Water for South East Queensland: Planning for our future ANNUAL REPORT 2020 This report is a collaborative effort by the following partners:
Logo guidelines Logo formats
2.1 LOGO FORMATS
2.1.1 Primary logo Horizontal version
The full colour, horizontal version of our logo is the preferred option across all Urban Utilities communications where a white background is used.
The horizontal version is the preferred format, however due to design, space and layout restrictions, the vertical version can be used.
Our logo needs to be produced from electronic files and should never be altered, redrawn or modified in any way.
Clear space guidelines are to be followed at all times. In all cases, our logo needs to appear clearly and consistently. Minimum size 2.1.2 Primary logo minimum size
Minimum size specifications ensure the Urban Utilities logo is reproduced effectively at a small size. The minimum size for the logo in a horizontal format is 50mm.
Minimum size is defined by the width of our logo and size specifications need to be adhered to at all times. 50mm
Urban Utilities Brand Guidelines 5
The SEQ Water Service Provider Partners work together to provide essential water and sewerage services now and into the future.
2 SEQ WATER SERVICE PROVIDERS PARTNERSHIP FOREWORD
Water for SEQ – a simple In 2018, the SEQ Water Service Providers made a strategic and ambitious statement that represents decision to set out on a five-year journey to prepare a holistic and integrated a major milestone for the plan for water cycle management in South East Queensland (SEQ) titled “Water region. This represents a Plan for South East Queensland: Planning for our future”. Each of the agencies had a plan for their component of the region but there was no holistic plan or mind shift for the Water framework for bringing them together or for guiding and supporting other levels Service Providers of South of government when putting together the vision for the Region. East Queensland from meeting regulatory reporting The SEQ Regional Plan provides vision and perspective on where population growth will occur and the transport, social infrastructure and other services that requirements to developing will support this growth. There was always an underlying assumption the Water a strategic vision that puts Service Providers of SEQ will provide the water cycle management solutions water issues front and centre to meet community needs. However, there was no real mechanism for this to from a regional planning occur. This is the gap the Water for SEQ Plan is aiming to fill. It is proposed the perspective. Water for SEQ Plan will be a key pillar of future regional plans to support the growth and lifestyle of South East Queensland through provision of sustainable, adaptable and integrated water and sewerage services to meet the community’s needs. The Water Service Providers Regional Partnership has emerged over the past six years from the Institutional and Legislative Reform Agenda dictated by the Bulk Water Supply Code and regulated reporting framework into a more collaborative and holistic partnership with a strategic regional vision and objectives. There have been some very significant policy shifts over recent years particularly in relation to the whole-of-catchment health perspective and the role the Water Service Providers can play in improving catchment and waterway health as well as providing the core water and sewerage infrastructure to support the community’s growing needs. The Water Service Providers of SEQ are very proud of the role they play as trusted custodians of the region’s precious water resources and as the water cycle manager. We draw water from the natural sources of the region and responsibly and sustainably manage the use of that resource for community benefit through the cycle to return water to the catchments and waterways of the region. As the increasing urban growth in SEQ puts pressure on the water cycle, the Water Service Providers must rise to the challenge of sustainable management of the region’s water and sewerage services. It is to this effect that the Water Service Providers have progressed the Water for SEQ Plan this year. This year’s Annual Report demonstrates the achievements of 2020 along this journey. While there have been the challenges of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic to overcome, the Water Service Providers Regional Partnership has delivered some significant milestone achievements including the establishment of a strategic vision and a delivery model for achieving the vision. These are described in detail in the report as demonstration of the commitment of the Water Service Providers Regional Partnership to deliver on the vision of the Water for SEQ Plan.
Foreword provided by Daryl Ross, former Acting Director of Road and Water Infrastructure at Logan City Council. Daryl was the Australian Water Association’s 2020 Australian Water Professional of the Year and active in the Queensland Water Industry for more than 40 years.
WATER FOR SEQ – PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE | ANNUAL REPORT 2020 3 INTRODUCTION
Water supply and sewerage services are critical for a healthy, prosperous and liveable region. South East Queensland’s Water Service Providers (Seqwater, the bulk water supplier; and the SEQ Service Providers Unitywater, Urban Utilities and the council-owned water businesses of Logan, Redland and City of Gold Coast) work together to deliver the best possible outcomes for communities and effectively inform the region’s future through the SEQ Regional Plan.
4 SEQ WATER SERVICE PROVIDERS PARTNERSHIP The purpose of this annual report is to demonstrate how the Seqwater and the SEQ Service Providers work together SEQ Water Service Providers are working together to provide on specific projects called Key Possible Projects (KPPs) to better value outcomes for the SEQ community. This report formally drive collaboration to address requirements in the will summarise the SEQ Water Service Providers’ efforts Bulk Water Supply Code. The current KPPs are: and projects for 2020, and how we are progressing these • Water for SEQ Plan initiatives in the industry to achieve our vision and strategic directions. • Water Future Program • SEQ Water Supply System Regional Secondary Building on this Annual Report, a new strategic Water for Disinfection Optimisation Project (RSDOP) and SEQ Plan, created by the SEQ Water Service Providers, will be delivered around 2023 and reviewed every five years. The • Co-ordinated catchment management activities. Water for SEQ Plan will inform the SEQ Regional Plan and These KPPs and other collaborative projects are detailed in other key planning instruments, providing better outcomes this Annual Report demonstrating better outcomes for for the SEQ region. Once the strategic Water for SEQ Plan SEQ communities. has been produced, this annual report will evolve further to report on the outcomes of that plan.
This Annual Report meets the needs of the Bulk Water Supply Code.
WATER FOR SEQ – PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE | ANNUAL REPORT 2020 5 YOUR SEQ WATER SERVICE PROVIDERS HOW WE INTERACT AND WORK TOGETHER
6 SEQ WATER SERVICE PROVIDERS PARTNERSHIP Gympie Regional Council Noosa Shire Council
Cedar Pocket Dam Six Mile Creek Dam (Lake Macdonald) Seqwater is the regional bulk water supplier.
Borumba Dam (Lake Borumba) Cooloolabin Dam (Lake Cooloolabin)
Wappa Dam
Poona Dam
Sunshine Coast Regional Council
Baroon Pocket Dam (Lake Baroon)
Somerset Regional Council Ewen Maddock Dam
Moreton Bay Somerset Dam (Lake Somerset) Regional Council
Wivenhoe Dam Toowoomba (Lake Wivenhoe) Regional Council Sideling Creek Dam (Lake Kurwongbah) North Pine Dam (Lake Samsonvale)
Brisbane City Council
Enoggera Dam Cabbage Tree (Enoggera Atkinson Dam Creek Dam Reservoir) (Lake Manchester) Gold Creek Dam Leslie Harrison Dam Clarendon Dam (Tingalpa Reservoir) (Lake Clarendon)
Redland City Bill Gunn Dam Council (Lake Dyer)
Lockyer Valley Ipswich Regional Council City Council
Logan City Council
City of Gold Coast
Wyaralong Dam
Hinze Dam Moogerah Dam (Advancetown (Lake Moogerah) Bromelton Dam Lake) (Bromelton Weir)
Nindooinbah Dam
Maroon Dam (Lake Maroon) Little Nerang Gold Coast Dam Desalination Plant Scenic Rim Regional Council
YOUR SEQ WATER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Seqwater is the Queensland Government statutory authority drinking water to customers. In addition, they are also responsible for providing a bulk drinking water supply to the responsible for collecting and treating sewage and supplying SEQ Service Providers. recycled water to customers. Collectively, we are your SEQ Water Service Providers. Unitywater, Urban Utilities, and the water businesses of the Redland, Logan and the City of Gold Coast councils distribute
WATER FOR SEQ – PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE | ANNUAL REPORT 2020 7 DELIVERING WATER AND SEWERAGE SERVICES AND A RANGE OF OTHER BENEFITS TO SEQ
The delivery of water and treatment of sewage promotes health, prosperity and liveability in alignment with the SEQ Regional Plan.
8 SEQ WATER SERVICE PROVIDERS PARTNERSHIP The delivery of water and treatment of sewage promotes Whilst we all budget separately to meet these needs in our health, prosperity and liveability in alignment with the SEQ own areas of responsibility, we are planning more closely Regional Plan. together to deliver consistent and reliable services across SEQ. We supply water and sewerage services to more than three million people across SEQ. Over the next five years, we expect to spend almost $5 billion to meet the water supply SEQ W TE SE I E P I E and sewerage needs of communities as outlined in the SEQ PIT E PE ITU E F 2020 21 - 2024 25 Regional Plan and the Water Service Providers customer service charters. We will invest in: Support a • Supporting a growing SEQ by delivering new pipes, pumps gro ing SEQ and other infrastructure to serve the growing population. $1 3 billion Improving SEQ is a rapidly growing region and this is reflected in the $2 0 billion efficiency significant expenditure in this area • Keeping our assets safe and reliable by maintaining and eeping our renewing infrastructure $0 5 billion assets safe and • Improving the efficiency of distribution of water and reliable collection and treatment of sewage Protecting • Protecting people, the environment and assets by $1 billion people, the upgrading dams to meet improved safety guidelines; environment reducing the amount of nutrients entering waterways and and assets upgrading sewage treatment plants.
We will also spend more than $4 billion over the next five years operating and maintaining the water supply and sewerage systems.
This $4 billion includes paying our staff who work across the demand management initiatives and network operations. region and purchasing the energy and chemicals we need to The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on operate the assets. the SEQ water service provider industry, as it has with all In addition to meeting the growing needs of the SEQ sectors. The SEQ water service providers have continued community, the delivery of water and sewerage services to to provide our high-quality water and sewerage services to SEQ provides many other benefits including: the community throughout this time. The provision of these • Health and sanitation to protect the SEQ community. services during the pandemic has been critical, enabling • Supporting economic growth through provision of services the use of soap and water precisely when sanitation was to approved developments and industrial, commercial and paramount. This essential service continues to be provided to retail businesses. the SEQ Region. We have also: • Protecting the environment through capture and • Rapidly developed hardship packages that have been treatment of sewage, reducing greenhouse gas emissions welcomed by customers, such as extending payment through efficient use of energy, and recycling water periods and other materials. We continue to identify ways to • Changed working practices for example, crews have use technology and engage all levels of government learned to work in socially distanced ways whilst and private industry in a regional approach to improve maintaining our high-quality water and sewerage services environmental outcomes. • Adjusted to working remotely and continued to deliver Providing quality water and sewerage services is essential outcomes in addition to the pandemic response and can’t be done for free. As an industry we are focused on affordability of the service and the impact of the cost of • Improved our supplier payment turnaround times to essential water and sewerage services on the communities of support the cash flow of local businesses. SEQ. • Provided packages to support other business sectors, We are also working together to manage drought and enabling continued economic activity reduce the economic impact on South East Queenslanders. • Contributed to the development and use of sewage To reduce the risk of adverse economic impacts we work testing for COVID-19, supporting health tracking and together on communication and education programs, tracing. WATER FOR SEQ – PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE | ANNUAL REPORT 2020 9 HOW WE INTERACT AND WORK TOGETHER
The SEQ Water Service Providers discuss common challenges and find opportunities across the region to work together. The figure below depicts some of these forums.