THE YEAR OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
26%. One in four. That’s how many Australian households are equipped with a rainwater tank. After all, water is our most precious resource. It’s our duty to improve the ways we not only use, but collect it.
Now, what is rainwater harvesting, you might ask? Sure, the basics are in the name — harvesting of rainwater. But what if you’re looking for a more comprehensive understanding of the process, informed by quality content that goes beyond the cursory Google-and-scroll?
Enter Rainwater Harvesting Australia (RHA), a membership category of Irrigation Australia, seeking to enhance its online offering for the benefit of all involved in the industry. Indeed, RHA is the peak national body representing rainwater harvesting in Australia. It is armed with a mission: to serve as the prevailing source of information in Australia with respect to all- things-rainwater-harvesting, and to guide those implementing the process in urban and regional settings.
In the January 2021 Think Tank, RHA identified and indicated a gap in its resources. Though the organisation’s knowledge is unequivocally up to scratch, the way in which it is presented is not easily accessible to installers, designers, and the end-user. Additionally, like many industries, the real value of information can be compromised by confusing acronyms and technical jargon. Your audience consequently loses focus and, well, you lose your audience! RHA is endeavouring to combat this. While the Residential Design Specification has been somewhat of a ‘Holy Grail’ in the industry since 2017 — laying the groundwork for best practice
- RHA embraces continuous improvement. The 2021 Business Plan has thus recognised that the information contained in the Specification can be unpacked, further refined, and converted to friendlier formats for the user; specifically, by:
- updating the information portal on the RHA website, and developing/organising the Training modules as an easy-to-view library.
RHA is determined to advance the Australian public’s health, environment and economic welfare by influencing decision making around water collection and use. The body is an active member of ASBEC (Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council) and is collaborating with water industry associations like ARMA (Australian Rotational Moulding Association) and Stormwater Australia. We are active thinkers and problem solvers. Our best practice is derived from — and supported by — peer-reviewed scientific research, which allows us to evolve
solutions in the best interest of the Australian people. RHA leads the rainwater harvesting conversation at a global level by engaging with the ICID working group (the International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage) at world meetings and events.
Finally, there is something to be said for representation. Whether you call Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria or South Australia home, RHA’s state sub-committees are active and primed for a dialogue. They convene bi-monthly to discuss local issues and provide a means of informing and influencing suppliers, designers, regulators, and state governments.
If you would like to join us on this journey, please contact Irrigation Australia on 1300 949 891 or info@irrigation.org.au.