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Built Environment, Industry Professionals and Planners have a critical role to play in developing planned adaptive responses to Climate Change. This project seeks to create a suite of freely available online training resources to support and assist education and training of students and professionals. This project will bring together leading research and practice in urban and industrial water resource management and supply to address key knowledge and professional skills training gaps. It will also bring together an up-to-date resource to provide professionals in the field with easy access to latest innovations and proven technologies in these areas.

There is a need to focus on industrial and urban water usage and the rapid urban development occurring along coastal zones around Australia that are raising many complex water, natural resource management, engineering and planning challenges. Adapting to climate change will require significant professional skills development in urban, coastal and industrial water resource management and supply to address changes to water availability and rising sea levels, and this is the primary focus of this proposal. Skills will also be required to adapt infrastructure and buildings to the risks of bushfires, cyclones and hailstorms. This is also addressed in this proposal. This project has been developed in consultation with a number of collaborating partners, many representing important end users of the training material. The material will undergo a rigorous review by Engineers, Architects, Water Professionals and Academics across the collaborating Professional Institutions, Universities, Government Agencies, Industry and NGO collaborators.

They are looking for a range of authoritative training and capacity building materials, based on rigorous research, that are extensively peer reviewed, and available online, to learn how to ensure that they act wisely to respond to climate change. This project seeks to create a significant peer reviewed and authoritative online training resource for industry and business, universities, local governments, and community organisations focused on ‘Education for Climate Change Adaptation in Water Resource Management and Supply’.

Currently the information available on the web for adaptation to climate change in the urban and industrial settings in this area is limited, scattered and rarely thoroughly peer reviewed or accredited for professional bodies or the education sector. The project will seek to address this in part, specifically focusing on adaptation to Climate Change implications with water management and supply and seeks to; Provide a strong foundation for a cost effective strategy to educate/train large numbers of Australians over the next decade in climate change adaptation knowledge and skills related to water management and supply; Empower Australian industry, governments and communities to adapt to climate change and in so doing achieve economic and environmental benefits; and help to reduce regulatory and compliance costs for industry and business in meeting local and international demand for goods and services that address the implications and impacts of climate change.

The following questions will be addressed in the training program in consultation with the project’s partnering organisations:

The project supports the ARIES recommendation that education about and for climate change adaptation should be in an integrated way with education about and for climate change mitigation.

TNEP would like to thank its in-kind administrative hosts Griffith University and the ANU. TNEOP would also like to especially thank Philip Toyne, Stephen Dovers, Martin Dwyer, David Hood, Gary Codner, John Wiliams and Molly Olsen for acting as referees to the application.

Expert/Academic Advisory Panel (In-Kind):
Collaboration with fellow academics, industry and government colleagues in this project are critical to its success. The following national and international leaders in sustainability have committed to act in an advisory panel, contributing in-kind support through advice, mentoring and peer review:

Academic Panel Members:

- Emeritus Professor Pat Troy: Visiting Fellow, Fenner School of Environment and Society (formally Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies) (ANU); Adjunct Professor (Griffith University).

- Professor Peter Newman: Director, Institute for Sustainable Technology and Policy (Murdoch University).

- Professor Stephen Dovers: Academic Staff Member, Fenner School of Environment and Society, (formerly Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies), ANU; Collaboration Supervisor (ANU-TNEP) & Network Mentor, TNEP.

- Professor Stuart Bunn: Director, Australian Rivers Institute (Griffith University).

- Professor Rodger Tomlinson: Director, Griffith Centre for Coastal Management; Member – Steering Committee, Smart Water; Program Leader, Griffith Climate Change Response Program.

- Professor Joe Lee: Deputy Director, Australian Rivers Institute (Griffith University), Director, Queensland Smart Water Research Facility.

- Professor Ralph Buckley: Chair, Griffith Climate Change Response Group; Member, International Centre for Ecotourism Research (Griffith University).

- Assoc Prof Poh-Ling Tan: Director, Internationalisation, Griffith Law School, (Griffith University).

- Dr Margaret Greenway: Academic Staff Member, Centre for Environmental Systems Research, Griffith University; Environmental Engineering College Board Member, Institution of Engineers Australia; Qld President, Stormwater Industry Association; Network Mentor and Contributor, TNEP.

- Dr Barry Newell: ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society and Facilitator of ANU National Institute for Environment's Climate and Water Integration Group.

- Associate Professor Rodger Hadgraft, President of the Australasian Association of Engineering Educators. Director Engineering Education Unit, (Melbourne University).

- Dr Philip Williams: Ass. Member, Centre for Environmental Systems Research; Brisbane City Council Sustainability Taskforce.

- Associate Professor Gary Codner, Associate Dean, Teaching Faculty of Engineering, Monash University.

- Dr Fran Sheldon: Core Group, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University; International Water Centre - Masters Water Program Coordinator (Griffith University).

- Dr Rodney Stewart: Member, Centre for Infrastructure, Engineering and Management (Griffith University).

- Mr Justin Leonard - Director CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems’ Bushfire Urban Design Project.

- Dr Graeme Pearman; Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Arts, Geography and Environmental Science, (Director GP Consulting) Formerly Chief of the CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research.

- Associate Professor Gary Codner, Associate Dean, Teaching Faculty of Engineering, Monash University.

- Professor Bofu Yu: Griffith School of Engineering, Deputy Head of School, Nathan Campus.

Industry Panel Members:

- Mr Mark Allen: General Manager Project Planning and Design, VicUrban.

- Mr Chris Davis: Chief Executive Officer, Australian Water Association.

- Scott Willey: Managing Editor of the BEDP Environment Design Guide, Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) Knowledge Services

- Adj. Prof Paul Perkins, Australian National University, Chair, Australian Science Festival Ltd, Chair, Environment Industry Action Agenda and Barton Group, and Director and Immediate Past Chairman Environment Management Industry Association of Australia Ltd (EMIAA), now Environment Business Australia, and Chair of The National Environmental Education Council. Mr Perkins is also a Companion of the Australian Institution of Engineers and an Honorary Ambassador for Canberra.

- Mr Terence Jeyaretnam Chair of the Environmental Engineering College, Institution of Engineers Australia.

- Dr Helen Stratton: Academic Staff Member, Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith; Environmental Engineering College Board Member, Institution of Engineers Australia; Qld President, Australian Water Association.

- Mr Philip Toyne & Molly Harriss Olsen: Directors, National Business Leaders Forum for Sustainable Development.

Government Panel Members:

- Ms Jill Grant: Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources – Sustainable Development Section.

- Mr Yianni Mentis: NSW DEUS – Sustainability Policy Section.

- Dr John Cole: Executive Director, Sustainable Industries Division, Qld EPA.

- Ms Kelly Wickham: Sustainability Victoria – Strategy and Knowledge Section.

- Mr Greg Bruce: Townsville City Council – Environmental Management Services.

- Mr Chris Williams: Civil Projects Officer - City of Playford.

NGO Panel Members:

- Averil Bones: Freshwater Campaigner, World Wildlife Fund, Australia.