CURRENT PROJECTS
Secretariat Services: eWater Cooperative Research Centre
Kiri-ganai Research provides secretariat services to Dr Don Blackmore, Chairman of the eWater Cooperative Research Centre.
eWater is a collaborative research venture comprising 31 industry, government and university partners across eastern Australia that aims to produce practical products bringing to bear the economic, commercial and environmental benefits from the smart management of water.
Website: www.ewatercrc.com.au
Secretariat Services: CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country
Kiri-ganai Research provides secretariat services to Dr Don Blackmore, Chairman of CSIRO's Water for a Healthy Country flagship initiative.
Water for a Healthy Country is a national research program focusing on water, its uses and values. Its scientists are developing the technologies and information needed to protect Australia's rural and urban landscapes and ecosystems, provide safe and clean drinking water, manage our rivers, wetlands and estuaries, and ensure the sustainable use of our water resources.
Website: www.cmis.csiro.au/healthycountry/
Sustainable Farms
The isolated paddock tree is an iconic image of rural Australia. Like an oasis in the desert, these majestic trees provide more than just visual appeal. They will not last forever, however, and their replacement is in danger through lack of recruitment. Sustainable Farms is tackling the challenge of reversing paddock tree loss in grazing landscapes, whether the result of active clearing or simple neglect. Can we integrate production and conservation in these landscapes?
The Fenner School of the Australian National University is investigating this important question under the Department of Environment's Commonwealth Environmental research Fund programme. Kiri-ganai Research is a team member, providing ongoing advice to the project team, facilitating project workshops and engaging the livestock industry in project activities.
Website: http://fennerschool-research.anu.edu.au/sustfarms/
Administrative assistance to the Managing Climate Variability Program
Following the demise of Land & Water Australia, the Grains R&D Corporation (GRDC) has taken over responsibility for managing the national Managing Climate Variability Program (MCVP). In turn, GRDC has invited Kiri-ganai Research to provide the adminstrative support for the program. Kiri-ganai will assist the Program's coordinator, Colin Creighton, and GRDC Manager, Martin Blumenthal, in ensuring that the transition is smooth and that important climate variability research continues unhindered by non-scientific concerns.
Laura Harris of Kiri-ganai Research will provide executive officer support to the program over 2009-10.
Website: www.managingclimate.gov.au
Establishment of a Cooperative Research Centre for Climate and Weather Risk Technologies
The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) has asked Kiri-ganai Research to assist it develop partnership arrangements and a proposal to establish a Establishment of a Cooperative Research Centre for Climate and Weather Risk Technologies.
Professor Richard Price, Managing Director of Kiri-ganai Research and also an Adjunct Professor of USQ, will chair the bid and guide a team lead by Professor Roger Stone. The bid also involves the Australian National University, the UK Hadley Centre and the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (USA).
Capacity to adaptively manage under climate change and variability
The overall objective of this project is to provide a comprehensive assessment of how governments and communities can better respond to the potential for reduced future water availability in the Murray–Darling Basin using the recent drought responses as an example and opportunity for learning. The project is intended to include the identification and documentation of:
1. The adaptive capacity of current legislation, policy settings, institutional structures and water planning and sharing processes to manage drought.
2. Water managers' responses to water shortage in the Basin since 2002.
3. Responses of water users to drought conditions.
4. The beneficial and perverse or ineffective consequences of responses where discernible.
5. Opportunities to improve responses to reduced water availability in the future
The research team includes the project leader and Kiri-ganai Research associate, Steven Cork, Kiri-ganai Research Managing Director, Richard Price, and the Australian National University's Daniel Connell.