Responding to Crisis and Change. A Snapshot of the Sustainable Agenda at Work Across the Australian Water Industry

The sustained water crisis across southern Australia has been the catalyst for water utilities to review their approaches to water management. This is now being expressed through the adoption of sustainability principles and frameworks to guide a spectrum of decision-making from a broader and more integrated approach. This paper presents a snapshot of selected innovative practices being implemented across four major urban water utilities and two utilities in regional centres. The highlighted practices cover a spectrum from specific decision-making frameworks for major water infrastructure, to strategic planning around urban and regional water supply based on a ‘water sensitive’. city or region, and the changing culture within water utilities. This snapshot reflects some leading edge practices occurring across the industry in Australia, and demonstrates sustainability in practice to address the complex challenges facing water utilities.