new currency to support decision making and engagement with community. As economies around the world transition to make better use of all this knowledge, there is potential to develop new markets and trade opportunities.”
Through Sharing and Learning….
“The ‘Rising to the Challenge’ Conference will reach out beyond our core industry practitioners to engage with a broader group of committed and talented people 
who will all need to work together to develop the solutions of the future. Stormwater Australia invites you and your colleagues from all disciplines and experiences to participate in what we anticipate will to be an exciting and engaging Conference that builds upon earlier successes, inspires participants and provide opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing,” concluded Andrew Allan.
To Learn More:
Download Rising to the Challenge to view the final program for the Stormwater Australia 2016 conference, a biannual event.
