June 2026
A resilient water future
New demands, new relationships
Consult Australia and VicWater brought together leaders from across government, water authorities and the consulting sector on 4 June for Building a Resilient Water Future.
Water infrastructure is once again moving to the centre of Victoria’s growth, resilience and productivity agenda. Population pressures, climate variability and ageing assets are straining existing systems as data centres create new demands on water networks and infrastructure.
Against this backdrop, Building a Resilient Water Future created space for an open discussion about the many priorities, constraints and opportunities shaping Victoria's next phase of water investment.
Consult Australia hosted the event in collaboration with VicWater, the peak industry association representing Victoria’s 18 water corporations and other water sector organisations. Representatives from Infrastructure Victoria were also in attendance.
“The forum created space for frank conversations about the challenges facing the water sector and the practical changes we can make together to deliver better outcomes, says Consult Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Jonathan Cartledge.
“When we can work through those issues in collaboration, we can turn shared challenges into shared solutions.”
The event, kicked off by VicWater’s Chief Executive Officer Jo Lim, featured keynote presentations from Carla Purcell, Managing Director of South East Water, and Lindsey Brown, Australian Water Market Leader at GHD.
Drawing on her experience as former CEO of Yarra Trams, Carla Purcell explored how the water industry could learn from successful transport projects that have delivered value for money on time and budget.
Lindsey Brown encouraged attendees to focus on “we problems and us solutions”, highlighting the importance of balancing productivity imperatives today with intergenerational equity.
The keynotes were followed by a panel discussion including Central Highlands Water Managing Director Jeff Haydon and SMEC General Manager Water ANZ Sander van Hall. This discussion emphasised the need to deliver more with less, with digital tools a key opportunity to support better planning, management and operation of water assets.
“What stood out most was the genuine collaboration in the room,” says Mark Rogers, Consult Australia’s Victorian State Manager. “The dialogue reinforced just how important it is that we continue working together across the full supply chain to deliver better outcomes for our communities.”
New collaboration models are already reshaping how major projects are delivered. Greater Western Water recently appointed a Stantec-Jacobs joint venture to support its five-year Infrastructure Planning and Delivery Program, for instance.
With strong engagement from attendees and a clear appetite for continued dialogue, Consult Australia and VicWater are exploring opportunities to build on the momentum generated by the inaugural event, with plans to make the forum an annual fixture.
Image from left to right: Lindsey Brown, GHD; Jeff Haydon, Central Highlands Water; Jo Lim, VicWater; Jonathan Cartledge, Consult Australia; Carla Purcell, South East Water; and Sander Van Hall, SMEC.