Research Team

Dr Pam McRae-Williams
Research Director
BEd (EnvSci), M (EnvSt), PhD
Ph: +61 3 5362 2620
Email: widcorp@ballarat.edu.au

Dr McRae-Williams, Research Director of WIDCORP since September 2006, has achieved a high level of recognition in regional cluster development (PhD from University of Ballarat), sustainability and environmental management in the water, mining and agricultural industries. Pam's strong ties to the region where her family still farms, together with her commitment to the region's future adds strength to the program.

Dr Imogen Schwarz
Research Fellow
BSc (Hons), Dip (Acc), PhD
Ph: +61 3 5362 2681
Email: i.schwarz@ballarat.edu.au

Dr Imogen Schwarz holds a degree in health promotion (hon - Deakin University), and a PhD (social science)from the University of Ballarat. Imogen's research investigates the socio-economic impacts of (water infrastructure) change on rural dryland communities including farmers and small business people.

Jessica Block
Research Associate
BS (Geology), MS (Geology)
Email: ....

Jessica Block from Arizona State University (ASU) has applied her experience to visualisation and decision science projects at WIDCORP. Jessica worked as a senior research analyst with the Decision Theatre at ASU to develop policy decision making software for water resource management. Jessica's particular research focus is the application of hydrology to water resource management in desert environments.

Andrew Barton
Senior Water Resources Engineer, GWMWater
BE(Env)(Hons) MEngSc PhD MIEAust MIAHR MASCE
Email: Andrew.Barton@gwmwater.org.au

Dr Barton is Senior Water Resource Manager at GWMWater - the water authority managing water resources across the Wimmera and Mallee regions including administration of the Wimmera Mallee pipeline. Andrew has research interests in issues of water resource management such as drought and climate change, and in optimisation of pipeline systems. Other areas of research include hydraulics and hydrology, and systems modelling and logic to understand for example, strategic approaches to integrated water cycle problems.

Darcy Prior
GWMWater
BAppSc (Parks, Recreation, & Heritage) BInfoTech
Email: Darcy.Prior@gwmwater.org.au

Darcy Prior works at GWMWater in Horsham, and is currently completing a Master of Forest Science at Melbourne University. Darcy's research will address the impact of fuel reduction burns on catchment processes and the potability of a downstream urban water supply.

Dawn McBride
PhD Student
BSocSc (Hons)
Email: d.mcbride@ballarat.edu.au

In 2005, Dawn McBride commenced her PhD which examines the consequences of hydrological change to Black Box wetlands brought about by decommissioning of a major stock and domestic supply system in Western Victoria, Australia. This system will be replaced with the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline - an underground piped water system. Dawn's research considers the ecological and human dimensions of change. Governance, community and farmer management actions, responses and responsibilities, in addition to the ecological values of selected wetlands in the Yarriambiack Creek Floodplains are key areas of her research.

Project Title: Decommissioning the channels: Social and ecological values of ephemeral floodplain wetlands
Principal Supervisor: Dr S.K. Florentine
Associate Supervisor: Dr Patrick Graz; Dr Pam McRae-Williams

La Vergne Lehmann
PhD Student
BTech(Hons), GradDip(Journalism)
Email: l.lehmann@ballarat.edu.au

After completing an honours degree in Ecotourism at Flinders University, Adelaide in 1999, La Vergne Lehmann moved to the Wimmera to take up a position as tourism officer with the Hindmarsh Shire Council. More recently she has taken on the role of course coodinator for Conservation and Land Management and VET in Schools at Longerenong College, near Horsham. La Vergne and her family also run a sustainable bush retreat accommodation near the Little Desert National Park at Dimboola. Hence her interest in sustainable tourism practices - particularly after nearly a decade in drought. In early 2007, La Vergne started her PhD with a research focus on valuing water in dryland tourism areas. Her main hobby is being a taxi, driver, cook, cleaner, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy to her and her husband's 7 children.

Project Title: Valuing water in dryland areas for tourism
Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Ian Clark
Associate Supervisor: Dr Pam McRae-Williams

Holly Foster
PhD Student
BBus(Hons)
Email: h.foster@latrobe.edu.au

Holly Foster is a graduate of La Trobe University and holds a Bachelor of Business with honours. In early 2007, Holly began her PhD which aims to demonstrate the influences and impact that water availability has in sustaining regional communities. Particular areas of interest are examining the effects of water infrastructure, consumer water conservation behaviours, and the cultural impacts of water shortages in the Wimmera Mallee region.

Project Title: Sustainability: The impact of water conservation in regional communities
Principal Supervisor: Dr Clare D'Souza
Associate Supervisor: Dr Pam McRae-Williams

Jonathan Starks
Masters Student
BSc
Email: j.starks@ballarat.edu.au

Jonathan Starks commenced his masters in 2007, which builds upon a Birchip Cropping Group project funded by Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) titled 'Bio-Diversity in a Piped Rural Water System.' The de-commissioning of the channel/dam network in the Wimmera and Southern Mallee will result in rapid and permanent changes to the availability of water for wildlife on farms. The loss of biodiversity, and particularly frogs, that will occur as a result of the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline could be irreversible. This project aims to trial the capacity of wildlife ponds on farms to support frog populations and potentially broader biodiversity values, determine the ability of frogs to disperse from existing water sources into wildlife troughs, and re-establish frogs in areas where they are no longer present.

Project Title: Frogs on farms: Maintaining healthy frog populations on farms within a piped water delivery system
Principal Supervisor: Dr Simon Cook

Helena Mala Jetmarova
Hydraulic Modeller, GWMWater; PhD Student
Ing (Czech.)
Email: helena.jetmarova@gwmwater.org.au

Helena commenced her PhD in mid 2009 with the Centre for Information and Optimisation (CIAO), University of Ballarat. Helena's research interests include hydraulic modelling of pipeline systems; and optimization of water quality in complex pipeline systems with multiple water sources.

Project Title: Optimization of Water Quality within Complex Pipeline Systems
Principal Supervisor: Adil Bagirov (University of Ballarat)
Co-Supervisors: Andrew Barton (GWMWater), Ian Fisher (Watervale Systems)
Technical Advisor: George Kastl (MWH)