Austrade highlights Australian water management skills to American delegation

A water delegation of prominent officials from the US and Mexico has been assembled by the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) to showcase Australian expertise in water conservation, management, policy and product development across Australia from 9-20 November.

The Water Study delegation consists of 11 decision-makers from government, industry and research organisations who will visit Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, the ACT and Queensland.

Austrade’s Regional Director for the Americas, Grame Barty, said there are many similarities in the water management issues being faced by Australia, the US and Mexico, with growing recognition of Australian leadership and capability in water management and sustainability.

“The study tour is part of a broader strategy to share water-security knowledge and experiences with key decision-makers in USA and Mexico by increasing awareness of Australia’s world-class expertise and capability in water policy, research, innovation, services and technologies,” Barty said.

“The Australian government is helping build on our inherent skills through the $12.9 billion Water for the Future plan which aims to further develop Australia’s scientific and technical expertise to secure Australia’s long-term future water supply.

“The US is working to address water supply concerns impacting the southern and western states of the USA with the federal government implementing the US$23 billion Water Resources Development Act and, last week, Californian legislators approved a series of bills totalling US$11.1 billion to overhaul the state’s troubled water system,” he said.

"Our aim to is assist in building deeper links and networks with government, research and business because water is so critical to everything we do and the sizeable increasing population in the US makes their concerns even greater," Barty said.

Austrade’s Los Angeles-based Senior Trade Commissioner, Sally-Ann Watts, who is leading the senior delegation, said the group includes prominent US water expert Timothy Brick, Chairman, Southern Californian Metropolitan Water District, who provides advice at the federal and state level, including to Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, on the state's water system.

“There are tremendous opportunities for Australia - with Australian companies already supplying the United States market with a wide array of high-quality products and services, including smart water sensors, greywater recycling systems, dual-flush toilets and water optimisation software,” Watts said.

“Participants will also meet and receive presentations from Australian senior policy-makers at the national and state level as well as visiting utilities and facilities across Australia such as the Northern Victorian Irrigation Renewal Project, Murray Darling Basin Authority, South East Queensland Western Corridor Recycled Water Project and the CSIRO.”

Austrade’s Water Study Tour commences in Melbourne 9-10 November; Adelaide 11-12 November; Perth 13-14 November; Canberra 16-17 November and Brisbane 18-19 November. It is also supported by relevant state governments and their agencies as well as Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEHWA) and the National Water Commission.