Smart Water Research Centre

The Smart Water Research Centre embodies a synergistic approach to the integrated water management cycle. Our state-of-the-art research facility offers cutting-edge water research equipment focused on microbiology, environmental toxicology and chemical diagnostics. We also provide a program of education and training directed towards emerging industry needs.

The Centre combines the strengths of a growing number of respected Universities including Central Queensland University, Griffith University, and The University of the Sunshine Coast. Our research strength is aligned with an increasing network of industry partners including Agilent Technologies, Aqua Diagnostic, The International WaterCentre, Seqwater and Wide Bay Water.

The Gold Coast City Council, a founding member, has located its Scientific Services within the Centre and provides a wide range of water quality diagnostics.

For a calendar of upcoming water-related funding opportunities, click here. 

• Smart Water Research Centre’s Dr Vicki Ross was recently awarded her PhD in psychology from the University of Queensland. Vicki’s research examined the impact of trust in authorities on public acceptance of recycled water, and involved developing a psychological model of the characteristics and drivers of trust and acceptance. The research comprised three large-scale Australian studies that tested the model across three different risk contexts (low, medium and high perceived risk).
  
  Analysis through path modelling showed that in all three contexts trust in the water authority was a significant predictor of acceptance of the water management scheme. Also across the three contexts, greater trust was associated with lower risk perceptions, which in turn produced greater acceptance. In the high perceived risk setting (the proposed indirect potable reuse scheme in Toowoomba), perceptions of risk had the strongest direct effect on acceptance of the scheme.
  
  The findings highlighted the importance of community engagement programs in establishing ongoing public support for water supply schemes. The results also demonstrate that establishing trusting relationships between communities and water authorities is crucial to public acceptance of higher perceived risk schemes such as indirect potable reuse.

   

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Dr Anne Roiko Senior Lecturer Faculty of Science, Health and Education at the University of the Sunshine Coast View Profile