While the Ekka is a great time for bringing city and country together, one issue that delivers a bucket load of contrast is water.
While many in South East Queensland (SEQ) take turning on a tap for granted, much of rural Queensland is still in drought.
QUT and Seqwater have joined forces to show Ekka-goers the power of the SEQ Water Grid and its role in delivering SEQ's water supply in times of drought, flood, and high demand.
QUT’s Visualisation and eResearch manager Gavin Winter said high-tech spatial data visualisations had been incorporated into a purpose-built display to educate the public on water use.
“The digital interactive water globe lets people see how the water we drink is sourced, stored and supplied in the state’s south east,” he said.
“QUT has been working with Seqwater to engage the community and promote the role of SEQ's network of dams, treatment plants, reservoirs, and pipelines in delivering reliable, quality, and cost effective water from catchment to the tap.
“This particular display encourages people to interact with digital displays that tell people the story of where and how their water is sourced and supplied to their home in real time.”
Mr Winter said school children looking for an educational experience right through to mums, dads and grandparents would find the display interesting.
“People will be amazed at just how much water is being used through our water grid, while they’re out and about at the Ekka,” he said.
“It helps city dwellers appreciate the resource we sometimes take for granted.”
Mr Winter said Seqwater was also offering free water refills.
He said people could also gain a virtual experience of how water catchments work through the Augmented Reality Sandbox.
“This novel educational and interactive display developed by the University of California, Davis in 2013 enables users to build their own terrain with sand, all 120kg of it, and simulate rainfall.”
Mr Winter said new technology, like virtual reality, offered a myriad of possibilities in providing fun, stimulating education to people of all ages.
The Seqwater display is housed within the Agricultural Pavilion at the Ekka.
Media contact: Rose Trapnell, QUT media team leader, 07 3138 2361 or 0407 585 901 rose.trapnell@qut.edu.au
