The Importance of Rainwater Harvesting. Forward by Peter J Coombes in Essential Rainwater Harvesting by Michelle and Rob Avis published by NewSociety Publishers
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Sustainable Buildings Saving Billions
Sustainable Buildings Saving Billions An alternative water strategy for Sydney Peter J Coombes and Michael Smit Systems research and modelling examined the water futures for Greater Sydney. Business as Usual will increase the demand for water in Sydney by 80% by 2050,...
On Demand Rainwater Harvesting Course
Our On-Demand Course Has Officially Launched Get the essential tools, methods, and technical know-how to design and maintain home-scale rainwater harvesting systems. by Michelle Avis and Prof Peter J Coombes Water is a crucial resource increasingly under stress. Yet...
Alternative Water Plan for Sydney
Alternative Water Plan for Sydney Peter J Coombes, Michael Smit and Michael Barry Sydney is the premier Australian city and it faces profound urban water challenges. Sydney must manage its infrastructure efficiently and sustainably to compete internationally as a...
Systems Frameworks of Big Data: Averages, Economics and Policy
Systems Frameworks of Big Data: Averages, Economics and Policy Peter J Coombes at the GK Symposium 12 - 13 June 2019 at Noahs at Newcastle Beach Bottom up systems analysis highlights the illusion of averages and economic opportunities for development of government...
Making the Paper: Impact of Averages on Water Modelling
Making of the paper: Planning resilient water resources and communities: the need for a bottom up systems approach
Michael E Barry and Peter J Coombes. Impact of averages on water modelling.
This paper was awarded the GN Alexander Medal by the Engineers Australia National Committee on Water Engineering. This Medal is usually awarded every 18 months for the best paper in hydrology and/or water resources published in an Engineers Australia publication.
This article presents an overview of the processes leading to making this journal paper.
The Future of Australian Housing Design
The Future of Australian Housing Design
Responding to population growth and climate change
Dr Peter Coombes is speaking on the economic advantages of decentralised water and stormwater management at the Rainwater Harvesting breakfast at 7:30 am on Wednesday 27 February 2019 at the Parramatta Novotel.
Tone Wheeler, Principal of Environa Architects will be discussing how architects are, and believe we should be, responding to these challenges.
Lord Mayor Andrew Wilson will be speaking on the Parramatta Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2017
Australia city face escalating challenges of population growth, economic development, decline of ecosystems and climate change. A number of new urban housing challenges have emerged, and western Sydney is experiencing all of them.
Systems Analysis of Water and Sewage Services, Costs and Prices
Bottom up systems analysis of urban water resources and market mechanisms for pricing water and sewage services
Presentation Peter J Coombes, Michael Barry and Michael Smit at the HWRS 2018 conference in Melbourne at 11:00 am on Tuesday 3 December 2018. Consumers in the Greater Melbourne region pay uniform fixed and variable tariffs for utility water and sewage services. Removing fixed tariffs creates substantial reductions in water demands and improvements in water security to 2050 at a net present value of $8.6 billion. A full usage tariff regime was seen to increase water efficient behaviours and reveals improvements in household welfare.
ARR 2016 Urban Book workshop at HWRS2018
Australian Rainfall & Runoff 2016 Urban Book workshop at the Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium
Workshop by Peter Coombes, Steve Roso and Mark Babister at 11 am on Monday 3 December 2018 at Ballroom 3 Pullman Hotel 192 Wellington Pde Melbourne.
Market Mechanisms for Better Stormwater Management
Peer reviewed publication and presentation by Dr Peter Coombes at Stormwater 2018 conference. Changing the way we think about stormwater management – linking impervious areas to stormwater tariffs. “However, consider the extra motivation this would provide – if we knew we were paying for concrete – there’d be a real economic benefit to reducing impervious areas and increasing gardens and rainwater harvesting with all the obvious benefits. This is a real shift in our thinking”
This research project builds on previous publications by the author that utilised a Systems Framework of historical big data from government agencies and utilities to identify the water and stormwater benefits of property scale water conservation measures for Australian cities. Bottom up systems analysis is used quantify the stormwater resources and economic value of stormwater infrastructure for Greater Melbourne.