murray-darling basin

In today's episode, Siwan sits down with Australia's Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH), Dr. Simon Banks, to talk about his love of nature, his experience delivering eWater, and what it's like to be the CEWH. This conversation covers Dr. Banks' journey so far, some elements of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, whether Australia is a world-leader in environmental water management, and more.

Dr. Banks has been the CEWH for over 12 months and manages water for the environment on behalf of the Australian Government to support the rivers and wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin. Simon has held senior positions in several departments, including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, New Zealand Department of Conservation, and the NSW and Queensland governments. Simon holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (coastal management), a Master of Applied Science from Southern cross University and a Doctor of Philosophy (biological sciences and decision support) from The University of Queensland. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

• To view this episode's show notes, visit arrc.au/delivering-ewater-and-loving-nature-with-dr-simon-banks-episode-24.
• Flow Monitoring, Evaluation & Research: https://flow-mer.org.au/
• Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Website: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/water/cewo

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Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨

What kind of “innovation systems” do we currently have for Australian agriculture?  

Well, according to a recent report commissioned by the Federal Government, it could be a lot better.  

The report found that while Australia’s agriculture research is internationally renowned and individual farmers are good at adopting new practices, knowledge is often siloed.  

Essentially, agricultural innovation in Australia was not designed to operate as a cohesive system, rather it’s made up of multiple institutions and organizations which have developed over time for various locations and commodities.  

So how do we change this?  

In this episode, we explore how we can work strategically to build an effective “innovation system”. From smart specialization, greater private sector participation to rethinking our water use, there is an opportunity to grow the total funding pool for Australian agriculture and be a global leader. 

GUESTS

Nicola Pero - CEO, Food and Fibre Gippsland  

David Downie – Strategic Advisor in Regional Development, Deakin University  

 
RESEARCH
Agricultural Innovation — A National Approach to Grow Australia’s Future Summary report March 2019

What is Smart Specialisation - European Commission

Global Agriculture Leadership Initiative - Australian Government, The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

This podcast has been created by the Victoria Drought Resilience Innovation and Adoption Hub and is funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.