Water Catchment Protection: Councils Interactions with Water NSW and Challenges and Impacts of Water Catchment Protection Requirements

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1 Water Catchment Protection: Councils Interactions with Water NSW and Challenges and Impacts of Water Catchment Protection Requirements David Harris, Chief Executive Officer 1

2 Overview Some Common Elements Between NSW Water Market Reforms and Local Government Reforms WaterNSW and its Principal Functions Our partners WaterNSW and Council partnership successes Partnership issues Our commitment

3 NSW Govt s Water Market Reform Plan Plan of water market change and development. Step 1 1 January 2015: creation of WaterNSW - merger between the former Sydney Catchment Authority and the former State Water Corporation. Step 2 announced by Portfolio Minister a few weeks ago: creation of DPI Water and transfer of operational functions from DPI Water to WaterNSW. There may be further reform plan steps in the future consistent with WaterNSW being the bulk water supply operator for NSW.

4 NSW Govt s Water Market Reform Plan Why? In the case of WaterNSW: To be more focused on value add for customers. To deepen the pool of talent in our core functional areas. To be efficient. To rationalise our Shared Services. Why? Higher level of performance; Higher level of efficiency: Regulated Asset Base opex paid for by customers. We have defined our goals, outputs and success measures in our Strategic Action Plan. We are currently going through a process to integrate our organisation structure and to achieve alignment of resources to the actions we have identified to support achievement of our Corporate Strategic Objectives.

5 NSW Water Market Participants DPI Water: policy, inter-governmental negotiations, administration of Govt programmes, rural demand planning (market rules maker and rules enforcer). WaterNSW: bulk water supplier, system operator (rivers, supply systems), water supply infrastructure planner and developer, protection of designated catchments and water quality within them. Distributors: treat bulk supply water, reticulate that water to end use customers and treat and manage wastewater. Sydney Water, Hunter Water and Local Water Utilities. Retailers: billing.

6 NSW Water Market Reform and Local Water Utilities: Some Common Threads Some clear common threads with reform of Local Government and Local Water Utilities in particular. Clarity of entity function: clear definition of function (not everything!); know your function; perform it well. Delivery Chain approach. Deepen skills base through aggregating entities that perform like functions, eg WaterNSW - asset management, asset development and asset operations and maintenance. Benefits of scale. Shared Services efficiencies. ROCs? County Councils?

7 An Overview of WaterNSW

8 WaterNSW Functions Water Supply Infrastructure Solutions To plan, design, model, construct, operate and maintain bulk water supply infrastructure. Water Quality To supply water in compliance with appropriate standards of quality (geared around ADWG). Catchment Protection To protect public health, safety and the environment and provide for the management of designated catchment areas. Act Commercially To maintain and operate the works of WaterNSW efficiently in accordance with sound commercial principles. Efficiency To capture, store and release water in an efficient, effective and safe manner.

9 Catchment Protection/ Water Quality One of our principal functions is Catchment Protection: To protect public health, safety and the environment and provide for the management of designated catchment areas. Currently one designated catchment area Greater Sydney drinking water catchment.

10 Catchment Protection/ Water Quality Healthy Catchments Strategy Seven initiatives Range of mechanisms; strategic planning & technical assessment remediation, funding, compliance education and training science & technology

11 NorBE WaterNSW Partners Local Government Councils are a logical partner because of our shared interests: Provision of infrastructure and services to their communities Building sustainable, liveable and resilient cities Development OSSM approval INSPECTIONS Enforcement of environmental protection powers Community engagement Common vision between Councils and WaterNSW POEO ACT ENFORCEMENT CONSENT CONDITIONS

12 WaterNSW Partners Government and Communities Key Partners outside of council include: Local Land Services Office of Environment and Heritage Community Other State Gov t Agencies

13 Partnership Successes Sewage and On-sites Accelerated Sewage Program - $38.8M On-site Sewage Management Program - $600,000 Goulburn Sewer Refurbishment - $800,000 Infrastructure Grants Program - $1.75M Evaluation of Councils Management Practices - $120,000 On-site sewage management networks

14 Partnership Successes Stormwater Stormwater Infrastructure Program - $1.1M Infrastructure Grants Program - $150,000 Evaluation of Councils Management Practices - $120,000 Erosion and Sediment Control Training - $60,000 Stormwater network meetings

15 Partnership Successes Development approval and NorBE NorBE Tool development and training Considered best practice management by NSW Department of Planning NorBE Tool supported by the development and adoption of current recommended practices (CRPs) CRPs developed by WaterNSW include: Using MUSIC in Sydney s Drinking Water Catchment Designing and Installing On-site Wastewater Systems Water Sensitive Design Guide for Rural Residential Subdivisions Rural Earthmoving in the Sydney Drinking Water Catchment

16 Partnership Issues Challenges Implications of NorBE on Council s resources EPA Licences and UV disinfection Council compliance Resourcing Responsiveness to WaterNSW programs

17 Commitment to the future Capacity and Communication Work with Councils to: Develop joint Action Plans to respond to Evaluation of Councils Management Practices Achieve sustainable, liveable and resilient cities Explore opportunities for integrated water cycle management Help improve the quality of water to our customers

18 Thank You