A brave new world – expanding the remit of the Australian Journal of Water Resources

Abstract

Welcome to Volume 20, Issue 1, of the Australian Journal of Water Resources! Before introducing the issue, we would like to extend our thanks to Brett Phillips for his stewardship of the journal over the past years. We would also like to thank the National Committee of Water Engineering (Engineers Australia) and the team at Taylor and Francis for the trust they have placed in us for taking the journal on the next phase of its journey. This is an exciting time as we are at the beginning of an important phase of transition for the Australian Journal of Water Resources. Over the past few months, a new and expanded editorial board has been established for the journal and the scope has been updated. The key changes are that the journal now explicitly seeks to: (1) provide an inter-disciplinary platform for water resources research, as well as policy and practice perspectives; and (2) expand its geographical scope of interest to the Australasian region, to develop improved discussion and understanding in the water communities across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. From next year, this transition phase will continue with the first volume of the ‘Australasian Journal of Water Resources’ to be published. In preparation for this important milestone for the journal, we would welcome papers on important topics for the journal including: Indigenous perspectives and management of water from across Oceania; regional climate impacts on water resources and planning; details and implications of the Australian Rainfall and Runoff publication update; review papers of the state of knowledge in specific areas of water research and practice from, or with clear relevance to the Australasian region; and perspective pieces on upcoming challenges for water managers and policy makers across Australasia. Papers across the full range of topics as outlined in the scope will also be gratefully received. In light of these changes and the proposed future of the journal, the first paper of this issue – Is open channel flow worth the effort? by Robert J. Keller – is particularly fitting. The paper is a modified version of Robert Keller’s Henderson Oration, an Oration given by invitation of the National Committee on Water Engineering as part of their Hydraulics conference series. In it he reflects on some key components of both global open flow hydraulics history, and the recent history and practice of open flow hydraulics in both Australia and New Zealand, following his own work and that of Frank Henderson, after whom the Oration is named. Of particular note is not underestimating the importance of understanding the fundamental mechanics of flow and the assumptions, such as the values of Manning’s ‘n’ roughness coefficient and boundary and initial conditions, that are used in hydraulic modelling and design, rather than assuming that today’s computing capacity and complex models have this in hand. Particularly as misunderstandings, errors or ignorance of model assumptions can result in inadequate hydraulic designs that could have devastating consequences. He also reflects on the importance of inter-disciplinary engagement in open flow hydraulics and how the preferences and values of society have changed in recent times around the need for sustainable development, meaning that ‘environmental, social and cultural constraints must be preserved’ rather than focusing development on short-term economic development (Keller 2016). He then notes that: