Charmaine Quick, the Managing Director of Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW), looked back to 2023 and found a year of progress for the organisation.
The past 12 months have been a busy time for Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) and a time of considerable progress.
Toward the end of 2022, we were focused on recovering from the floods that ravaged our region in October.
By the New Year, we had largely returned to normal operations and appointed an external consultant to review our flood response.
An external perspective on our operations to support what we had learned from our staff was invaluable.
It was pleasing that the review concluded our response to the floods was professional and appropriate, but no two floods are the same, and with each new event, we gain new insights we can use to strengthen our processes.
We have updated our flood incident plans and emergency procedures with the learnings from the 2022 floods. However, various agencies and organisations have a role to play in responding to floods, and it is, therefore, crucial we all share the information we gather.
I have therefore been grateful GMW has had the opportunity, along with various other agencies, to contribute to the parliamentary inquiry into the 2022 Victorian flood event and the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action’s assessments of Lake Eildon and Lake Eppalock. I look forward to hearing the findings of these reviews.
Learnings put into action early
Unfortunately, we had to implement our learnings from the 2022 floods sooner than we would have liked.
Almost a year after the 2022 floods, the east of our region received another considerable downpour.
This rain event exemplified the extremes of our climate, as it took place during a prolonged dry spell and while bushfires were blazing nearby in Gippsland.
We know our climate is changing and that despite some significant rainfall events, the amount of inflows our region receives is declining.
To ensure irrigation in northern Victoria remains sustainable, we have to innovate and find efficiencies, which is something GMW did in various ways this year.
Infrastructure lifespans extended
Our staff have recently developed multiple ways to increase the lifespan of our assets.
We have now begun replacing the lead acid batteries in our flume gates and regulators with longer-lasting lithium batteries. We also saw significant success with the trial of an algorithm reducing the movement of our flume gates and, subsequently, the wear and tear of their components.
Our modelling shows the transition to lithium batteries alone will create more than $10 million worth of savings over the next 15 years.
We have also greatly improved our surveying methods, with our staff finding new ways to use drones and Light Detection and Ranging Technology.
This was particularly beneficial in preparing for our Winter Works program, which occurs during the irrigation off-season.
It enabled us to rapidly identify which sections of our channel network we needed to prioritise for weed treatment and remodelling.
Our surveying efforts also allowed us to complete several projects using machine guidance. This involves construction equipment, such as excavators, being equipped with GPS technology programmed with the project’s design, helping construction staff see exactly where they need to add or remove soil.
Innovations help customers
Innovations such as these create efficiencies we can then pass on to customers.
In 2023, our typical customer bills only rose by 2-6 per cent despite a Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 7 per cent.
Our advancements will help us continue to provide stable prices going forward, as is evident in our draft 2024-28 Pricing Submission that we lodged with the Essential Services Commission in September.
The comprehensive submission we sent was made possible by the hard work of our staff and the generosity of the customers who gave up their time to provide us with valuable feedback through the surveys, workshops, and focus groups we held.
I appreciate their contribution and those who contributed to other activities. That includes the review of the Loch Garry operating rules, our Customer Satisfaction Survey, and our Recreational User Survey.
Together, we have made 2023 a year of significant progress, and I look forward to continuing this into 2024.
Related Articles:
- Melbourne Water looking back at 2023
- VicWater navigates challenging waters at its annual conference
- The winners of the Water Minister’s Climate Innovation Challenge…