Water Security CRC

The water services sector has identified several key research needs to address the water security challenge faced by cities, regional towns and remote communities across Australia. These include:

  • Improving service delivery by balancing the current legacy and long-lived nature of assets with the need for agility to respond to changes brought about by climate extremes, technological advancements and customer expectations;

  • Optimising supply through a re-imagined and integrated urban water cycle where fit-for-purpose supply options make every drop count;

  • Analysing the transition and delivery of circular economy principles, beyond emission targets and recovery-based water services, to unlock new markets with quality products;

  • Improved understanding of customers’ needs through tailor-designed service offerings and effective community engagement;

  • Providing new models to support a dynamic, high performing and skilled workforce with a strong culture of innovation;

  • Achieving health, environmental and liveability outcomes at optimal cost through implemented and integrated planning and sustained delivery of services.

Companies

Water service providers

Government

Research partners

International affiliates

Other partners

Who is involved

  • Alluvium
  • Brisbane City Council
  • Byron Shire Council
  • Civic Ledger
  • CSIRO
  • Eco Detection
  • Geoscience Australia
  • Healthy Land and Water
  • Hunter Water
  • Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust
  • Taggle Systems
  • Vic Water
  • Water Research Australia
  • Water Services Association of Australia
  • Waterstart
  • Water Technology
  • Water Trust Australia

Governance structure

The Water Security CRC will be governed by an independent skills-based Board. Leith Boully has accepted the nomination as the interim chair of the Board, with Professor Stuart Bunn accepting the position of interim CEO. The Board of Directors will comprise a Chair and 6 Directors who are independent of the CRC Partners. The recruitment of the Board Directors will be coordinated by the Nominations, Remunerations and Performance Committee. The Board will also establish an Audit, Risk, Privacy and Finance Committee and Consultative Committees for each of the Research Programs and one specifically to represent Partners. These Consultative Committees will be majority represented by industry participants in the Water Security CRC as well as independent experts as appropriate. All appointments to the Board and Committees will be term limited to ensure broad representation from the CRC’s partners.

About the CRC team

Ms Leith Boully
Ms Leith BoullyInterim Chair
Ms Leith Boully is an experienced Chair and Company Director having served on more than 30 boards. She is the former Chair of Sunwater and has served as a National Water Commissioner, and Chair of Healthy Waterways Ltd, the Wide Bay Water Corporation and the Tropical Water Quality Hub.
Professor Stuart Bunn
Professor Stuart Bunn Interim CEO
Professor Stuart Bunn is the Director of the Australian Rivers Institute at Griffith University. He is currently a member of the Murray Darling Basin Authority and was recently appointed as an Earth Commissioner under Future Earth. He has previously served as a National Water Commissioner and a Director of Land and Water Australia.
Dr Victor Pantano
Dr Victor PantanoBid Consultant
Dr Victor Pantano was most recently Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre one of the largest CRCs in Australia. Prior to this, Victor served in various executive positions including Associate Vice President, Innovation and Strategy at the University of Canberra, General Manager at FEI Company (formerly listed on the NASDAQ and now a subsidiary of Thermo Fisher Scientific), Chief Operating Officer at Lithicon AS, Chief Executive Officer at Digitalcore Pty Ltd, Director of Commercialisation at the Australian National University and Investment Director at ANU Connect Ventures.
The Water Security CRC bid team also includes senior research leaders from our University partners, including: Prof Steven Kenway (University of Queensland), Prof Greg Morrison (Curtin University), Prof Pierre Mukhebir (University of Technology Sydney), and Prof Nick Bond (LaTrobe University).