Today on World Water Day 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment marks the theme: Groundwater - making the invisible visible, by announcing the winner of the competitive Great Artesian Basin Lynn Brake scholarship.
Mr Clint Hansen, a Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology PhD candidate and Indigenous Iman man, has won the scholarship and will use the funds towards his research identifying culturally supported scientific methods of water management and allocation.
Dr Marcus Finn, Assistant Secretary for Basin Policy, Science and Indigenous Water in the Water Division said this research project directly aligns with the Great Artesian Basin Strategic Management plan.
"The research will promote and identify culturally supported scientific methods for water management and allocation in lands and waters in the Wardingarri, or Dawson River catchment, southeast Queensland," Dr Finn said
"The scholarship is named in memory of Mr Lynn Brake, a senior research fellow at the University of South Australia. Lynn Brake played a pivotal role on the Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee (GABCC), including the development of the current Great Artesian Basin Strategic Management Plan.
"The scholarship honours Lynn Brake's legacy in water resource management in Australia, and aims to support the development of future scientists and researchers.
"The department undertook a rigorous process, which identified Mr Hansen's proposal will provide a valuable contribution to supporting the long-term health of the basin. I congratulate Mr Hansen whose research will contribute valuable foundational knowledge in Indigenous-led scientific programs, and provide lessons for future engagement with Indigenous communities."
For more information on the Great Artesian Basin and the Lynn Brake Scholarship, visit: Great Artesian Basin.
