Connections "along the pipeline" with water utility decision maker, Mal Shepherd

This is the second in series for the Queensland Water Modelling Network’s Water Chat for 2024. In this series we discuss the various roles of colleagues, their focus and their "connection" needs with other professionals, up and down the “water modelling pipeline” in Queensland. We also hope to highlight some scenarios from your roles which might align and connect you with these colleagues as they seek out evidence and information along the pipeline.

At this webinar we are talking with Mal Shepherd Chief Development Officer with the regional water utility, Sunwater. Following our last Water Chat with Steph Hogan about decision making from a government policy perspective, we are keen to compare what underpins the decision making needs of a water utility that has agricultural irrigation as a critical focus. 

It is Mal’s role to lead his team in the development and delivery of replacement or additional bulk water infrastructure assets such as dams, weirs, pipelines and irrigation schemes. We will ask how Mal how he and his team approach decision-making to address both current and forecasted requirements of the irrigated agricultural sector in Queensland.

For significant irrigation and storage infrastructure, Mal and his team need to develop detailed business cases. So, what key information do they require to make informed decisions during project development, planning and implementation? How do seasonal forecast and future climate variability, across regional Queensland, impact on decision making for Sunwater? And, what are some of the key ingredients required for water modelling, analysis and other key information tools?

Currently Sunwater manage 19 dams and 64 weirs and barrages for 24 different irrigation schemes across regional Queensland.

A diverse topic for which, we are sure you will have other great questions to feed into this Water Chat. We are always keen to understand what connections and partnerships a decision maker needs with other colleagues along the "water modelling pipeline" - maybe you have some comments, links or examples from your work to share on this topic - they will be most welcome.

Join us for what will be an engaging conversation from 12:15pm for a 12:30pm start.

This is the second of four in the 2024 Water Chat series which continues in April and May. Please look out for links on our events page to reserve your spot and book that time in your diary.