It has been such a pleasure and privilege to start in the CEO role at Water Research Australia. We’ve had an exciting and productive first month, filled with meaningful engagements and forward-looking initiatives. Here’s a quick snapshot of the latest updates and activities.
Board meeting in Adelaide
Our Board convened in Adelaide for the first meeting of 2025, setting the stage for an exciting year ahead. While in SA, I had the opportunity to connect with key stakeholders from across the water industry, including SA Water, Osmoflo, CRC SAAFE, Flinders University, the Department of Health and Wellbeing, UniSA, and GWRC. It was fantastic to engage in insightful discussions, strengthen relationships, and explore opportunities for future collaboration. A special thank you to UniSA’s Enterprise Hub for hosting our Board meeting and providing a great space to discuss innovation and impact in the water sector.
Member consultations
As CEO, I’ve begun visiting some of Australia’s largest water utilities and key industry partners. These meetings follow a membership review process at WaterRA conducted with an external expert in late 2024, along with extensive member consultations, which highlighted the need to evolve our membership model to ensure even greater value for our members. In Sydney, I had the opportunity to meet with Water NSW, Sydney Water, WSAA, and Isle Utilities, followed by discussions with the executive team at SA Water in Adelaide. These conversations are invaluable in shaping the future of our membership offering and strengthening our partnerships across the sector. Over the coming months, I’ll be travelling to Queensland and more within Victoria to continue these consultations, listening to our members’ priorities and exploring new opportunities for value. I also look forward to connecting with our members in Western Australia in the future.
CRC SAAFE meetings in Adelaide
We are delighted to be leading the Water Industry Consortia (WIC) on behalf of our members focussing on anti-microbial resistance. In Adelaide recently, we held productive meetings with CRC SAAFE to discuss and plan upcoming research initiatives, PhD student opportunities, WIC engagements, and more. Ensuring that our WIC members are well-represented in this vital CRC is a key priority, and these discussions are helping to shape meaningful collaborations that will drive impactful research for the sector. I look forward to seeing these opportunities come to life and strengthening WaterRA’s role in connecting our members with cutting-edge research and innovation.
Securing funding and new projects
I’m pleased to share that WaterRA has secured $482K in funding from NEMA’s Disaster Ready Fund to support key projects that will strengthen resilience in the water sector. We have also signed contracts with CRC SAAFE to advance critical research on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) – an issue of growing importance for public and environmental health. Beyond these successes, we are actively engaging with federal initiatives to further leverage project funding and expand opportunities for impactful research. These efforts ensure that WaterRA continues to drive innovative, high-value research that benefits our members and the broader industry.
WaterRA also intends to make a submission to the expert panel on the Australian Government’s strategic examination of the R&D system. We will soon be calling for member input to ensure our submission reflects the priorities and perspectives of members. Stay tuned for details on how you can contribute.
Welcoming new members
I’m thrilled to welcome Osmoflo as the newest member of the WaterRA BIG Team, bringing our total membership to 78! Behind the scenes, other organisations are finalising their paperwork, and I look forward to sharing more exciting membership updates soon. As we continue to grow, so do our opportunities to connect. Our Know Your Neighbour (KYN) events are a fantastic way to bring together local members and industry colleagues to discuss regional challenges, emerging opportunities, and shared priorities. These informal, state-based gatherings provide a unique platform to exchange ideas, strengthen partnerships, and expand professional networks. We’re kicking off 2025 with a KYN event in Melbourne on the 31st March – registrations are already open, so be sure to secure your spot here. We’re also planning KYN event for Brisbane in April, with more details coming soon. I look forward to seeing many of you at these events!
Next Water 2025
As we look ahead to the Next Water conference in October, I would like to personally encourage you to submit an abstract for this exciting event. The conference will showcase cutting-edge innovations and insights driving the future of water science and technology. This is an excellent opportunity to share your research, ideas, and success stories with a vibrant community of water industry leaders and professionals. The deadline for abstract submissions is Friday, 28 February. In addition to presenting, Next Water also offers sponsorship opportunities, providing excellent exposure for your organisation and a chance to be part of advancing the water industry’s future. Whether you are looking to build brand recognition, build new partnerships, or demonstrate thought leadership, there is a sponsorship package that suits your goals.
I trust you found my first month update informative. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to connect – I’m excited to strengthen our relationships and collaborate closely to achieve impactful outcomes in 2025.
Sincerely,
David Bergmann
CEO
Water Research Australia