As well as being a success in terms of the number of registered delegates The Forum also had the largest number of sponsors and exhibitors, enabling the trade exhibition to be held in the spacious Pavilion 1 of the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre. The Forum opened on Wednesday 12 March with pre-forum workshops. The WA Local Government GIS Focus Group attracted over 100 delegates to their afternoon workshops. The Forum was officially opened by the Hon Michelle Roberts MLA, Minister for Land Information, on Thursday 13 March, followed by inspiring keynote addresses by Rob Atkinson from CSIRO Land and Water on the use of spatial data infrastructures to allocate Australia's water, and Professor Lyn Beazley, Chief Scientist of Western Australia, on women in sciences.

Perth is receiving less rainfall. Climate scenarios predict it’s not likely to get any better. With declining rainfall and a population set to increase by 40 per cent by 2030, it is vital that we continue to look for the best ways to protect our existing water supply. The Gnangara groundwater system provides us with 60 per cent of Perth’s drinking water. Large volumes are also used by agriculture, local government and household garden bore users. It is also an important source of water for forestry and for maintaining our unique wetlands and native vegetation.