We hosted the event to keep our licensees and industry stakeholders up-to-date and ensure stakeholder involvement in the governance of the scheme. Over thirty people participated in the event, and the feedback we've received has been extremely positive. 

Agenda
  Welcome - Jolyon Burnett, Irrigation Australia Limited
  Update to the scheme - Julian Gray, CEO
  Guidelines and standards - Jeremy Cape, Expert Panel Chair
  Open discussion - Ross Young, Steering Committee Chair
  Product of the Year - Jeremy Cape, Expert Panel Chair
  Light lunch

Key outcomes
1. Smart Approved WaterMark will continue to liaise with government to ensure the scheme is embedded into demand management policy, including discussion with:

• WELS on potential joint marketing opportunities
• The Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts on opportunities for linking with the National Greywater and Rainwater Initiative
• States and Territories to ensure the Smart Approved WaterMark is used within rebate schemes where appropriate, and
• Regional water utilities to ensure the scheme is linked with local demand management programs.

2. A Smart Approved WaterMark industry marketing group will be set up to help deliver a future awareness raising campaign targeted at retailers. This group will comprise marketing professionals, licensees and other key stakeholders, and will have a remit for developing a campaign to raise awarenes of the label with nursery and garden centres, hardware stores, irrigation retailers and pool shops. A secondary audience will be architects, designers, landscapers and other services specifying water-saving products.

3. The executive team will continue to work with licensees to ensure that companies with approved products and services are raising awareness of the scheme with their customers.

4. A printed newsletter, to complement the existing e-newsletter Streamline, will be produced to keep stakeholders up-to-date with the latest developments and activities of the scheme.

5. The Stakeholder Forum will be an annual event. The date and venue for the 2009 Forum are yet to be confirmed.

Event photos