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VicWater Annual Conference Program

Navigating the Waters: Adapting to Economic Challenges in the Water Sector

In light of the current economic landscape, we are confronted with significant challenges that demand our immediate attention and collaborative efforts.

How do we maintain the high levels of service expected by our customers while continuing to achieve business efficiencies? How do we maximise the ripple effect of our investments for the benefit of our communities?

The 2023 Annual Conference will explore the current economic state and how it is impacting the water sector.

This conference will bring together the leaders of the Victorian water industry as well as external experts to share their experiences and provide insight into how we navigate the waters of these uncertain economic times.

Program

Tuesday 12 September 2023

4.30pm WWDN Event - Enhancing Board Diversity and Traditional Owner Engagement

Session Description: Enhancing Board Diversity and Traditional Owner Engagement with Independent Aboriginal Delegates

The Victorian water industry is committed to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We are also working to build strong and meaningful relationships with Traditional Owner groups, so that the shared benefits of access, participation and inclusion can be realised for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians. We will hear from North East Water and Central Highlands Water about their experience in appointing an Independent Aboriginal Delegate to their board.

Speakers:

Cath Botta, Chair, North East Water
Johnny Murray, Independent Aboriginal Delegate, North East Water
Angeleen Jenkins, Chair, Central Highlands Water
Shu Brown, Aboriginal Partnerships Advisor, Central Highlands Water

4:30pm - 6:00pm in the Flinders Room, The Langham Melbourne

Wednesday 13 September 2023

8.30am Delegates check-in

9.00am Conference Open

9.05am Welcome to Country: Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation

9.15am Official Opening: David Middleton

9.25am Opening Address: The Hon. Harriet Shing Minister for Water, Victorian Government

9.40am Keynote Presentation: Nicki Hutley

10.40am Morning Tea

11.00am Regulators Panel

Maintaining good regulatory outcomes in an increasingly challenging economy. How do we balance health, environment and customer?

The Victorian water sectors key regulators: the Essential Services Commission and the Environment Protection Authority join to discuss their respective regulatory postures and visions for delivering a comprehensive regulatory framework for Victoria's water sector.

Facilitator: Freya Marsden, Chair at Victorian Government Sustainability Fund

Speakers:

Kate Symons, Commissioner and Chairperson, ESC
Lee Miezis, Chief Executive Officer, EPA

Duration: 60 minutes

12.00pm Developments in Sustainable Finance

12.25pm Climate & Markets

12.45pm Lunch

1.30pm Panel - Customer Affordability

Cost of living pressures are impacting a greater proportion of our community with people having to make hard decisions regarding which bills to pay.

What trends are panellists seeing in this space, what support is offered to customers and how is its effectiveness being measured?

Facilitator: James Garriock, Executive Director, InSync

Speakers:

Ciara Sterling, CEO, Thriving Communities Partnership
Dona Tantirimudalige, Managing Director, Westernport Water
Monica Mackintosh, Managing Director, Echo MS
Emma Youill, General Manager Customer & Growth, Goulburn Valley Water

Duration: 60 minutes

2:30pm Panel - Current challenges with construction/capital projects

New capital projects are facing a number of challenges including competition from Victoria’s Big Build program, global supply chain constraints reducing the availability and driving up the price of materials, increasing govt regulation/requirements and a constrained labour market.

How are project proponents dealing with these challenges and what learnings are there for future projects?

Facilitator: Tim White, Founder & Executive Director at Utilities Regulation Advisory

Speakers:

Cameron Fitzgerald, Managing Director, Southern Rural Water
Andrew Pitney, Partner, Construction & Projects, Maddocks
Jyoti Wardhen, Managing Director, Infrastructure & Property Advisory
Craig Dixon, Executive General Manager - Service and Asset Lifecycle, Melbourne Water

Duration: 60 minutes

3:30pm Echo MS - Principal Sponsor's Address

3.40pm Afternoon Tea

4.00pm NCS - Technology Sponsor’s Address

4.05pm Water Digitisation - hosted by IWN

This session is about removing some of the complexity and mystique around the application of digital technologies in the water sector. IWN and it’s collaboration partners will be sharing 4 use cases resulting from trials of the application of AI and machine learning in the water industry that are solving real problems and delivering real customer and business value.

Hosted by Jason Cotton, Program Director - Intelligent Water Networks and featuring the following speakers:

Paul Sewell - IUAI and Brett Chilton - Skand
Mark Lee – VAPAR
Kale Needham – Spiral Data
Ash Yap– IOTA

Duration: 55 minutes

5:00pm Sessions Close

6.30pm Annual Conference Dinner

6.00pm Welcome Drinks

Thursday 14 September 2023

8.30am Delegates check-in

8:50am Welcome Back

9.00am Keynote Presentation: Mick Liubinskas

Mick Liubinskas is a climate tech activator and investor and one of Australia's leading authorities on climate technology, solutions and opportunities.

He co-founded Climate Salad to help build climate-focused startups and help the world get to and beyond net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Climate Salad is Australia's largest network of climate tech entrepreneurs, investors and mentors.

Mick has helped build 100’s of tech companies with Pollenizer, Startmate, muru-D, Austrade in San Francisco and Stanford's School.

10.00am Morning Tea

10.20am Non-regulated revenue initiatives panel

Many Victorian water corporations have developed businesses or entities that provide a source of non-regulated revenue. What have been the drivers for this, what considerations are taken into account when developing/establishing these businesses, are they meeting initial expectations?

Facilitator: Dan Sullivan, Chief Executive, IOTA Services

Speakers:

Shaun Cumming, General Manager Infrastructure and Technology, Barwon Water
Simon Aquilina, General Manager of Commercial Business at Gippsland Water
Natalie Foeng, CFO, Yarra Valley Water
Peter Dennis, Managing Director, Hunter H20

Duration: 60 minutes

11.20am Panel - Supporting economic growth in the regions

Water corporations and CMA’s are one of regional Victoria’s major, and permanent, employers. What role are they currently playing in supporting the economic growth of the regions that they operate in and what do panellists see as their future role in this space?

Facilitator: Tranquillity Clinton, Associate Director, RSM

Speakers:

Charmaine Quick, Managing Director, Goulburn Murray Water
Katie Warner, CEO, North East CMA
Grant Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer, South West Victoria, Deakin University