Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative
Securing our water future
Board Member - EOI- Independent Chair
Additional Information
The Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative (the Collaborative) is seeking expressions of Interest from suitably qualified and experienced professionals to undertake the role of Independent Chairperson.
Established in 2018, the Collaborative is a powerful coalition of leaders committed to securing a sustainable water future for the Lockyer Valley and Somerset regions as well as food security for Queensland and the nation.
The Lockyer Valley supplies most of Australia’s vegetables during winter months and typically accounts for 28 per cent of Queensland’s total horticultural production.
Collaborative members include Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Somerset Regional Council, Lockyer Waters Users Forum, Urban Utilities, Lockyer Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Tourism, and Lockyer Valley Growers Group.
In 2020, a Detailed Business Case (DBC) was completed to recognise Lockyer Valley’s potential to significantly increase agricultural production. The DBC investigated an option for making more water available for irrigation and other high value uses throughout the Lockyer Valley and Somerset regions.
The exciting next phase of the DBC is the Lockyer Valley & Somerset Water Security Scheme Optimisation Assessment Report (OAR), which is intended to further investigate and detail options for making more water available for irrigation and other high value uses.
Selection Criteria
Responsibilities:
- Chair the Steering Group and provide leadership to achieve the Collaborative’s vision.
- Demonstrated ability to analyse, critically assess and drive performance.
- Represent the Collaborative and advocate the project deliverables with all levels of government and key stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to manage conflict or challenging situations with confidence and a focus on outcomes.
Credentials:
- Extensive experience in similar roles with a sound knowledge of governance systems and frameworks, with a particular focus on the delivery of large infrastructure projects.
- Provide strategic vision, leadership, governance, and a strongly held commitment to openness, honesty and inclusivity.
- Political astuteness and awareness and a demonstrated capability and capacity to understand and work effectively with diverse interest groups and power bases within organisations and the wider community, and to understand and manage the dynamics that exist between groups.
- Commercial business acumen and demonstrated experience in being solutions focused and applying sound judgement and decision making in a commercial context.
- An understanding of the importance of developing, maintaining and enhancing strategic stakeholder relationships and partnerships with a demonstrated ability to appropriately embrace a variety of approaches to gain support and influence diverse parties, including but not limited to influencing at executive and ministerial level, with the aim of securing outcomes.
- An effective and confident public speaker with the capability and confidence to network, communicate, promote and present on behalf of the Collaborative, and the ability to deal with media when required.
The preferred candidate will also have a demonstrated ability to bring people together, build consensus, and, importantly, harness this collaboration and focus on securing the commitment of government and relevant stakeholders, bringing the aspirations of the Collaborative to fruition.
Candidates will be drawn from relevant fields and include those with significant expertise in government advocacy, liaison and engagement, civil engineering, and or water infrastructure.
Meetings are held monthly, with secretarial assistance provided by the participating Councils. It is not anticipated that the Chair would need to dedicate more than 40 hours per month to Collaborative activities.
The term of engagement is for one (1) year with a one (1) year option to extend, commencing in early 2024.
Remuneration will be on a time basis at an agreed hourly rate negotiated with the successful candidate.
To Apply
Submit your Expression Of Interest to
Jason Harm, Manager Communities
Lockyer Valley Regional Council (jharm@lvrc.qld.gov.au),
inclusive of a cover letter addressing the content of this EOI and attaching a CV that demonstrates experience, capability, and performance against the requirements of the role.
EOIs close 5pm (AEST) Monday 11 December 2023.
For additional enquiries regarding this advertisement, please contact Jason Harm on 0488 089 532
Detailed Business Case completed
A Detailed Business Case for the project is completed and demonstrates that the positive economic benefits of the project outweighs the costs. By accessing and distributing up to 34,000 ML of sustainable and reliable water a year it is estimated that economic benefits of $304.5 million per annum could be generated along with 2,600 long term jobs.
About Us
Our Vision
Our Project
Our Project
Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative is established to ensure a shared position on future water security, supply and management for all water users and the communities of the region.
The membership of the Lockyer Valley Somerset Water Collaborative is a powerful coalition of leaders and interests that are all committed to a secu
Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative is established to ensure a shared position on future water security, supply and management for all water users and the communities of the region.
The membership of the Lockyer Valley Somerset Water Collaborative is a powerful coalition of leaders and interests that are all committed to a secure and sustainable future for the part of South East Queensland that we love and which offers so much in terms of producing quality food for Australia and the rest of the world.
The Collaborative members are Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Somerset Regional Council, Lockyer Water Users Forum, Queensland Urban Utilities, Lockyer Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Lockyer Valley Growers Inc.
Our Project
Our Project
Our Project
The Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Security Scheme proposal is a water pipeline distribution infrastructure network to ensure long term water security for agriculture sustainability by supplying additional water, through a pipeline network, to ensure regional growth in the Lockyer Valley and Somerset. This will link and utilise existi
The Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Security Scheme proposal is a water pipeline distribution infrastructure network to ensure long term water security for agriculture sustainability by supplying additional water, through a pipeline network, to ensure regional growth in the Lockyer Valley and Somerset. This will link and utilise existing water storage assets (Atkinsons Dam, Lake Clarendon & Lake Dyer) to build drought and flood resilience and sustainability for future growth.
A Detailed Business Case for the project is completed and demonstrates that the positive economic benefits of the project outweigh the costs. For the project to proceed, the full costs will need to be shared between irrigators and government.
Our Chair
Our Project
Our Chair
Mr Graham Quirk retired as Lord Mayor of Brisbane in 2019 having served 8 years in that role.
During his 34 years in Local Government he served as a member of the Brisbane and Area Water Board during the early years of the development of catchment facilities around the Wivenhoe Dam.
Graham has also previously served as a trustee of the Bris
Mr Graham Quirk retired as Lord Mayor of Brisbane in 2019 having served 8 years in that role.
During his 34 years in Local Government he served as a member of the Brisbane and Area Water Board during the early years of the development of catchment facilities around the Wivenhoe Dam.
Graham has also previously served as a trustee of the Brisbane Markets Trust.
In more recent years Graham was Chairman of the Council of Mayors (SEQ) and led the establishment of the Resilient Rivers Program.
He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and among other roles serves on the Board of Infrastructure Australia.
Our Partners
