Annual Report Contact East Gippsland Water’S Communications and Community Engagement Manager T: 1800 671 841 E-Mail: [email protected]
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EAST GIPPSLAND WATER - ANNUAL RE PORT 201 PORT HEAD OFFICE 8/19 133 Macleod Street Bairnsdale 3875 PO Box 52 Bairnsdale 3875 T: 1800 671 841 F: 03 5150 4477 E: [email protected] www.egwater.vic.gov.au 24 hour emergency and faults service 1300 134 202 © State of Victoria, East Gippsland Water Corporation 2019 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Printed on recycled paper. For more information on this Annual Report contact East Gippsland Water’s Communications and Community Engagement Manager T: 1800 671 841 E-mail: [email protected] ISSN 1837-2449 ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19 At a Glance East Gippsland Water’s Region East Gippsland Water serves an area of 21,000 square It has nine separate water supply systems that serve the kilometres in the east of Victoria, which boasts some of communities of Bairnsdale, Bemm River, Bruthen, Buchan, Australia’s most diverse and spectacular scenery. Cann River, Dinner Plain, Eagle Point, Johnsonville, Lakes Entrance, Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust, Lake Tyers Beach, The region’s world renowned beaches, lakes, high country Lindenow, Lindenow South, Mallacoota, Marlo, Metung, and national parks are a natural draw-card for those seeking a Newlands Arm, Newmerella, Nicholson, Nowa Nowa, Omeo, lifestyle change, as well as for the many tourists that swell the Orbost, Paynesville, Raymond Island, Sarsfield, Swan Reach region’s population numbers over the busy holiday periods. and Swifts Creek. East Gippsland Water serves around 35,000 people. Its Eleven individual wastewater systems serve Bairnsdale, service area extends east from Lindenow, through to the Bemm River, Bruthen, Cann River, Dinner Plain, Eagle Point, region’s capital Bairnsdale, the holiday centres of Paynesville Johnsonville, Lakes Entrance, Lake Tyers Beach, Lindenow, and Lakes Entrance, and on to the wilderness coast and Mallacoota, Marlo, Metung, Newlands Arm, Nicholson, Omeo, Mallacoota near the New South Wales border. It also serves Orbost, Paynesville, Raymond Island and Swan Reach. as far north as Dinner Plain in the High Country of the Victorian Alps. Water services are provided to some 26,600 account holders (assessments) with wastewater services also provided to around 22,600 account holders. Water and Sewerage Services Water Services Other Townships Genoa River Buchan River Snowy River Mt Hotham Cann River Brodribb River Genoa Dinner Plain Bemm River Omeo Mallacoota Betka River Swifts Creek Buchan Rocky River Cann River Tambo River Ensay Dargo Princes Hwy Nicholson River Orbost Bemm River Newmerella Nowa Nowa Mitchell River Bruthen Marlo Johnsonville Swan Nicholson Reach Lake Tyers Bairnsdale Lindenow Lakes Entrance Metung Walpa Eagle Point Lindenow South Paynesville Newlands Arm Melbourne Fact File (as at 30 June 2019) Water Wastewater Serviced properties Serviced properties - residential assessments 23,396 - residential assessments 20,239 - non residential assessments 3,226 - non residential assessments 2,357 Volume of water consumed (ML/y) 5,093 Volume of wastewater collected (ML/y) 3,114 Length of water mains (km) 964 Length of sewer mains (km) 712 Water treatment plants 9 Wastewater treatment plants 11 Water disinfection plants 11 Water recycled (%) 100 Separate water supply systems 9 Separate wastewater systems 11 ANNUAL REPORT - EAST GIPPSLAND WATER 2018/19 The Corporation Contents Page East Gippsland Region Water Corporation was initially established as East Gippsland Region Water Authority At a Glance Inside front cover on 1 January 1995, by Ministerial Order and under Report from the Chairperson powers conferred by the Water Act 1989. It trades as and Managing Director 2 East Gippsland Water. Corporate Governance 4 The responsible Minister during the 2018/19 reporting period was The Hon. Lisa Neville MP, Minister for Water. People and Culture 8 In accordance with the Water Act 1989, East Gippsland Risk Management 13 Water delivers the full range of retail water services, Environmental Sustainability 14 including water harvesting, storage and drinking Asset Management 24 water supply. It also provides wastewater collection and treatment services, recycled water for rural and Community Engagement 26 beneficial community uses, as well as trade waste Social Sustainability 28 services to industrial and commercial customers. Financial Summary 31 Other Information 32 Our Vision Performance Report 36 Sustainability and resilience through leading and Independent Auditor’s Report 40 innovative water solutions. Financial Report 42 Our Mission Independent Auditor’s Report 88 Providing quality water and wastewater services to Disclosure Index 90 sustain and enhance our community. Glossary 91 East Gippsland Water acknowledges the Gunaikurnai people as Our Objectives the Traditional Custodians of the land and water on which we live • To deliver safe and sustainable water and and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. We wastewater services to our community commit to working respectfully to honour their ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to this country. We recognise the role and • To meet the expectations of our customers and value of culture in our community. stakeholders • To enhance the liveability, development and resilience of our region Responsible Body Declaration • To maximise the performance and potential of our people In accordance with the Financial Management Act 1994 • To innovate and achieve whole of business I am pleased to present East Gippsland Water’s Annual Report for the year ending 30 June 2019. sustainability Our Values Proudly United Joanne Booth Chairperson, East Gippsland Water Truly Authentic 28 August 2019 Passionately Innovative Openly Accountable Financial Management Compliance About this Report Attestation Statement This Annual Report details East Gippsland Water’s I Joanne Booth, on behalf of the Board, certify that performance and achievements in all areas of its East Gippsland Water has complied with the applicable operations during 2018/19. It has been prepared in Standing Directions of the Assistant Treasurer under the accordance with the Financial Reporting Direction FRD Financial Management Act 1994 and Instructions. 30D - Standard Requirements for the Publication of Annual Reports. This defines the design and print specifications of annual reports to ensure consistency, cost minimisation and low environmental impact. Joanne Booth Further information and previous Annual Reports are Chairperson, East Gippsland Water available at www.egwater.vic.gov.au 28 August 2019 ANNUAL REPORT - EAST GIPPSLAND WATER 2018/19 1 highlighted the criticality of having one source of water supply for the majority of our customers. The trigger point for implementing compulsory water restrictions was not reached, but river flows and rainfall continue to be well below average and we are closely monitoring weather forecast data going forward and water restrictions are a possibility during 2019/20. We will engage with the local community, as part of a review of trigger levels for water restrictions covering the Mitchell River water supply system. This will be completed prior to summer. During 2019/20 we will review the key planning assumptions in Report from the our 50 year (2017-2067) Urban Water Strategy, to ensure that our long term water resource augmentation requirements are Chairperson and identified and programmed, ensuring long term water security to our customers. This may involve the development of Managing Director additional off stream storage or groundwater augmentation. Despite our ongoing efforts to promote water efficiency, Initiatives and Key Achievements consumption by customers reached a total of 5,093ML, an East Gippsland Water continued to proactively address the increase on the 5,002ML consumed in 2017/18. This equated needs of the regional community and expectations of the to an average residential water consumption of 199L per Victorian Government in the 2018/19 financial year. person per day, a rise of 1.9 percent. Initiatives were implemented in line with ‘Water for Victoria’ There was a welcome decrease in the total amount of (the Victorian Government’s water management strategy), non-revenue water – from 730ML to 441ML – due to a the strategies set out in our annual Corporate Plan and our continued focus on leak reduction and a reduced water five year 2018-23 Price Submission. There were notable required for operational purposes at Paynesville Wastewater challenges presented by drought conditions during the year Treatment Plant. and significant achievements in various areas of our business. Water for Victoria Financial Overview During 2018/19 we progressed a number of initiatives in line We recorded a before tax profit of $4.28 million for 2018/19, with the Victorian Government’s ‘Water for Victoria’ plan. predominately due to increased water sales and a temporary This provides a framework for managing precious water delay to a major lagoon desludging project to ensure optimum resources across the state, as we deal with the challenges environmental outcomes. As a consequence the corporation presented by climate change and a growing population. reduced debt from $11.5 million to $7 million. We continue to encourage the community to get behind the Expenditure on capital works totalled $10.1 million for the year, ‘Target Your Water Use’ water efficiency program designed to with a number of major projects completed. These included assist customers to use water wisely.