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Stormwater Australia recently announced the National Awards winners at a gala dinner during their National Conference in Adelaide, South Australia.

The finalists in the awards, which are presented in six categories, had been chosen by their state associations as the best in their region.

“So basically every finalist was already an award winner from their own state and was pretty keen to get a national honours as well,” said President, Andrew Allan.

The winners in each of the categories were:

Excellence in Asset Management Winner:

  • (VIC) Tools to Improve WSUD Asset Management by Melbourne Water.

Excellence in Infrastructure Winner:

  • (VIC) Banyule Community Stormwater Harvesting Project by City of Banyule, Commonwealth and State Governments, Melbourne Water and Fisher and Fisher.

Excellence in Integrated Stormwater Design Winner:

  • (SA) Oaklands Wetland Stormwater Reuse Scheme by FMG Engineering, DesignFlow and Taylor Cullity Lethlean.

Excellence in Policy or Education Winner:

  • (VIC) Melbourne Water’s 10,000 Raingardens program: working with the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and community to raise stormwater awareness and drive community action by Melbourne Water, Mornington Peninsula Shire and Balcombe Estuary Rehabilitation Group (BERG).

Excellence in Research and Innovation Winner:

  • (SA) MARSUO – Managed Aquifer Recharge and Stormwater Use Options Research Project by Goyder Institute for Water Research, CSIRO, University of Adelaide, University of SA, National Water Commission, City of Salisbury, Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, SA Water and SA Department for Water Environment and Natural Resources.

Excellence in Strategic or Master Planning Winner:

  • (QLD) Detailed Total Water Cycle Management Planning for Moreton Bay Regional Council by Moreton Bay Regional Council, BMT WBM, Unitywater and Bligh Tanner.

Highly commended projects in each category were:

Excellence in Asset Management Highly Commended:

  • (QLD) Water by Design Guidelines for Managing Vegetated Stormwater Assets by Healthy Waterways.
  • (QLD) Asset Management Plan for Brisbane’s Natural Waterways by SMEC Australia.

Excellence in Infrastructure Highly Commended:

  • (NSW) Stormwater Management at Western Sydney Parklands, Lizard Log by Equatica, McGregor Coxall and Western Sydney Parklands Trust.

Excellence in Integrated Stormwater Design Highly Commended:

  • (NSW) Crossing Waters: Bibbys Place, Making Places Together by Fairfield City Council, Bonnyrigg Town Centre Committee, Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC), NSW Environmental Trust, Storm Consulting and The Lot.

Excellence in Policy or Education Highly Commended:

  • (QLD) Moreton Bay Regional Council On-line Flood Information by Moreton Bay Regional Council.

Excellence in Research and Innovation Highly Commended:

  • (QLD) UWSRA Stormwater Harvesting and Eco-hydrology Project by the International WaterCentre/Smart Water Research Centre, CSIRO, United Arab Emirates University and the Department of Science, Information, Technology, Innovation and the Arts.

Excellence in Strategic or Master Planning Highly Commended:

  • (VIC) The Kingston Master Plan – The Next Generation in Stormwater Strategies by City of Kingston and DesignFlow.

“What really excites me about the whole Awards Program is the quality and depth of the work being completed within the industry across the country,” Allan said.

“You just have to look at the institutions and organisations involved, including our major scientific research centres and facilities, our leading universities and innovators from the corporate sector, all levels of government and the community.”

“Water management has certainly come a long way from the days when it was all about engineers, pipes, drains, and pumps.”

Allan said the decision to have every state jurisdiction present awards in the same categories as those offered at the national level had worked extremely well.

“The categories were carefully selected to cover the broad areas in which the stormwater professional operates these days.”

“By then comparing the state winners within each of these categories, professionals in these areas can learn from the work that others are dong and also be excited about the opportunities that are everywhere in the stormwater management field.”

Allan concluded by encouraging everyone involved in the stormwater industry to embrace the spirit of innovation demonstrated by the Award winners.

“Effective stormwater management is all about good science, good planning, good design, good engineering, good maintenance, good community engagement, but mostly clever and committed people.

“I would encourage anyone involved in stormwater management at the regional and national level to get involved in awards programs because not only is it good to have your work recognised but it’s also great to find out what the other leaders are doing.”

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