Location, contacts and inquiries

The National Centre for Groundwater Management (NCGM) has students from every state in Australia, mostly enrolled in distance education Master's study programs. In recent years, NCGM has taught visiting students from Bangladesh, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Jordan, Korea, Libya, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and Vanuatu.

Hydrogeology is an area that is in great demand by employers. Students often get jobs before finishing their degrees. At present there is strong demand for groundwater modellers and for general hydrogeolgists working on contaminated sites.

Postgraduate training in hydrogeology in Australia was initiated in 1987 when Michael Knight set up the Centre for Groundwater Management and Hydrogeology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. This Centre was one of 12 Federal Government key centres launched by Senator Gareth Evans in Adelaide on 16 June 1987. In 1992 the National Centre for Groundwater Management moved to UTS and continues to offer postgraduate courses, consultancy and research in groundwater management under the guidance of Acting Director Associate Professor Noel Merrick.

Mission statement

The Centre is committed to advancing groundwater knowledge and providing a high quality, relevant and sustainable service to industry, government, the profession and the community. Staff are dedicated to excellence in research, teaching and consultancy.

Location, contacts and inquiries

Postgraduate course information

Postgraduate coursework courses offered by NCGM are:

• Master of Engineering in Groundwater Management (C04077)
• Master of Science in Hydrogeology and Groundwater Management (C04167)
• Graduate Diploma in Ecology and Groundwater Studies (C07084)
• Graduate Diploma in Hydrogeology and Groundwater Management (C07083)

The Centre also offers the following postgraduate research degrees:

• Doctor of Philosophy (C02014) (Groundwater Management (Engineering))
• Doctor of Philosophy (C02032) (Hydrogeology and Groundwater Management (Science))
• Master of Engineering in Groundwater Management (C03013)

Areas of study in the coursework subjects include:

• groundwater modelling and resource optimisation
• hydrogeochemistry
• groundwater geophysics
• contaminated site management
• interactions between surface water and groundwater
• all aspects of hydrogeology, and
• groundwater policy and management.

Staff list

Associate Professor and Acting Director

Noel Merrick, MSc (Syd), GradDipDataProc (NSWIT), PhD (UTS)

Senior Lecturers

William Milne-Home, BSc (Leic), MSc (Lond), PhD (Alta), CertEngGCH (UNSW)

Bryce Kelly, BSc(Hons), PhD (UNSW)

Principal Scientist

Derek Yates, BAppSc(Hons) (UNSW), GradDipEnvStud (Macq)

Administrative Officer

Lorraine Dixon