Latest news

Kylie Clarke is Watertrust’s Governance and Operations Manager and Company Secretary, and her work sits at the heart of how the organisation functions. Her background in not-for-profits, communications and the events industry has shaped a style of governance that is practical and collaborative and very much focused on supporting people to do their best work.

Watertrust’s work in South Australia’s Mount Lofty Ranges continues to reveal just how challenging water planning can be when a landscape carries many different expectations.

For Principal Kane Aldridge, this complexity is exactly why Watertrust’s involvement matters. The region has lived with long-running concerns about decisions related to how water is shared and the coming amendments to the region’s Water Allocation Plans is a chance to approach things with an approach that considers different perspectives.

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.

As Northern Australia grapples with climate risks alongside big decisions about land and water, Watertrust Principal Kate Peake sees opportunities in the challenge. Fresh from the Great North Conference, which coincided with the release of Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment, she reflects on why constructive, forward-looking conversations can open space for collaboration.

In the Northern Basin, rivers rise and fall quickly, shaping communities, livelihoods and culture. Watertrust Principal Mike Peat has been returning to the region to support conversations that build on existing relationships and explore how efforts can be better connected.

With strong local knowledge and deep relationships, Watertrust’s Kate Peake is helping Territorians see their local priorities for water reflected in government policy. Those priorities range from healthy rivers and cultural care for Country, to reliable town water supply and livelihoods. She explains why, in the NT where policy is still taking shape, co-designed, inclusion-first work is the sensible way forward. And how this approach brings the right people to the table to capture lived experience alongside evidence, giving government practical ways to apply that input.