Annual Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Annual Report 2019 - 2020 Barwon Water has a proud history supporting regional prosperity by providing excellence in water, sewerage and recycled water services to our customers and the community for more than 110 years. Photo taken December 2019 (pre-coronavirus) Contents Part 1 – Year in review 4 - Bulk entitlement reporting 35 About us 5 - Aboriginal Values 43 At a glance 7 Social sustainability 45 Message from the Chair and 8 Customer Support Strategy 45 Managing Director Community service obligations 46 Strategy 2030 highlights 10 Part 4 – Corporate information 47 Summary of financial results 12 Organisational structure 48 15 Part 2 – Water consumption Board committees 49 Water consumption report 16 Board Directors 51 Corporate water consumption 18 Employment data 54 Major non-residential water users 18 Health, Safety and Wellbeing 58 Part 3 – Environmental and social 21 Safety, Quality and Environment 60 sustainability Access to information 61 Environmental sustainability 22 Other acts 63 - Sustainable water use 22 Applicable policies 64 - Community and stakeholder engagement 27 Minister’s Letter of Expectations 66 - Drought response plan 29 Part 5 – Performance report 74 - Drinking water quality 30 Part 6 – Financial statements 81 - Environmental flows 30 Part 7 – Disclosure index 138 - Other statutory obligations 30 - Greenhouse gas emissions 32 Part 8 – Appendices 141 Some images contained in this report do not show physical distancing or masks as they were taken pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) or before requirements came into place. These have been captioned with the date taken. PART 1. Year in review Photo taken March 2020 (pre-coronavirus) 4 • Barwon Water Annual Report 2019-20 PART 1. Year in review Responsible Body Our vision Water sources Declaration Barwon Water’s vision, as shared in The Greater Geelong region’s water is In accordance with the Financial our Strategy 2030, is to be an enabler supplied by three major surface water Management Act 1994, I am pleased to of regional prosperity – economically, sources – the Barwon River and its present Barwon Water’s Annual Report environmentally, culturally and socially. tributaries, the East Moorabool River and for the year ending June 30, 2020. We recognise that as a trusted water the West Moorabool River. authority in our region, we need to continue to deliver our core service - high The Otway Ranges feed the Barwon quality water and sewerage services and system which typically supplies 80 per customer and community value. However, cent of water for Geelong, the Bellarine Jo Plummer we want to do more to help our region Peninsula and Surf Coast via the Wurdee Chair prosper and we are doing this by being Boluc Reservoir and Water Treatment more innovative and entrepreneurial, Plant. The balance is supplied from About us striving towards zero waste and zero catchments that feed the Moorabool emissions, creating strategic partnerships system, providing water to the Moorabool Barwon Water (Barwon Region Water with our customers and community, and Water Treatment Plant at She Oaks, north Corporation) is Victoria’s largest regional building a high performing workforce with of Lethbridge. The Moorabool system also urban water corporation. Our history a strong connection to our region. 2019- provides water to the smaller townships dates back to the establishment of the 20 has seen us continue to deliver upon of Bannockburn, Gheringhap, Teesdale, Geelong Municipal Waterworks Trust in this vision in many ways and examples of Shelford, Meredith and Inverleigh. 1908. this are detailed throughout this report. We can also access other sources Barwon Water was constituted in including a bulk entitlement from the February, 1994. For the 2019-20 reporting Our region Greater Yarra system – Thomson River period, Barwon Water operated as a Barwon Water’s region of responsibility pool through the Melbourne to Geelong statutory corporation under the Victorian stretches from Little River and the (MGP) pipeline and groundwater from Water Act 1989. Bellarine Peninsula in the east to Colac in Anglesea Borefield. the west, and from Meredith and Cressy We have a proud history supporting in the north to Apollo Bay on Victoria’s We no longer have access to the Barwon regional prosperity by providing south-west coast. Downs borefield after withdrawing our excellence in water, sewerage and application to renew the extraction recycled water services to our customers The City of Greater Geelong, Borough of licence to focus wholly on remediation and the community for more than 110 Queenscliffe, Surf Coast and Colac Otway of confirmed impacts from historic years. shires and part of Golden Plains Shire are management of groundwater pumping incorporated into our service area. and to rebuild trust with the local community. We service a population Assets The MGP began supplying water in of more than 320,000 • 12 major reservoirs March, 2019 to boost local storage • 8 water treatment plants levels following a dry 2018-19 year. permanent residents over The Lovely Banks to Montpellier pump • 2 water pre-treatment plants 8,100 square kilometres. station was completed at the end of • 11 water reclamation plants 2019, extending the service area of the Over the holiday period, • 2 Class A recycled water plants MGP and increasing its rate of delivery the serviced population • 1 groundwater field from 7 GL/year to 16 GL/year, which is approximately 50 per cent of the Greater • 240 pumping stations (49 water – can reach up to 545,000 Geelong region’s annual water demand. including raw water, 191 sewerage) people. • 20 water basins Anglesea borefield was also brought As a major employer in the region, • 40 water tanks online in November, 2019 to stabilise local storage levels over the summer period. we have more than 300 highly skilled • 6,866 kilometres of pipes employees from a diverse range of The borefield supplied approximately 2 disciplines, including operations, GL before being put on standby mode in engineering, strategic planning, finance July, 2020. and administration. In addition, our expenditure in the region creates further Accessing additional water from the MGP external employment opportunities. and Anglesea Borefield ensures storages It is estimated that our annual capital will not go into the restrictions range over and operating expenditure sustains an the short-term. additional 120 full time equivalent jobs. Barwon Water Annual Report 2019-20 • 5 PART 1. Year in review Supplies in the Colac and Otway Recycled water Corporate Governance regions are drawn primarily from five Maximising use of our main waste Barwon Water is established under the separate sources, all located in forested stream, recycled water, from our water Water Act 1989. The responsible Minister catchments of the Otway Ranges. The reclamation plants is a key priority. for the period from July 1, 2019, to June Colac system provides water to urban In doing this we optimise high value 30, 2020, was the Honourable Lisa Neville and rural districts extending as far north productive uses for this resource, MP, Minister for Water. as Cressy. A new pipeline interconnecting including providing recycled water for the Colac system to the Geelong system agriculture, horticulture, golf courses and Since July 28, 2004, Barwon Water was completed in late 2017-18, with some public open space. This saves drinking has operated under a Statement of initial water transfers to Colac occurring water for the community, and eases Obligations issued by the Minister for during pipeline commissioning, which pressure on local water supply. Water under section 41 of the Water assisted in alleviating lower storage levels Industry Act 1994. in that region. All water reclamation plants produce water suitable for recycling. Barwon The statement imposes obligations Gellibrand, Apollo Bay and Skenes Creek Water achieved 15.2 per cent water on us regarding the performance of and Lorne all have their own water supply recycling in 2019-20. functions and exercise of powers. We systems. are required to monitor compliance with the obligations set out in the Biosolids Water customers statement, report on non-compliance During 2019-20, we continued to turn Domestic bill paying customers comprise and take remedial action in relation to biosolids - a by-product of the sewage 92 per cent of the customer base, with noncompliance. treatment process – into nutrient-rich the industrial and commercial sectors farm fertiliser at the thermal drying On January 1, 2004, the Essential Services accounting for the remaining 8 per cent. facility at Black Rock. Commission became the economic Approximately 28 per cent of metered regulator of the Victorian water sector. consumption is attributed to The drying process begins by seeding wet The commission’s role encompasses non-domestic customers. biosolids with dry biosolids pellets. The regulation of prices, service standards mixture is raked across a succession of Our community is anyone who has a and market conduct. heated plates until it dries and forms into relationship, or comes in contact with larger pellets. Barwon Water whether they pay a bill or Our values not. In 2019-20, we received 56,986 tonnes of We continue to uphold our core values of wet biosolids and produced 8,491 tonnes respect, relationships, innovation, high Water reclamation plants of dried biosolids product, which is used performance and leadership in delivering Barwon Water has 10 water reclamation as a commercial fertiliser product. our mission. plants governed by Environmental The pellets are produced in accordance Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria with the standards set by the licensing requirements. Black Rock, Environment Protection Authority (EPA). Anglesea, Apollo Bay and Lorne plants release recycled water through ocean outfalls. Plants at Aireys Inlet, Future growth Bannockburn, Portarlington, Birregurra Over the next five years, we will and Winchelsea are land-based systems. commit $469 million to capital works Recycled water from the Colac facility to improve or maintain our $2.8 billion is released into Lake Colac.