Wednesday 3 October, 2012
Tamworth Regional Council will host a visit from Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre – later this month as part of National Water Week 2012.
The Canberra-based centre's travelling exhibition, Our Water, will be at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre for two weeks.
Council has invited schools from across the region to visit the free hands-on exhibition from October 22 to 31.
Local residents are also invited to make a booking for free entry to the exhibition on the weekend of October 27 and 28.
Tamworth region Mayor Col Murray said the exhibition's visit was a great opportunity for the Tamworth region community to benefit from a world-class educational experience close to home.
'Questacon is the national leader in presenting creative, interactive science exhibitions and programs,' he said. 'Council is proud to have the chance to be able to give our community access to Questacon.'
Questacon's Our Water exhibition engages and inspires visitors to expand their understanding and delve into Australia's unique water situation by asking the question: If you were in control of Australia's water, how would you use it?
Our Water challenges visitors to investigate water from an urban, agricultural, industrial and environmental perspective.
It comprises 28 hands-on exhibits designed to inform and educate visitors to make decisions about water, and to examine the consequences of the different uses and reuses of water in Australia.
'Our Water asks visitors to examine and measure how they use water at home and explore different innovative technologies to save water as individuals and households,' says Questacon Director Professor Graham Durant.
The exhibition also allows visitors to take on the role of decision makers within Australia's water system.
'By moving different elements around a model of a catchment system, the exhibit 'Catchment Manager' enables visitors to take on this role,' Prof Durant said.
'Visitors can remove and introduce farms, towns or dams and the effects of this activity on downstream water flows will be shown through the on-screen animation.
'Our Water is an opportunity that should not be missed to gain a better understanding of Australia's water issues and how individuals and households can save and reuse this precious resource,' he said.
The exhibition is the result of a partnership between Questacon and the National Water Commission which committed $1.7 million for the development of the exhibition, and to tour it throughout regional and metropolitan Australia.
Tamworth Regional Council Water Sustainability Officer, Ian Lobban, said 2000 students are booked in to attend the exhibition.
'Students are travelling from as far as Barraba and Manilla,' he said. 'Everyone from big schools like Tamworth Public through to small schools like Tintinhull Public have responded to Council's invitation for them to take part.'
Mr Lobban said local residents must book to see the free exhibition. Bookings can be made by contacting Ellyse Kennedy at Tamworth Regional Council by calling 6767 5801 or emailing e.kennedy@tamworth.nsw.gov.au
National Water Week, which runs from October 21-27, is an annual awareness campaign which aims to improve community understanding of water issues in Australia. It is co-ordinated by the Australian Water Association of which Tamworth Regional Council is a member.