Programs Update – August 2023

VicWater convenes a Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee (DISC), which is chaired by Deb Fankhauser from Lower Murray Water and has representation from most of the Victorian water corporations. This year the DISC has been working to develop a new Strategy which will run from 2024-2028 and aims to build on the foundations from the 2018 -2023 Strategy and embed a culture of diversity and inclusion across the sector.

The current Water Industry Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy commenced in 2018 and is set to conclude in 2023. It was developed at the request of the then Minister for Water and sets out aggregate targets for the collective water industry to achieve by 2023. Each year a performance report is compiled showing progress against each of the key targets. Across the period the sector has made advancements in most of the areas, but in particular the areas of gender representation, disability and flexible working. This is largely in part due to targeted programs and a collective focus on these areas. As an example, WaterAble has been hugely successful in increasing visibility and helping to encourage inclusivity across the sector.

Although the sector are increasing diversity in the workforce, there is still work to do to ensure we are representative of the diverse cultures in our communities. To find out more please feel free to contact me tara.daniel@vicwater.org.au.