About

Since first proposed nearly 80 years ago, Dr John Bradfield’s “nation building” 2000-km inter-basin water diversion scheme proposal has been a millstone around the necks of successive federal and state governments. So engrained is the scheme in the Australian psyche that drought in south-eastern Australia has become synonymous with calls for the schemes construction among a chorus of encouragement from high-profile Australians.

In 2020, the National Water Grid Authority commissioned Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, to undertake a comprehensive analysis of Bradfield’s original scheme and modern-day variants to objectively assess the numerous claims and counter-claims of ‘Bradfield Scheme’ advocates and critics alike. In presenting the results of the analysis, this webinar will outline some of the novel methods that were developed for rapidly evaluating water storage and diversion infrastructure and highlight broad learnings, many of which are also applicable globally.

This special 75-minute webinar will be chaired by Water Research Australia's Jacqueline Frizenschaf, with key presentations from CSIRO's Cuan Petheram, Chris Stokes and water strategist Tom Vanderbyl. We will also have a large panel of experts ready to answer your questions in the background including; Jenny Hayward, Rebecca Bartley, Justin Hughes, Chris Chilcott, Kevin Devlin, Seonaid Philip and Arthur Read. Please see their biographies below.