Suzanne Lazaroo
2 November 2026: What will it take to co-exist – well – with our rivers, in a time when water security and resource management are increasingly hot button topics? Next week, South Australia River Murray Commissioner Dr Emma Carmody will seek to give voice to rivers themselves, as she delivers the Peter Cullen Lecture 2026.
Set to be held at Canberra’s iconic Shine Dome at the Australian Academy of Science, the Lecture is titled Downstream of Power: Water and Democracy in the Age of Rupture jointly presented by the University of Canberra, Griffith University and the Peter Cullen Trust (PCT).
Free and open to the public, it honours the extensive legacy of Professor Peter Cullen AO, as well as advancing and calling for action on critical issues in water and environmental management.
“The Peter Cullen Lecture continues the legacy of a remarkable scientist, leader and former UC Dean, who championed the role of science in informing difficult decisions about water management,” said Professor Fiona Dyer, Interim Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Canberra.
“The Lecture is a fitting reflection of his legacy, providing us with an opportunity to engage with the broader water community and contribute to conversations about the future of water management in Australia.”
An international environmental lawyer and water lawyer who currently serves as Commissioner for the River Murray – South Australia, Dr Carmody’s work is strongly aligned to Professor Cullen’s guiding principle – speaking truth to power.
"Peter Cullen challenged us to live well with our rivers, notably in the highly contested Murray-Darling Basin,” said Dr Carmody.
“It's now up to us to consider what that means in 2026, particularly within the context of a rupturing and rapidly changing world."
Dr Carmody is a PCT Fellow, and served as sole Legal Advisor to the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention Wetlands from 2017 to 2022, a role which required her to advise during complex multilateral negotiations between nation states.
In her recent appointment as the SA River Murray Commissioner, she will play a crucial role in reviews of the Basin Plan and the Water Act 2007 – helping to engage with key stakeholders across the basin and providing independent advice to the South Australia State Government.
The 2026 Peter Cullen Lecture will be co-hosted by Professor Dyer, who is also a PCT Fellow; Peter Cullen Trust Chair Professor Emerita Cynthia Mitchell AO; and Griffith University’s Professor David Hamilton, Institute Director, Australian Rivers Institute.
“At a time when water security and environmental sustainability are increasingly the focus of public policy conversations, the Peter Cullen Lecture provides an important opportunity to reflect on how evidence, leadership and public debate can contribute to better outcomes,” said Professor Dyer.
“I expect attendees will leave both inspired and challenged. The Lecture will provide an opportunity to think deeply about the role of science, in its broadest sense, in guiding water management decisions, and how knowledge, values and public policy interact in shaping the future of our rivers and water resources.”
Event details
Date: Wednesday 11 November 2026
Time: 6pm to 8pm (7pm to 8pm, drinks and canapes)
Venue: Ian Wark Theatre and the Jaegar Room, The Shine Dome, National Science Academy, 15 Gordon Street, Acton
To register: Attendance is free, but registration is essential. Please register here.
