Pre-Conference Workshop

Water for Beginners: The Fundamentals of Bulk Water

Led by:

		Andrew Gregson, CEO, NSW Irrigators Council
		Arlene Buchan, Healthy Rivers Campaign Co-ordinator, Australian Conservation Foundation

It only takes five minutes of involvement in rural water to recognise that it is a vastly complicated field. To understand the significant policy shifts that are currently occurring - buyback, trading and the like - it is first necessary to understand the basics of water. This Module covers the who, the what and the why of water.

This Module covers the who, the what and the why of water.

Topics to be covered include:

About your workshop leaders:

Andrew Gregson, CEO, NSW Irrigators' Council

Andrew Gregson was appointed Chief Executive in August 2007. He holds Degrees in Economics and law from the University of Tasmania and is admitted to Practice as a Barrister and Solicitor. Andrew has been engaged in political strategy at both a state and federal level as State Director of a major party and Chief of Staff to a parliamentary leader.

The NSW Irrigators' Council mission is to contribute to efficient, responsible and profitable water use by objectively analysing the issues and serving as the peak body representing all irrigators in all the strategic decisions concerning the use of water in NSW.

Dr Arlene Buchan, Healthy Rivers Campaign Co-ordinator, Australian Conservation Foundation

Arlene is the Healthy Rivers Campaign Coordinator with the Australian Conservation Foundation. She leads ACF's work on the Water for the Future program, the Living Murray, the National Water Initiative and all other issues related to rivers and water.

Arlene's professional background is in science (biochemistry) and law. She also sits on the Murray Darling Basin Authority's Basin Community Committee and the Community Reference Group for the Living Murray Initiative; the Commonwealth Government's Water Recovery and Environmental Use Stakeholder Reference Panel; the Snowy River Scientific Committee; and the Stakeholder Reference Group of the National Water Commission. In 2006, Arlene was awarded the Melbourne University Christine Forster Award for Excellence.