Har Ghal Jal – “Water for every household”

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought challenges to all aspects of our lives and our industry. Many Australian state and territory governments have been proactive in fast-tracking development approvals as a way of stimulating our economy, but what else can we do to unlock urban development post-lockdown?

Dr Kourosh Kianfar, Principal Geotechnics Engineer at SMEC, believes that innovation is often found in examining the conventional use of existing products to meet a challenge — a belief he has put into practice.

The COVID-19 pandemic is radically changing the way we live, from 1.5 metre distancing to the elbow tap replacing the handshake, from restrictions on social gathering headcounts to the demise of the all-you-can-eat buffet.

Over half the population of Karnataka State in south India is employed in agriculture and related industries. Without reliable access to water, farmers struggle to maintain their crops and livestock, which can have far-reaching social and economic impacts.

“This project has been the dream of engineers since the 1940’s...  It will be a fundamental chain link in the continued growth of both Lesotho and South Africa, and in particular the industrial heartland of Gauteng.”

Australia is in the midst of a significant energy transformation. It’s estimated that by 2040 the vast majority of Australia’s coal-fired power stations will have been retired, and the nation should be running on 85% renewable energy.

A lot has changed about how we do business, but in some ways, a lot hasn't. At least not in how we fundamentally undertake business development.

In Australia’s land is ready for a revolution – Part 1, I discussed the opportunities for industrial transformation in Australian regional centres and how these changes could take shape. In Part 2, I look more closely at key considerations for the redevelopment of land.

As American President John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” This is especially pertinent in Australia when looking at how we use and redevelop our land.