A genuine commitment to our rivers

When Andy Lowes joined Watertrust earlier this year, it was the organisation’s purpose that resonated most strongly with him. After years working in both government and non-government capacities in the water industry, he’d recognised how important it is for communities to be genuinely included in decision making processes. It was Watertrust’s commitment to building better and fairer processes which drew him to the team.

Andy’s connection to rivers goes back to his upbringing in Canberra, where hanging out at the Upper Murrumbidgee, Queanbeyan, Cotter and other regional rivers was simply part of growing up in area. They’re rivers he is fond of, but he is quick to emphasise that his work is grounded less in personal history and more in the practical experience he has gained across various roles in water management and engagement, particularly across the southern Murray-Darling Basin

During his time at the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and later with the Living Murray Program at the Murray Darling Basin Authority, he saw firsthand how complex water decision-making can be, and the importance of community engagement in managing our modified river systems.

Before joining Watertrust, Andy worked with the Australian River Restoration Centre and the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Network, experiences that strengthened his appreciation of the important role non-government organisations play in helping communities navigate complex water issues.

Watertrust offered the chance to help create a different experience for water managers and communities. One where people with differing values around rivers can understand and learn from each other and can see how their contribution matters.

His experience in working with First Nations groups has reinforced his appreciation of how central respect, time and listening are to achieving better water outcomes. Real understanding comes from spending time and building relationships with people and place. As he says, “Offices and meeting rooms can only take you so far, great insights also come from getting out-and-about and talking with people.”

Andy says he is excited about working across the very diverse water related initiatives which Watertrust is implementing across Australia.

“I see Watertrust’s role as helping steward processes that give participants the confidence to understand the trade-offs and the reasons behind the decisions that are made,” he says.

Watertrust’s goal is to have people feel that their input is taken seriously in management decisions. If decision processes can demonstrate how a thoughtful and inclusive approach works, the long-term benefits will be significant for everyone involved, and across water industries more broadly.

Andy believes Watertrust’s approach creates the conditions for better management options to emerge, including ideas no one could have anticipated at the beginning. “That is the real potential benefit of doing things differently,” he says.

Want to know more? Call Andy: 0422 033 665

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