9 October 2008

EVENTS IN SEPTEMBER 2008
The Water Directorate was established in December 1998 as a voluntary association of Councils and County Councils that operate water and/or sewer businesses in regional NSW. Our monthly newsletter endeavours to inform our 96 member Councils and all sectors of the NSW Local Government Water Industry of the relevant developments that have taken place regarding technical issues, networking and of coming events. This newsletter is sent to GMs and to Water and Sewer Managers in 103 regional Councils in NSW and also to approximately 140 contacts in government departments and private industry across Australia. We hope you enjoy this newsletter.

MEMBERSHIP FEES DUE
Nine member Councils are still unfinancial. Many thanks to the 94 member Councils that have renewed their membership and supported the Water Directorate as we move closer to celebrating our tenth anniversary on 18 December 2008.

2007/08 ANNUAL REVIEW
Thanks to Eloise Stanley for publishing our latest Annual Review which was mailed out to General Managers and contact persons in our member councils in early September. We hope you find the Annual Review to be an informative summary of the work undertaken and our achievements in 2007/08. The Annual Review is also available on the Water Directorate’s website. Thanks again to our member councils for your support in the last financial year and in 2008/09.

NSW DROUGHT CONDITIONS UPDATE
Conditions worsened for a sixth straight month with the DPI declaring that as at September, 71.6% of the area of NSW was officially drought affected. The area classified as marginal dropped slightly to 17.6% and the area classified as satisfactory fell to 10.8%. DWE advised that water was carted to three small villages in September.

JOINT WATER DIRECTORATE/LGSA WATER LOSS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE
In September we welcomed Ian Maggs as the new Water Loss Management Program Manager. Ian comes to us from Accurate Detection P/L where he held the position of NSW State Manager and Water Reticulation Specialist. Ian has water loss management experience and an MSc in Water, Energy & the Environment from the UK. The Water Directorate thanks Mirko Sramek who left the program at the end of August, for his work establishing the program and managing it to this point. With less than two years remaining in the program we continue to strongly urge Councils to give high priority and necessary resources to expedite water loss management projects otherwise unused Federal Government grant funds will not be accessible at the end of the program’s fixed term. LWUs interested in applying for assistance under this joint program should contact Ian Maggs on 02 9242 4127 or visit www.waterloss.lgsa.org.au.

CABINET RESHUFFLE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW UPDATE
Following the extraordinary events in the first week of September, Minister Rees was sworn in as Premier. The following week Phillip Costa, former Mayor of Wollondilly Shire Council, and who described himself on TV as “the good Costa”, was sworn in as Minister for Water, Minister for Regional Development and Minister for Rural Affairs. The NSW Parliament website shows that Phillip Costa was elected to the NSW Legislative Assembly in the seat of Wollondilly in May 2007. He became a teacher in the NSW Education Dept in the 70s and taught for over 35 years in the south-western areas of Sydney. He was elected to Wollondilly Shire Council in 1985, became Deputy Mayor in 1999, Mayor in 2005 and President of Macarthur Regional Organisation of Councils, member of the Wollondilly Catchment Management Committee 1991-2000, member of the Hawkesbury Nepean Local Government Advisory Group, member of the Wollondilly Economic Development Board since September 2000 and Delegate to Yarranderie Management Committee 2000. Phillip Costa is the seventh Water Minister since the Water Directorate was established in December 1998.

At this stage it is unknown what impact the cabinet reshuffle will have on the local government review and on continuity in general.

AWA NSW REGIONAL CONFERENCE – ‘CLOSING THE LOOP’, PORT MACQUARIE, 16 –17 OCTOBER
Last chance to register for the ‘Closing the Loop’ – Application & Implementation of - Drinking Water, Recycled Water & Source Controls. For more information please contact NSW Branch Manager Despina Hasapis on dhasapis@awa.asn.au or 02 9436 0055.

WSAA MINIMUM RISK TREATMENT FOR EXCAVATIONS
In the last newsletter there was a lengthy news item concerning WSAA’s top 12 OH&S risk management priorities. To ensure that OH&S risk is appropriately managed, WSAA provided advance notification that its first minimum risk treatment for Excavations will be published in Dec 2008. WSAA’s draft minimum risk treatment for Excavations has been made available to all NSW LWUs for awareness through the Water Directorate on www.waterdirectorate.asn.au. WSAA welcomes comments back via the Water Directorate.

WIOA PRACTICAL GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING SURFACE WATER CATCHMENTS
The fourth book in WIOA’s Practical Guide Series titled “Practical Guide to Understanding and Managing Surface Water Catchments” was launched at the WIOA Victorian conference in Bendigo. The Water Directorate mailed copies of the fourth WIOA publication to General Managers of all NSW Councils in September. The Water Directorate supports and partly funds these publications. A fifth and possibly final book on disinfection issues is programmed for completion in early 2009. For more information about the publication or WIOA please contact George Wall, Executive Officer on 0358 216 744 or www.wioa.org.au.

BIOSOLIDS TASKFORCE FINAL LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT REPORT
The Biosolids Taskforce was established some 7 or 8 years ago and represents a number of government and industry organisations. AWA provides a secretariat for the Biosolids Taskforce which recently delivered a report titled “Final Life Cycle Assessment” which was partly funded by the Water Directorate. The report contains research by the University of NSW which looked at biosolids management alternatives, ie 8 combinations of treatment technologies and reuse options. Of the 8 combinations for a regional town of 40,000 EP, the undigested, dewatered, dried and cement kiln combustion is generally better. The report is available to member Councils on request to gmitchell@waterdirectorate.asn.au.

NATIONAL WATER WEEK, 19–25 OCTOBER 2008 - CLEAN WATER: ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE
Since 1993, the third week in October has been designated as 'National Water Week' and provides the opportunity to focus on water in the media through community, regional and national events. The initiative assists the community to understand and take action to protect and conserve our precious water resources and habitats. NWW creates a large scale local awareness of community initiatives that generate long-term behaviour change for the protection, rehabilitation and improvement of streams, wetlands, waterways, beaches, and estuaries. Water conservation campaigns are launched, highlighted or reinforced during the week to promote water saving in the community. NWW targets attitude and behaviour change in all sectors of the community and particularly in primary and secondary schools. NWW is a good opportunity for LWUs to organise and promote water events. Go to www.nationalwaterweek.org.au

NATIONAL WATER COMMISSION
Congratulations to Chris Davis, former CEO of AWA and current Sustainability Business Development Manager at the Institute for Sustainable Futures who was recently appointed as one of the NWC’s seven commissioners. All commissioners are appointed by the Australian Government for terms of up to three years in recognition of their expertise in water resource policies, natural resource program management, relevant scientific disciplines, and public sector governance. Four commissioners are nominated by the Australian Government and three by the states and territories. Commissioners are not representatives of any jurisdiction or industry sector and their role is to provide advice on the strategic policy framework for the Commission; guidance on major reports or other advice to the minister or to COAG; and promote the role of the Commission and the NWI reforms.

06/07 PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKING REPORT
At the September Executive Committee meeting it was resolved to express our disappointment in the newsletter and to DWE that the 06/07 Performance Report has yet to be published.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING DATES
The remaining meeting dates in 2008 for the Executive Committee are 5 and 6 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 or gmitchell@waterdirectorate.asn.au. Member Councils are encouraged to forward potential projects to me for consideration at the November 5 Planning Meeting.

Gary Mitchell
Executive Officer
© Copyright Water Directorate September 2008

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