Aither Quarterly Letter | Insights and strategies for a more secure and sustainable water future

As we reflect on the nine months since Aither’s acquisition by Ricardo plc, it’s encouraging to see the positive impacts this partnership has brought to our clients, both in Australia and internationally. Our combined expertise, which now encompasses strategic engineering, asset management, risk management, procurement, and infrastructure advisory capabilities, complements Aither’s established strengths in strategy, governance, economics, and performance. As we continue to realise synergies with Ricardo, these capabilities and more will significantly enhance our service offerings.

There are exciting times ahead for Aither in 2024 as we continue to join forces with Ricardo and build our Global Water Practice. We will be in touch in the new year as we transition to the Ricardo email system, but please be assured that we will continue to receive emails to our Aither email addresses.

Our recent endeavours have been both diverse and impactful. Highlights include:

• The release of our tenth Water Markets Report, a milestone we celebrate each year, and which underscores our commitment to providing essential insights to market participants in the southern Murray-Darling Basin. The report’s relevance and value were evident in the participation of over 300 attendees in our webinars.
• Our collaboration with the Australian Water Partnership, contributing to the amendments of Vietnam’s Law on Water Resources, which exemplifies our commitment to improved water governance globally.
• Engaging with the irrigation community through forums across northern Victoria, reinforcing our ongoing commitment to support irrigation businesses.
• Welcoming Nic Lansdell who specialises in nature-based markets. In the new year, Nic will host a webinar to discuss the proposition that ‘A nature-based market can do more than we realise’. She’ll share ideas about how broadening the way we think about, designing and using this type of market can generate widespread participation and help deliver systemic change.
• Nick Clarke‘s insightful presentation at Ozwater 23 on the urban water security diagnostic. This work, stemming from a five-year collaboration with the Australian Government, states, territories, and water utilities, is pivotal in enhancing our approach to sustainable, cost-effective, and resilient urban water security.

Our recent insight by Chris Olszak, Nick Clarke and Rod Coulton explores how water utilities can succeed in the face of mounting challenges associated with climate change, ageing assets and increasing cost of capital. By focusing on delivering value to customers and the community, utilities can make better decisions and help ensure sustainable but efficient levels of funding to deal with the challenges ahead.

Building on our previous discussions about the alignment of strategy and governance with investment decision-making, we are excited to introduce our latest insight by Kate Maddy and Clare Ferguson. This piece focuses on how water utilities can enhance value for their customers and communities through effective strategic planning and execution.

We remain dedicated to partnering with our clients towards a more secure and sustainable future. Your insights, questions, and ideas are always welcome, and we look forward to continued collaboration. In the meantime, we hope you and your loved ones have a safe and enjoyable break.

Best regards

Chris and Will