Donald Begbie Email & Phone Number

The Urban Water Security Research Alliance (UWSRA) is a $50 million partnership over five years between the Queensland Government, CSIRO’s Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, Griffith University and The University of Queensland. The Alliance has been formed to address South East Queensland's emerging urban water issues with a focus on water security and recycling.Don manages and coordinates the delivery of research across the partners to help the security of urban water in SEQ.

Led the monitoring and assessment of: surface water and groundwater resources; freshwater aquatic ecosystems and their condition and trend; urban water systems; and the management of natural resource information.

Led State Government input to the formation of the Urban Water Security Research Alliance, including legal agreement, research and development plan, administration budget, representation, appointment of the Chair and financial approvals.Formation of the Water Science business group, including developing strategic business plan and staff and financial resource requirements for business delivery.Managed the investigation of groundwater as an alternative source of water supply for urban communities from North Stradbroke Island and hard and fractured rock aquifers, for example Toowoomba and Atherton Tableland basalts and the Landsborough Sandstone formation.Managed a project investigating appropriate pesticide monitoring methods and strategies for priority reef catchments.Represented the Department on:the Jurisdictional Working Group for implementation of the Baseline Assessments for the Australian Water Resources 2005;the Intergovernmental Operations Group and the Reef Partnership Management Committee for the Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan;Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Research Advisory Committee;eWater CRC Participants Forum;National Coordination Committee for Salinity (NCCS); andExecutive Steering Committee for Australian Land Use Mapping (ESCALUM

Led State Government input to the formation of the SEQ Urban Water Security Research Alliance, including legal agreement, research and development plan, administration budget, representation, appointment of the Chair and financial approvals.Initial formation and development of the strategic direction of the Queensland Climate Change Centre of Excellence.Restructuring of the Natural Resource Science business units to better align with the Department's water and land and vegetation business.

Developed policy and guidelines to address strategic issues relating to landcare, catchment management, river improvement trusts and the operations of the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) in Queensland.Managed the establishment of the Landcare and Catchment Management Council (LCMC) to provide strategic advice to the Minister for Natural Resources on landcare, catchment management and the management of the NHT in Queensland.Developed a Business Plan and interim Operational Plan for the LCMC.Negotiated with the Commonwealth to establish appropriate level of funding through the NHT for the administration, assessment and evaluation of NHT projects and programs.Negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding with the Local Government Association of Queensland for local government roles and responsibilities in the NHT.Worked with the LCMC to:revise operational arrangements for the administration and management of the NHT in Queensland;develop guidelines for the establishment of the NHT State and Regional Assessment Panels; anddevelop guidelines for the preparation and endorsement of regional natural resources and biodiversity conservation strategies.Developed policy to address River Improvement Trust issues and to encourage RIT to work more strategically at a catchment level and more closely align activities with Catchment Coordinating Committees.

Identification of strategic issues and development of policy and guidelines relating to catchment management and water resources.Led the NHT Inter-Governmental Working Group in negotiating the NHT Partnership Agreement with the Commonwealth and developing draft operational arrangements for the management of the NHT in Queensland.Obtained Treasury new initiative funding for a whole-of-government approach to administer, manage and implement the NHT.Obtained Treasury new initiative funding to implement catchment management strategies and developed implementation plan.Reviewed Catchment Management Coordinating Committee structure and the links between landcare and catchment management at the local, regional and state levels.Policy developed to address issues in Declared Catchment Areas, environmental considerations related to developments in catchments and floodplain management.

Managed the delivery of the Statewide program for Integrated Catchment Management and Landcare, including statewide coordination, policy development through peak consultative bodies, public awareness programs and staff development.Policy and operational guidelines developed for:establishment and endorsement of catchment committees;operating grants to committees; andpreparation and endorsement of catchment strategies.New initiative developed for the implementation of catchment strategies:policy developed ;andcommunity grant scheme for catchment projects implemented.Team member in development of the DPI Community Consultation Policy.Planned and facilitated the community consultation program for the Discussion Paper The Sustainable Use and Management of Queensland's Natural Resources - Policies and Strategies.

Development of the Landcare initiative as a focal program in DPI.Facilitated the establishment and development of landcare committees and the provision of financial, technical and facilitation support to landcare groups.Guidelines developed for group establishment; operating and establishment grants; group insurance; and community assessment of project funding applications.Team member in the development of the Decade of Landcare Plan for Queensland.Assisted in the development of the State ICM Strategy and the Property Management Planning Strategy.

Operational management of the delivery of soil conservation services to landholders in southeast Queensland, through 20 staff located in 10 district centres.planning and implementation of on-farm works in two Areas of Soil Erosion Hazard at Gin Gin and Childers;establishment of landholder Advisory Group Committees to guide the program; anddefining and funding works of community benefit.

M Agr St, Agricultural Science

Bachelor, Agricultural Science