Integrated Resource Planning
Project details
| Objective: | To develop resources and tools to assist urban water service providers and government agencies to determine more accurately how much water is used in their region, how much water is available and how they can best provide or support water services for their region in the future. |
| Funding: | Up to $700,000 plus applicable GST |
| Jurisdiction: | National |
| Commenced: | June 2008 |
| Completed: | March 2011 |
Progress
About the project
The project provided tools and guidance material to balance water demand and supply while accounting for the full social, economic and environmental costs and benefits in water cycle management. The Project is based on the internationally recognised best practice framework of integrated resource planning (IRP) and includes four resource papers and step by steps guidance on how to apply IRP models and processes. The four resources papers include:
- Sustainability assessment in IRP
- Complementary analytical techniques in urban water forecasting for Integrated Resource Planning
- Incorporating climate change into Integrated Resource Planning
- Monitoring and evaluation in Integrated Resource Planning.
Complementing the resource papers are two case studies on applying the IRP processes to a regional inland council (Wagga Wagga Council), and a major coastal council, (Brisbane City Council) and a set of spreadsheet based tools for incorporating environmental and community values into water planning and investment decision frameworks.
The Project is a partnership involving Brisbane City Council (BCC), Wagga Wagga City Council and Riverina Water, UTS (represented by the Institute for Sustainable Futures, ISF) and CSIRO.
Project benefits
The program will make a significant contribution towards the National Water Initiative by facilitating better water use efficiency and encouraging recycling and innovation in water supply and demand planning.
The resources and tools delivered through this project will assist urban water service providers and government agencies to determine more accurately how much water is used in their region, how much water is available (while protecting and delivering environmental and social values), and how they can best provide or support water services (through water use efficiency, source substitution, and supply augmentation options) for their region in the future.
The project improves capacity within the industry to manage the balancing of water demand and supply while accounting for water cycle impacts and interactions as well as the full social, economic and environmental costs and benefits in a coherent manner.
Related information
Project information
Publications
Resource papers (Waterlines report 41)
Integrated resource planning fact sheet (274KB)
Project partners
Institute for Sustainable Futures