Reuben Ferguson, Senior Water Resources Scientist
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As part of the conference, attendees visited Auckland’s Oakley Creek. This is a significant local site which has seen recent restoration work carried out by Auckland Council to mitigate the impacts to the stream from its surrounding urban environment.
Water New Zealand’s 2017 Stormwater Conference, held in May, was attended by nine environmental engineers, scientists, ecologists, and water resource specialists from Morphum Environmental. The conference theme, “Innovative, Resilient and Future-Ready,” mirrored the Morphum Environmental ethos and acknowledges the global trend towards a more integrated approach to urban water management. The connections between different parts of the urban water cycle, and the multiple environmental and social benefits of adopting a management approach that recognises these connections, were emphasised by each of the event’s keynote speakers. Morphum Environmental sponsored one of the speakers, Jamie Ewert of the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, who spoke about advances in stormwater management in Australia and the value of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) for improved urban liveability and environmental quality.
The notion of WSUD was also reflected in Reuben Ferguson’s presentation, Continuous Simulation Modelling for Integrated Water Management, which discussed design considerations for integrated urban water systems. This approach recognises the environmental impacts of stormwater runoff and addresses core themes of resilience and sustainability. Morphum Environmental’s commitment to geospatial platforms across the business was exemplified in the presentation by Morphum Environmental Director Damian Young, entitled Big Data for Smart City Planning, which outlined the use of advanced GIS methods in developing a stormwater master plan for Hamilton City.
Reuben’s presentation was based on the findings of a paper authored by himself and Southern Sector Manager Stu Farrant.
The conference underscored a growing awareness of the impacts of urban development on natural water systems and of the water implications of a changing climate, and how these are driving regulatory authorities to adopt more progressive and sustainable approaches to managing water. Morphum Environmental is proud to have again sponsored the conference and continues to support clients in their response to new regulations at this time of change.
