Watertrust Australia seeks to improve how decisions are made about the management of Australia's waters and catchments through meaningful and well-designed deliberation. We cannot make policy – that remains a role for governments. Our work will complement and contribute to policymaking, paving the way for impactful consultation, collaboration and co-design that influences policy.Our work will build on approaches tested all over the world for decades. The OECD describes deliberative approaches as “well-suited to address values-driven dilemmas, complex problems that require trade-offs, long-term issues that go beyond the short-term incentives of electoral cycles, and issues around which there is political deadlock.''

The Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program brings together Australia’s leading experts to help the Great Barrier Reef resist, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change.Despite being one of the best-managed reef ecosystems in the world, the Great Barrier Reef is under extreme pressure. The threats include: increasing sea temperatures leading to coral bleaching, ocean acidification and severe weather events. The frequency and severity of these impacts is being exacerbated by climate change.Even with strong action to reduce carbon emissions, global temperatures are already 1°C above pre-industrial levels and will continue to rise, and stay elevated, for decades to come. In addition to a global commitment to greenhouse gas mitigation, and continued management of local pressures, further measures are needed.RRAP is now embarking on a long-term research and development (R&D) program to develop, test and risk-assess novel interventions to help keep the Reef resilient and sustain critical functions and values.The aim is to provide reef managers and decision-makers with an innovative toolkit of safe, acceptable and cost-effective interventions to help protect the Reef from the impacts of climate change, in conjunctions with best-practice reef management and reducing carbon emissions.This ambitious undertaking will require not only our best minds working in partnership across many organisations and fields of expertise, but importantly, the input and support of Traditional Owners, reef communities and industries, and the wider Australian public.

The Water and Environment Research Program is administered by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. It is an investment of $20 million over four years in research that will benefit the management of the Murray Darling Basin. The governing panel for the program has an independent chair and senior representatives from the MDBA, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office and the Department of Agriculture.

The Advisory Committee on Social Economic and Environmental Sciences (ACSEES) provides advice on science and knowledge to the Murray Darling Basin Authority. The independent and multidisciplinary committee consists of six members who bring a depth of understanding of issues relevant to implementing the Murray Darling Basin Plan. Members provide skills and eminence in fields of economics, hydrology, ecology and resilience, water governance and law, sociology and sustainable systems.

Global Change Advisory provides strategic advice and capacity development in the use of environmental intelligence for managing water scarcity under changing climate conditions. The Principal, Professor Rob Vertessy, draws on his prior experience as a research leader in CSIRO, government agency head at the Bureau of Meteorology and contributor to Australian water reform policy at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Rob was the architect of the Australia's national water information reforms that resulted in the creation of the high value water information services at www.bom.gov.au/water.

The Australian Government has made a significant long term commitment to support cutting edge research, with the announcement of an additional $2.2 billion investment into national research infrastructure (NRI) through the Research Infrastructure Investment Plan. In addition to the significant additional funding to expand and enhance existing NRI activities a number of new NRI capabilities will be explored. A total of eight scoping studies will be undertaken in collaboration with key stakeholders to explore the technical requirements, existing activity that can be leveraged, implementation approaches and co-investment. Outcomes of scoping studies will be considered in future investment plans, which the Government has committed to undertake and consider every two years.The members of the reference group for the National Environmental Prediction Systems (NEPS) scoping study are:Dr Rob Vertessy - (Chair) - Former CEO of the Bureau of MeteorologyDr Andrea Hinwood - Chief Environmental Scientist, Environmental Protection Agency, Victorian GovernmentDr Steve Morton - Honorary Professorial Fellow, Charles Darwin UniversityDr Warwick McDonald - Research Director, CSIROProfessor Bronwyn Harch - Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of Queensland Dr Phil McFadden AO - Former Geoscience Australia Chief ScientistDr Adam Lewis - Acting Chief Scientist, Geoscience AustraliaThis study is being supported by a secretariat function in the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN). The expert group's secretariat can be contacted via TERN at tern.office@uq.edu.au.

Undertaking research on climate change and water security. I'm interested in assessment methods, monitoring systems and forecasting approaches that can be used to harden water security under hydroclimatic changes.

From the ASTRO3d web site at https://astro3d.org.au/about/ :OUR VISIONTo unlock the mysteries of the Universe using innovative 3D technology, while sharing the excitement and wonder of astronomy to inspire the broader community.OUR MISSIONTo propel Australia to the forefront of astronomical research by combining Australia’s radio, optical and theoretical expertise to understand the origins of our Universe and the galaxies within it.To train future Australian astronomers to lead breakthrough science on the next generation of telescopes.To share our discoveries and passion for research with the broadest possible audience and inspire the scientists of the future.

My research interests are in the areas of climate variability and climate change and their impacts on water security.

Our Independent Assessment Panel investigated the causes of three significant fish death events in the lower Darling river which took place in the 2018-19 summer. I was appointed to chair the panel by the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, The Hon David Littleproud MP. Our final report was submitted to the Minister on 29 March 2019. It can be downloaded at https://www.mdba.gov.au/managing-water/drought-murray-darling-basin/fish-deaths-lower-darling/independent-assessment-fish

During this period I headed up the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. For the first year I was acting in the role and was made substantive agency head in September 2012.The Bureau of Meteorology is Australia's national weather, climate and water agency. Its expertise and services assist Australians in dealing with the harsh realities of their natural environment, including drought, floods, fires, storms, tsunami and tropical cyclones. Through regular forecasts, warnings, monitoring and advice spanning the Australian region and Antarctic territory, the Bureau provides one of the most fundamental and widely used services of government.The Bureau contributes to national social, economic, cultural and environmental goals by providing observational, meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic services and by undertaking research into science and environment related issues in support of its operations and services.The Bureau of Meteorology operates under the authority of the Meteorology Act 1955 and the Water Act 2007 which provide the legal basis for its activities, while its operation is continually assessed in accordance with the national need for climatic records, water information, scientific understanding of Australian weather and climate and effective service provision to the Australian community. The Bureau of Meteorology must also fulfill Australia's international obligations under the Convention of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and related international meteorological treaties and agreements.During this time I was Australia's Permanent Representative to the WMO, a member of the WMO Executive Council and co-chair of the WMO Executive Council's Expert Panel on Polar Observations, Research and Systems.Specialties: Catchment hydrology, forest hydrology, hydrologic modelling, research management, organisational leadership.

The Bureau of Meteorology is Australia's national weather service. During this period I was one of four Deputy Director's, and responsible for the Climate and Water Division. This Division provides a national water information service and the nations flood warning and forecasting service. It hosts the National Climate Centre and is currently implementing the National Plan for Environmental Information. There are about 300 staff in the Climate and Water Division, located across Australia. Our primary bases are in Melbourne and Canberra.

CSIRO Land and Water is Australia's premier water research provider with over 500 staff in 10 cities across Australia.

This Centre was a joint venture between CSIRO, various universities and a number of water management agencies. I started with the Centre when it launched in 1992, serving as a Program Leader, then Deputy Director and finally Director (Chief Executive).