Reflecting on our second year
As Watertrust approaches its second anniversary, we are proud of our progress in the challenging water policy space. Our team has built productive relationships and co-developed a portfolio of impactful projects. Trust is essential in decision-making, and we are committed to improving processes in water policy.
Where we are at
As Watertrust nears its second anniversary, we are proud of the progress we are making toward our goals. We’re an increasingly recognised entity within Australia’s water sector, owing to our independent and innovative approach towards to tackling long-standing water policy issues.
We have received requests for our engagement and expertise from prominent organisations and leaders. While the early signs are positive, we recognise these are only the first steps on a long journey.
Our team has grown to seven members, with more expected to join soon. This core group is complemented by our ‘extended Watertrust’ model, which harnesses the skills of specialised bespoke teams for individual projects.
The water policy space is inherently challenging. This requires us to be agile, maintaining focus on our goals while constantly adapting our tactics. Early accomplishments have allowed us to build an active and promising portfolio of projects, which we’ll continue to develop.
What we're learning as we progress
Decision-making processes built on trust are key to real impact. We know that trust is difficult to measure but plays a vital role in our work. We gain trust through our impartiality and process-focused approach.
As awareness and trust in our work has grown, we've experienced growing demand from across the spectrum of water interests for collaborative approaches. Responding to this demand while managing expectations and maximising our effectiveness requires wise choices and ongoing learning. Overcoming the pull of 'business-as-usual' can be challenging, yet we are noticing that stakeholders see Watertrust as a welcome break from the status quo.
We've also learned to remain flexible in the face of rapid changes in the authorising environments for our work. Our robust evaluation framework facilitates continual learning, performance improvement, and accountability.
The year ahead
We are ready to contribute to important innovations in the water policy landscape in the coming year.
We will be working on a portfolio of projects, some of which will deliver results quickly while others will take more time.
We'll be working in many places across Australia, focusing on making water policy processes better and fairer. We're focusing on achieving workable agreements as we approach important policy moments, including the review of the Water Act 2007 and the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
We continue to build trusted relationships and support capacity building for policy reform. As our work grows, we'll communicate more and learn from our experiences to keep improving.
The year ahead holds promise for significant innovation in water policy processes.
Our journey has reinforced the importance of trust in effective decision-making.
