New research on IWCM in NSW

A new report titled - Drivers and challenges of implementing integrated water-cycle management strategy in regional NSW is now available for free download from the Macquarie University website. Authored by award winning environmental engineer, Tasneem Kanpurwala, the study reveals an insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by and for rural and regional water utilities with integrated water cycle management (IWCM) strategic planning and implementation.

Tasneem Kanpurwala is an expert in environmental engineering and management with additional qualifications in business administration and biomedical engineering. In January 2020, she was a recipient of the National Council of Women of NSW's Australia Day Award for outstanding achievement in research. Tasneem has previously held roles in the NSW Office of Water, and NSW Environmental Protection Authority as well as operated as an environmental management consultant.

The report documents the outcomes of a series of workshops and interviews with local water utility practitioners in NSW, finding that the current IWCM process in NSW is very expensive and resource intensive with prescriptive regulation and prolonged approval times. The report recommends reforming the IWCM regulatory process, whilst retaining the overarching principles of IWCM to ensure that towns in regional NSW have access to secure water supply and sewerage services.

The report is available for free download from Macquarie University, available here.