MEDIA RELEASE
The Australian Government today announced plans to establish a $30 million Centre for Groundwater Research and Training to seek solutions to Australia’s water scarcity problems.
The CEO of the National Water Commission, Ken Matthews said the Centre would be funded jointly by the National Water Commission and the Australian Research Council, which would each provide $15 million over five years to the project.
Mr Matthews said, “The current drought has sparked a new awareness of the critical importance of groundwater in the minds of most Australians.
“Although groundwater provides Australia with about 30% of its water, this hidden resource is not well understood which poses challenges for sustainable management.
“The key objective of the Centre is to build capacity in knowledge and skills in a new generation of groundwater scientists in order to improve the way we manage groundwater.
“This approved funding of $30 million for the Centre for Groundwater Research and Training brings to $82 million the amount now committed to the Australian Government’s Groundwater Action Plan”, said Mr Matthews.
During the next few months, competitive proposals to develop the Centre will be sought from research groups and consortia based in Australian universities, in collaboration with partners from outside the university sector.
It is anticipated that the Centre will begin operating in mid-2008 and that its establishment will lead to a further strengthening of more general environmental research in our universities.
For more information, see the project fact sheet.
Media contact:
Lynne Griffiths, NWC Communications Manager - 02 6102 6023 / 0412 786 945