The conversation continues in Canberra...

About 70 senior water and urban policy professionals gathered in Canberra on 12 May 2009 to continue the discussion around what it means, and how a water sensitive city might be created.

The International WaterCentre, Monash University, and the National Water Commission, hosted “Creating Water Sensitive Cities in Australia” workshop. This Canberra workshop built upon the earlier series of workshops been held in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide during February 2009. These previous workshops had attracted approximately 500 water industry practitioners. The views of these 500 water practitioners were analysed by Monash University and formed the basis of a number of key messages communicated at the Canberra Water Sensitive City Workshop. This Synthesis Report titled ‘ Transitioning to a Water Sensitive City – A Summary of the key findings, issues and actions arising from five national capacity building and leadership workshops’.

Key messages emanating from the Canberra workshop were:

• for all of Australia’s major urban centres, urgent action is needed to transition towards Water Sensitive Cities
• the action does not require radical restructuring of the current business structures, but does need to encompass actions that drive substantial cultural change, produce an agreed vision, increase understanding among the urban communities and their politicians, and provide incentives for all stakeholders to transition to Water Sensitive Cities
• the national government should become more active in facilitating the transitioning across Australia. As a matter of urgency, the national government should co-develop with relevant decision makers from the major cities a national vision and framework for Water Sensitive Cities across Australia. This framework should not be a “one size fits all” approach, but rather, be facilitative and prioritise policies and incentives that allow for adaptability to different city contexts
• a “community of practice” network should be developed at both national and city levels, enabling interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral coordination and learning
• ongoing investment in R&D is needed to support the learning cycle – using both social and physical sciences.

To read the full Communiqué from the Canberra Workshop click here.

To read the full Synthesis Report click here.




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