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Aquaholics

Aquaholics

Written by: Australian Water Partnership
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Want to discover what three Aussie nerds in a Swedish heavy metal bar think about water? Are you fascinated by the impact of AI on water or wondering why water rarely gets the media attention it deserves?


Listen to the Australian Water Partnership’s new podcast, Aquaholics, where you’ll be invited to Gali Guwali or ‘speak water’.


Join AWP General Manager, Sarah Ransom, Kamilaroi water scientist and academic, Professor Bradley Moggridge, Healthy Land and Water’s Dr Andrew O’Neill as they chat to MC, AWP’s Head of Communication, Kylie Johnson about some of the biggest issues facing the water sector.


Aquaholics is proof that talking about water doesn’t need to be dry.


Aquaholics is an AWP podcast. AWP is funded by the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade to support sustainable and climate resilient water management in the Indo Pacific region.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Australian Water Partnership Biological Sciences Earth Sciences Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • The heavy metal bar where Aquaholics began

    The heavy metal bar where Aquaholics began
    Sep 23 2026
    What happens when three water specialists walk into a centuries-old heavy metal bar in Stockholm? A podcast is born.In the first episode of Aquaholics, Kylie Johnson brings together Sarah Ransom, Professor Bradley Moggridge and Dr Andrew O'Neill to share the unlikely origin story of the series and explore a much bigger question: who cares about water, and why should we?The conversation moves from Brad's childhood beside a polluted Western Sydney creek to Indigenous water knowledge, community-led research, global water bankruptcy and the challenge of turning decades of environmental data into decisions. The group also asks whether modern life has disconnected us from the systems that make clean water appear at the turn of a tap.Aquaholics is an initiative of the Australian Water Partnership, supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.Key takeawaysReconnect with water. Treat water as a living system with cultural, ecological and social value, not simply as a commodity.Start with community questions. Build research with communities from the beginning, including their priorities, knowledge and ownership.Use evidence to drive action. Long-term monitoring can show where waterways are declining and where investment will make the greatest difference.Make the consequences visible. Connect water science with the economic, cultural and community impacts that matter to decision-makers.Challenge misinformation early. Clear, accessible communication is essential when evidence is contested or dismissed as alarmism.Meet the guests and hostsKylie Johnson is Senior Manager, Partnerships and Communication at the Australian Water Partnership. Her career spans climate, water and communication across journalism, government and the not-for-profit sector.Kylie Johnson profileSarah Ransom is General Manager of the Australian Water Partnership. A former Australian diplomat and lawyer, she has worked across international development, governance, gender, community engagement and partnership brokering.Sarah Ransom profileProfessor Bradley Moggridge is a proud Kamilaroi man, Professor of Science and Associate Dean, Indigenous Leadership and Engagement, at the University of Technology Sydney. His work brings Indigenous knowledge, hydrogeology and water science into research, policy and environmental management.Professor Bradley Moggridge profileBradley Moggridge research outputsDr Andrew O'Neill is Chief Science and Sustainability Officer at Healthy Land & Water. He leads innovation and supports scientists and engineers working to improve South East Queensland's environment, connecting research, policy and practical action.Dr Andrew O'Neill profileRelevant links and resourcesAustralian Water Partnership - Learn about AWP and its work supporting sustainable, climate-resilient water management in the Indo-Pacific.Global Water Bankruptcy report - Read the 2026 United Nations University report discussed in the episode.About World Water Week - Explore the Stockholm conference where the idea for Aquaholics began.Healthy Land & Water Report Card - Explore more than 25 years of environmental monitoring and reporting for South East Queensland.Healthy Land & Water - Learn about the region’s natural resource management organisation and its environmental programs.Contact and followSend a question to the Aquaholics team: contact@waterpartnership.org.auAustralian Water Partnership enquiries: Contact AWPPhone: +61 2 6206 8320Address: UC Innovation Centre, Bruce ACT 2617, Australia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    49 mins
  • AI and Water: Godzilla or climate solution?

    AI and Water: Godzilla or climate solution?
    Sep 23 2026
    Can artificial intelligence help solve water challenges without creating new ones?In episode two of Aquaholics, Kylie Johnson, Sarah Ransom, Professor Bradley Moggridge and Dr Andrew O'Neill examine the tension at the heart of the AI boom: AI can improve water management, but the data centres and energy systems behind it also place pressure on water, land and communities.Featured guest Josh Weinberg, Senior Policy Advisor at the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, shares early findings from research commissioned by the Australian Water Partnership on AI and water in the Indo-Pacific. The discussion explores data-centre planning, direct and indirect water demand, environmental justice, community benefit-sharing and the need to involve water utilities and governments before infrastructure decisions are locked in.The hosts also debate ethical AI, public access to environmental data and the role of human judgement. In the Water Cooler segment, Brad considers whether Western science is genuinely listening to Indigenous water knowledge or whether engagement remains tokenistic.Aquaholics is an initiative of the Australian Water Partnership, funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.Featured guestJosh Weinberg is Senior Policy Advisor at the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation. He contributes to collaborations with governments, intergovernmental organisations, civil society and United Nations agencies to integrate water more centrally into the global climate agenda. Before joining AGWA, he spent 15 years at the Stockholm International Water Institute working across water, climate and sustainability programmes.· Josh Weinberg profile· Alliance for Global Water Adaptation - Learn more about AGWA’s work on climate-resilient water management.HostsKylie Johnson is Senior Manager, Partnerships and Communication at the Australian Water Partnership. Her career spans climate, water and communication across journalism, government and the not-for-profit sector.Kylie Johnson profileSarah Ransom is General Manager of the Australian Water Partnership. A former Australian diplomat and lawyer, she has worked across international development, governance, gender, community engagement and partnership brokering.Sarah Ransom profileProfessor Bradley Moggridge is a proud Kamilaroi man, Professor of Science and Associate Dean, Indigenous Leadership and Engagement, at the University of Technology Sydney. His work brings Indigenous knowledge, hydrogeology and water science into research, policy and environmental management.Professor Bradley Moggridge profileBradley Moggridge research outputsDr Andrew O'Neill is Chief Science and Sustainability Officer at Healthy Land & Water. He leads innovation and supports scientists and engineers working to improve South East Queensland's environment, connecting research, policy and practical action.Dr Andrew O'Neill profileRelevant links and resources AI, data centres and water-risk analysis - Read the AWP and AGWA article by Josh Weinberg and Georgette Mrakadeh-Keane. Water Resilience in the AI Boom webinar - Explore AGWA’s session on data-centre growth, water systems and local resilience. Australian Water Partnership - Learn about AWP’s work supporting climate-resilient water management in the Indo-Pacific. Healthy Land & Water Report Card - Explore long-term environmental monitoring and reporting for South East Queensland. Australian Government National Science and Research Priorities - Explore the 2024 national priorities referenced in the Water Cooler discussion.Contact and followSend a question to Aquaholics: contact@waterpartnership.org.auAustralian Water Partnership enquiries: Contact AWPPhone: +61 2 6206 8320Address: UC Innovation Centre, Bruce ACT 2617, Australia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Does Water Need a Glow Up?

    Does Water Need a Glow Up?
    Sep 23 2026
    Water sustains life, business, communities and recreation. So why does it keep getting left out of the public conversation?In episode three of Aquaholics, Kylie Johnson, Sarah Ransom, Professor Bradley Moggridge and Dr Andrew O'Neill ask whether water has a public relations problem. They are joined by Ross Monaghan, a public relations specialist, communication lecturer at Deakin University and host of the HypeCloudAI podcast.Ross explains why water is easy to take for granted, especially in cities where it appears whenever a tap is turned. He shares a practical starting point for better communication: research what people think, define clear objectives, understand the audience, listen before speaking and tell memorable stories that connect water with everyday life.The episode also explores climate variability, drought preparedness, recycled water, stormwater and urban water resilience. In the Water Cooler segment, the hosts debate whether naming droughts could make slow-moving climate events more visible and memorable.Aquaholics is an initiative of the Australian Water Partnership, funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.Featured guestRoss Monaghan is a Lecturer in Communication at Deakin University and a business communication and issues management specialist with more than 20 years of experience across public relations, general management and journalism. His areas of expertise include crisis and emergency communication, risk communication and new technology. He also co-hosts the HypeCloudAI podcast, which examines technology, business and practical AI use through a communications lens.Ross Monaghan profile at Deakin UniversityThe HypeCloudAI podcast - Listen to Ross Monaghan and Bonnie Murthy discuss AI, communication, policy and professional practice.HostsKylie Johnson is Senior Manager, Partnerships and Communication at the Australian Water Partnership. Her career spans climate, water and communication across journalism, government and the not-for-profit sector. Kylie Johnson profileSarah Ransom is General Manager of the Australian Water Partnership. A former Australian diplomat and lawyer, she has worked across international development, governance, gender, community engagement and partnership brokering. Sarah Ransom profileProfessor Bradley Moggridge is a proud Kamilaroi man, Professor of Science and Associate Dean, Indigenous Leadership and Engagement, at the University of Technology Sydney. His work brings Indigenous knowledge, hydrogeology and water science into research, policy and environmental management.Professor Bradley Moggridge profileBradley Moggridge research outputsDr Andrew O'Neill is Chief Science and Sustainability Officer at Healthy Land & Water. He leads innovation and supports scientists and engineers working to improve South East Queensland's environment, connecting research, policy and practical action.Dr Andrew O'Neill profileRelevant links and resourcesAustralian Water Partnership - Learn about AWP’s work supporting sustainable and climate-resilient water management in the Indo-Pacific.Bureau of Meteorology ENSO outlook - Follow official information about El Niño, La Niña and Australia’s climate drivers.Water recycling and reuse information - Explore Australia’s national guidance for recycled water management.Healthy Land & Water - Learn about natural resource management and environmental resilience in South East Queensland.The HypeCloudAI podcast on Apple Podcasts - Follow the programme hosted by Ross Monaghan and Bonnie Murthy.Contact and followSend a question to Aquaholics: contact@waterpartnership.org.auAustralian Water Partnership enquiries: Contact AWPPhone: +61 2 6206 8320Address: UC Innovation Centre, Bruce ACT 2617, Australia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
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