6 June 2007

E-Safe 2007, ENERGY SAFETY AND FIELD EXPO, ROSEHILL GARDENS EXHIBITION CENTRE, 13-14 JUNE, SYDNEY

Last call for the 2007 safety competition and seminars in conjunction with E-Safe & Integral Energy. In late May the info pack for the inaugural safety competition and seminars was finalised and electronically distributed to member councils. Seminar topics are: Working in close proximity to Power Lines; Gas Lines; Rail Corridors; and Risk Assessment & Safe Work Method Statements. Thanks and good luck to the half dozen councils that have entered teams in the inaugural Water Directorate Safety Competition.

The Executive Committee urges all member councils to make this water safety initiative a success by entering teams in the safety competition and/or attending the seminars and workshops. The exercise attempts to raise awareness and share water safety information and build on our involvement within the Electrical Safety Days at last year’s expo in Dubbo. Come and have some fun and compete against your colleagues and visit the safety expo. An information brochure as well as a competition manual are available.

IPWEA NSW ANNUAL CONFERENCE & CIVENEX

Congratulations to Caitlin Williams , Frank Sticka , Mark Turner and all staff involved for holding a successful conference and equipment exhibition again in May. The Water Directorate was pleased to again sponsor the Innovation Award in Water Supply and Wastewater at the Conference Excellence Awards. Congratulations to all the nominees and particularly to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council for winning the Innovation Award for a second year in a row for their project titled the Port Macquarie Reclaimed Water Scheme, accepted by Murray Thompson. Congratulations also to Parkes Shire Council for winning the Highly Commended Innovation Award for their project titled Sustainable Parkes: A demonstration project for holistic Water Cycle Planning and Infrastructure Delivery accepted by Phil King.  Behind every project for our communities is a team of many members and all are congratulated. Please start planning now to nominate a project for next year’s Innovation Awards and/or to present a paper.

Thanks for the strong attendance at the Water and Wastewater Presentation Session due to the interest in the 3 topical presentations by Professor Andy Pitman from the University of NSW , Steve Palmer from the newly established Department of Water and Energy, and Greg McDonald from Dungog Shire Council. Many thanks again to Andy, Steve and Greg for their efforts in preparing their papers, for sharing their knowledge and adding value to the conference. Congratulation also goes to Greg for receiving the GA Taylor Award for best presentation at the conference. Congratulations also to Belinda Fayle , Dams and Treatment Operations Manager at Rous County Council for being awarded a new attendance award to the IPWEA conference. Finally thanks from the Water Directorate to IPWEA NSW conference organiser and Manager Professional Development Caitlin Williams for her work over the past 7 years and best wishes when she heads O/S shortly for new career opportunities.

WATER LOSS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE

Two more regional Water Loss Workshops will be held in Orange and Casino on 27 & 28 June respectively and further workshops are likely to be held in Gunnedah, Tweed and Bega Valley in July/August. In May leak detection flow monitoring equipment was installed at Griffith City Council and has been transmitting data throughout the month. The flow monitoring equipment will be installed next in Bega, Gosford, Wellington and Kempsey to complement investigations that have commenced. In May advertising was placed for a second water Loss Engineer bringing the Water Loss Management Program staff to three to meet the increased workload. For further information and application forms visit www.WaterLoss.lgsa.org.au or contact Mirko Sramek on 02 9242 4127 or on 0409 812 403.

NSW GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT RESHUFFLE

Further to news items in the last two newsletters, the newly formed DWE is headed up by DG Mark Duffy ex DEUS and his direct reports are Liesl Baumgartner and David Harris - both ex DNR, and Steven Dunn and Simon Miller - both ex DEUS. Of interest to the local government water industry is that Water Systems Branch is headed up by Colin McLean ex DEUS reporting to Simon Miller.

11TH REGIONAL STORMWATER CONFERENCE, WOLLONGONG, 19-22 JUNE

The 2007 Annual Conference ­ ‘Soil and Water ... too good to lose!’ convened by SIA in conjunction with AWA, will be held at the Novotel Northbeach, 2-14 Cliff Rd, North Wollongong . For more information, please contact conference organisers Julie McGraw or Michelle Teehan on 9744 5252 or email on jmcgraw@gemspl.com.au or mteehan@gemspl.com.au

INAUGURAL NSW WATER INDUSTRY OPERATORS CONFERENCE, DUBBO, 17-19 JULY

Registration forms are included with all hardcopy mailouts of this newsletter for the WIOA’s inaugural NSW Water Industry Operators Conference in Dubbo on 17 to 19 July. The Water Directorate is sponsoring and supporting this practical level conference in 2007 as a positive way to help improve operational efficiency and will present the Operator of the Year Award for NSW. Please support this conference by sending your water operators to attend as delegates. The NSW WIO Conference also features a Trade Supply expo. For more information please contact George Wall , Executive Officer on 03 58 216 744 or 0407 846 001 or info@wioa.org.au

UPDATE ON NSW DROUGHT CONDITIONS

Despite good rain out west in mid May, NSW drought conditions worsened sadly with the DPI declaring that as at May, 83.3% of the area of NSW is officially drought affected. The area classified as marginal is 9.8% and the area classified as satisfactory is only 6.9%.

STEVE POSSELT & KAYAK4EARTH, BRISBANE TO LAIDLEY

Steve’s ‘paddling’ odyssey from Brisbane to Adelaide commenced on the 27th of May after years of planning. Steve’s epic journey estimated to be in the order of 6,000km commenced with a short walk from City Hall to the West End boat ramp and a paddle up the Brisbane River to Ipswich where he took part in a forum on Day 3 to highlight global warming and the effect on our water availability. To reach the start of the Darling, Steve has dragged his modified kayak overland to relaunch it in the Bremmer River, paddled to join the Condamine River and as at the end of May or Day 5, Steve has reached Laidley as he slogs overland again up and over the Toowoomba Range into the head of the Darling catchment. Follow Steve’s progress by going to www.kayak4earth.com

NATIONAL PERFORMANCE REPORT 05/06

In May the National Water Commission and WSAA distributed two volumes covering Major Urban Water Utilities and Non-Major Urban Water Utilities. Vol 2 covers approximately 110 water utilities across Australia and NZ which have between 10,000-50,000 property connections and includes 25 NSW local water utilities which were previously included in WSAA facts . No comparisons are contained but it is proposed that tables will be contained next year. The publication can be downloaded from either the NWC or WSAA websites.

DECC/EPA SEWERAGE TREATMENT SYSTEM LICENSING, PRP 100

Last notice that Sewerage Treatment System Licensing Reports are due on June 30. At a meeting back in February, DECC staff advised Water Directorate Executive Committee representatives that they are primarily interested in ‘sensitive waters’ and the level of investigation should match the level of overflow history and risk. DECC also advised that this report is mainly a screening exercise that should take a few days for 80% of councils. DECC further advised that the Q&A style information made available in their letter of reply on our website should be read in conjunction with Appendix B of the Licensing Guidelines for Sewerage Systems.

DWE PERFORMANCE REPORTING AUDITING

In May, the Water Directorate represented member councils at a Performance Reporting Meeting. DWE confirmed that auditing requirements for the 06/07 performance reporting indicators only apply to LWUs with more than 10,000 connections. DWE also confirmed that ‘failing’ the audit on any of the auditable criterion through the audit process would not be shown in the public document but it would be shown blank. DWE has sent more information out to LWUs in late May including a brief for the audit requirements.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING DATES

Meeting dates in 2007 are 5 July, 13September and 8 November. Member councils are reminded that they are welcome to forward water issues to me for referral to the Executive Committee meetings. For further information about membership or any water related issue, please contact me on 02 8267 3010

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