CONTENTS Message from the Chairman and Managing Director 2 About GWMWater 4 Understanding Our Business 5 Our Board 6 - Standing Committees of the Board 9 Organisational Structure 13 How We Operate 14 Our Employees 17 OUR VISION & MISSION Occupational Health and Safety 19 Water Consumption 20 Vision Bulk and Environmental Entitlements 23 Healthy environment, thriving community. Recreation Water 28 Economic Sustainability 30 Mission Social Sustainability 34 Through partnership with our stakeholders, - Major Non-Residential Water Users 35 we will provide affordable services using our precious Environmental Sustainability 36 resources to ensure a productive and liveable region. - Water Resource Strategy 36 - Water Resource Licencing and Compliance 37 - Water Conservation 38 ORGANISATION VALUES - Sustainable and Resilient Water Service Systems 38 Management Strategies 41 Customer - Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Net Energy Consumption 42 We will promote a culture that respects the views of our - Office Based Environmental Data 46 customers and our people with a 'can do' approach. Performance Reporting 50 - Certification of Performance Report for 2018/19 50 Organisation We will work as a team to deliver agreed organisational - Performance Statements 50 priorities whilst respecting the views of stakeholders. - Financial Performance Indicators 51 - Water and Sewerage Service Performance Indicators 54 Accountable - Urban and Rural Customer Responsiveness Performance Indicators 55 We will be accountable for the actions we take and - Environmental Performance Indicators 56 responsible for those we influence. - Independent Auditor’s Report 57 - Financial Management Compliance Attestation 59 Transparent Financial Reporting 61 We will be able to promote the merit of our decision making. - Financial Statements 61 - Comprehensive Operating Statement 62 Efficient - Consolidated Balance Sheet 63 We will ensure that the performance of our people, assets - Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity 64 and resources are optimised in the provision of services. - Consolidated Cash Flow Statement 65 Disciplined - Notes to the Financial Statements 66 We will ensure that our policies and processes support - Financial Statutory Certificate for 2018/19 109 a consistent attainment of quality and safety in all - Independent Auditor’s Report 110 aspects of our operations. Appendix A - Disclosure Index 112 Appendix B – Disclosure of Information on Letter of Expectations 114 Service Area Map (inside back cover) GWMWater Annual Report 2018/19 1 Message from the Chairman and Managing Director In a year when drought has project was secured when the Wimmera-Mallee, a requirement supply using either recycled or the Department of Treasury and request of Regional Partnerships dominated the issues affecting Commonwealth government under the Murray Darling Basin rural pipeline water to complete Finance credit rating model to A-, for us to play a lead role in the rural and regional Australia on the matched the $32 million already Plan, was finalised during the their watering programs in the this has progressively improved facilitating and delivery of projects eastern seaboard, the resilience committed by the Victorian year. GWMWater participated lead up to the grape harvest. since 2010 when the rating was associated with the Victoria Grain of communities that have a secure government in May 2018 for throughout the development of The Bulgara and Murra Warra BBB- upon completion of the Innovations hub. reliable water supply has come to the project. The project is in the this plan. The Water Resource wind farms that are presently Wimmera Mallee Pipeline. The the fore. advanced stages of planning Plan demonstrates compliance under construction have had operating result of 2018/19 once We have a committed and with construction expected to with the requirements of the access to pipeline water to assist again betters our budget forecast capable Board and Workforce The Wimmera Mallee continues commence in early 2020. The East Murray Darling Basin Plan for construction. after taking into account the that has enabled us to achieve to benefit from the water recovery Grampians Project is expected the Wimmera, Mallee and Avoca one off adjustments relating to these results. The capacity and investment that converted the to achieve better economic and catchments, including Sustainable We completed our biannual the transfer of Green Lake and cohesion of the Board is reflected open channel network to a environmental benefits than the Diversion Limits, which have been customer survey in 2018/19 Ouyen Lake with the credit rating in the outcome of the Board pipeline delivery system. This South West Loddon Project that satisfied for these catchments. and the results demonstrate remaining at A- as we transition to Performance assessment. The 2018/19 financial year produced has a similar sized footprint. a sustained improvement in 2019/20. capability of GWMWater staff one of the lowest inflow years The Ouyen Lake and Green customer favorability. The 2018/19 evidenced by the continuing on record with the Grampians During the year, we committed Lake Sea Lake recreation lake result produced a lift in our net Perhaps our biggest operating improvement in overall operating headworks system recording its to the Urban Remote Metering projects were completed during promoter score to 30%. This challenge relates to urban performance. 10th lowest inflow year based on project that will provide ‘pseudo the year. These two projects is a lift from the 2017 result of water and wastewater asset official records. Despite this, we real time’ information to all urban now substantially complete the 23%, and the 2012 result of 2%. performance. The urban areas In accordance with the Financial were able to meet all demands customers through the GWMWater recreation water objectives in the Whilst being a different survey of our region were for the best Management Act 1994, we are with 3 to 4 years of reserve in the customer portal. The Urban Mallee as a result of piping the instrument, the results of the part, settled in the first half of last pleased to present GWMWater's GWMWater consumptive water Remote Metering project is a channel network. The Green Lake first ESC customer benchmark century and with that, assets are Annual Report for the 2018/19 entitlement. The very low rainfall major initiative of the 2018 Water Sea Lake Project was the subject survey produced a similar result generally toward the end of their financial year. combined with late season frosts Price Review. The delivery of the of a community event attended by with GWMWater ranked in the technical life. Recent initiatives to produced some marginal crops project will give urban customers the Minister for Water, Lisa Neville top third of water businesses improve performance such as the across most of our service area. A of GWMWater access to water who, in securing funding for the for customer and community ice pigging in Nhill in 2017 and reliable high quality water supply consumption information that has project, recognised the critical favorability. The main challenges the pressure uplift in Horsham in has given rise to an increase in been available to rural customers role recreation water played in in improving customer perception 2018 exposed the vulnerabilities stocking levels across the region. via a customer portal for the past supporting the social fabric of rural are the urban customers in receipt of our ageing infrastructure. This This has reduced the economic three years. communities. The importance of a non-potable supply and rural is combined with the ongoing impact on rural landowners who of water for recreation was such customers on the Northern Mallee prevailing dry conditions that experienced a generally poor In 2019, we started to deliver that it became a specific policy Pipeline. give rise to higher levels of root Peter Vogel season where they complemented renewable energy projects that initiative of Water for Victoria. In intrusion and ground movement. Chairman livestock with their agricultural will deliver the GWMWater 19% our region, the value of recreation The hot dry season we An accelerated program of asset activities. carbon reduction pledge. With water has been validated in socio experienced produced strong renewal commenced in 2018/19 an overarching Clean Energy economic studies of environmental revenue for the year with overall and this will continue into 2019/20. The construction of the South Strategy still under development, and recreation water that has revenue from rates and charges West Loddon Rural Pipeline behind the meter solar options demonstrated $33 million of value increasing to $64.6 Million. The The achievements of this year Project that will further extend the are the most cost effective clean per year to the region. increased revenue has been as reported in this Report of Wimmera Mallee Pipeline is well energy solution. The typical behind partially offset by increased Operations demonstrates just advanced. This project will secure the meter installation having a six The economic value of water goes cost that could be attributed how pervasive GWMWater is in an area of approximately 300,000 to eight year payback period. The beyond that of environmental and to increased pumping, water the Wimmera Mallee community. Mark Williams hectares from a water supply current investment of $3.7 million recreation water. During the year, treatment tolls and water carting GWMWater plays a significant Managing Director