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“We don’t pay the real costs of the water we use—neither the costs necessary to transport and treat it, nor the environmental costs of wasting it. As a result, we’ve come to believe that water is cheap. There’s no incentive to use less of it,” states Bob Sandford. “I think many of our tensions around water are coming to a head. That is important, because we cannot change our actions until we change our minds.”

“The editor of Australia’s most respected economic and business newspaper, the Financial Review, has questioned the wisdom of the arguments for sole reliance on large scale centralised water infrastructure, in particular desalination. This process motivated an article about competition across scales. This has resulted in a range of actions, including collaboration with our key federal regulator and discussions with a range of government leaders”, wrote Peter Coombes.

In the June 2016 issue of Sitelines magazine, nine articles showcase the breadth of program elements delivered by the Partnership for Water Sustainability. “The set of articles introduces readers to concepts such as ‘water as a form-maker’. This means watersheds are defining landscapes,” stated Tim Pringle. “In many ways, the built environment has to adapt to watershed features and water movements to maintain viable settlements.”