June 2026

Today I was delighted to co-host the Building a Resilient Water Future forum, together with Jonathan Cartledge, CEO of Consult Australia, the peak body for design and engineering firms. The forum brought together senior leaders from our respective memberships and state government, for an open and constructive dialogue about how we can achieve shared objectives around efficiency, productivity, sustainability and value for customers. We’re looking forward to continuing to work with Consult Australia to drive this agenda forwards.

Consult Australia x VicWater Forum

It was great to see the Victorian water sector well represented at Ozwater 26 in Brisbane last week. A highlight for me was the Water Leaders Forum, this year focused on the theme of intergenerational equity. We were challenged to think about what we wish our predecessors had done 30 years ago, and what we should be doing now to benefit our successors in 30 years’ time.  I was particularly taken with the term “digital concrete”, coined by keynote speaker Stephen Slessor, Chair of British Water – the notion that in building the infrastructure to support data governance, cybersecurity and AI,  we need to consider the outcomes and consequences for future generations in the same way as we do for our physical infrastructure.

A big part of the value in attending Ozwater is the informal catch ups and side meetings with colleagues from the national and international water sector. We met with representatives from New Zealand’s Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai – to discuss how they are establishing their leadership and oversight role, following a few years of regulatory reform and reversal under different governments. They were very interested in the VicWater model, operating as a peak body solely for water utilities without broader commercial membership, enabling direct representation with government and regulators. They were also impressed with our IWN program and how it has been supporting collaboration and innovation in the Victorian water sector for more than 15 years.

While our Annual Conference is nowhere near the scale of Ozwater, it is a major focus of activity for the entire VicWater team, who have been working hard to pull together a program around this year’s theme of ‘Celebrating Excellence: Leading the Way Forward’. This year’s conference is taking place on 8-10 September at RACV City Club, and we have already confirmed an exciting line up of speakers including our (returning) Minister for Water, the Hon Harriet Shing. We’re also pleased to be resuming our partnership with WaterAid this year. Registrations are now open, and I encourage you to secure your ticket early.

Jo Lim
CEO

May 2026

Data centres and water use

The emergence of new so-called ‘hyperscale’ data centres continues to be a hot topic in the media, and water use has become a central sustainability challenge. This was a key theme at the Melbourne Cloud & Datacentre Convention in April, where I represented the water sector in a panel discussion on ‘AI, Data Centres and The Water Crisis’.

The Victorian Government has announced that it wants our state to be the Asia-Pacfic hub for data centres, and the water sector has important enabling role in helping to deliver on this objective. Equally important is the sector’s responsibility to manage water sustainably and equitably, and ensure that new large users like hyperscale data centres do not reduce reliability or service levels for existing customers or place undue pressure on limited water supplies.

It was encouraging to hear my fellow panelists, representing the data centre industry, emphasising their commitment to sustainabilty and the adoption of water efficient cooling approaches such as closed‑loop and liquid cooling, as well as greater use of recycled or non‑potable water. There was also recognition of the need for integration of water planning into project approvals, and early engagement with water authorities and willingness to work collaboratively to find the optimal solution.

All panelists agreed on the central message: data centres are essential infrastructure for Victoria’s digital economy, but their social licence increasingly depends on prioritising water efficient design solutions, and using recycled water wherever possible.

Data centres also came up as a discussion topic during the Infrastructure Victoria webinar that I participated in last month, alongside Coliban Water MD Damian Wells and South East Water MD Carla Purcell. The webinar was hosted by Infrastructure Victoria CEO Dr Jonathan Spear and focused on the recommendations relating to water in their 30 year infrastructure strategy for Victoria. The discussion covered a number of key strategic issues for our sector, including the need to diversify our water sources and increase the use of recycled water, and the need for significant investment in water infrastructure to meet population growth and be more climate resilient. It’s great to have Infrastructure Victoria’s support in helping to raise awareness of these issues within government and the community more broadly.

Jo Lim
CEO

April 2026

Last month we were pleased to host the 2026 Director Development Forum (DDF) in partnership with DEECA and Vic Catchments. This is a biennial event that brings together new and continuing non-executive directors from water corporations and CMAs, together with members of the Birrarung Council and Victorian Environmental Water Holder, following Ministerial appointments made in the previous year.

This year’s DDF program included a mix of sessions focusing on public and water sector governance, and topical issues like climate adaptation and Traditional Owner partnerships. Keynote speaker Professor Dr Marcia Langton AO gave a fascinating presentation, placing Victorian Treaty in the broader historical context of treaties and agreements in settler colonial states, and highlighting the differences between First Nations customary leadership versus ‘Western’ market leadership styles. At dinner, I enjoyed the opportunity to interview our guest speaker Louise Cummins about AI governance and public trust and how to keep up with the rapid pace of change.

Taking advantage of people being in Melbourne for the DDF, the following day we ran a seminar featuring speakers from the Essential Services Commission, Department of Treasury and Finance, and Treasury Corporation Victoria. This is the first time we’ve brought these agencies together to provide an overview of the economic and financial regulation of the water sector, including the respective roles and responsibilities of each agency and their various touchpoints with water businesses. We’ve had very positive feedback from attendees and we will continue to explore opportunities to facilitate sector engagement with our key regulatory and government agencies.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Mark Reid at Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water, who was the very deserving winner of 2026 Operator of the Year Award which I presented last week at the annual WIOA VIC conference in Bendigo. The judges also awarded a Highly Commended to Curtis Biggs at Nort East Water. VicWater is a long-time sponsor of the Operator of the Year award, which recognises operators who have demonstrated a continued high level of performance, initiative and all-around attention to detail in the execution of their duties. The WIOA VIC conference is a great opportunity to celebrate the many skilled and dedicated operators working in the Victorian water sector, delivering quality services and other beneficial outcomes to their customers and local community.

Jo Lim
CEO

March 2026

This month we celebrate International Women’s Day, and it’s a good time to reflect on the current state of gender equity in the Victorian water sector.

Around this time each year, VicWater publishes an annual performance report against the Water Industry Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2024-2028. All Victorian water corporations have committed to the Strategy, in recognition of the importance of having a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve, and a safe and inclusive workplace that enables all staff to thrive.

Gender data collected from all Victorian water corporations (at 30 June 2025) shows that women are well represented at board level – 13 of 18 chairs are women, and there are 55% female non-executive directors overall. Looking at our workforce, the industry average is 46% female executive  leaders (including managing directors and general managers) and 38% female employees in total. (Note these are average figures across the 18 water corporations – individual statistics may be higher or lower).

One of the targets in the Strategy is to reduce the gender pay gap year-on-year. The gender pay gap  limits the lifetime earnings of women, reducing their ability to save, invest and build long-term financial security for themselves and their families. This year’s performance report will show that the average median gender pay gap across the 18 Victorian water corporations is 9.2%[1]. While this figure compares favourably to the national water industry median gender pay gap of 18.9%[2], it represents an increase of 2% from the previous year.

This is the second year of collecting gender pay gap data. Over the coming months, VicWater’s Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee and Practitioners Network will be analysing the data and seeking to understand the underlying reasons for the year-on-year results and what actions we can take to ensure the sector is moving in the right direction.

[1] Based on 2024-25 data provided directly to VicWater and taken from the Victorian Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector

[2] Refer to 2024-25 industry data explorer tool at Workplace Gender Equality Agency

Jo Lim
CEO

February 2026

Welcome to our first VicWater Update for 2026!

For me, joining VicWater COO Tara Daniel and water industry colleagues at the Midsumma Pride March on Sunday 1 February was a great way to start the year. The weather was cool but the crowd lining Fitzroy St gave us a warm welcome, and the whole event was a joyous celebration, as always.

Another reason to celebrate the start of the new year is the establishment of Zero Emissions Water Carbon Offsets Ltd – or ZEWCO for short. This represents a major milestone in the carbon offsets project that VicWater has been leading for more than three years, to bring 15 water corporations together for the collective acquisition of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACUUs) to meet net zero targets. We received Ministerial approval just before Christmas, and proceeded to register the company with ASIC in January. Now that ZEWCO is up and running as an independent entity, VicWater will be transitioning out of our support role. I will admit to feeling a bit of FOMO at this point, but I know the ZEWCO Board and members will carry the project forward to realise the benefits of this collaboration – a prime example of VicWater’s ‘Better Together’ ethos.

Finally, I’m delighted to welcome new VicWater team member Lucy Hall, who joined us in January as a part time Project Support Officer. Lucy brings a fresh perspective and valuable experience working with member-based organisations, to help us deliver our key programs of work across VicWater and IWN.

Jo Lim
CEO

December 2025

As we approach the end of 2025, reflections are in order. For me, there were three issues that defined the year.

It seemed like everywhere I went this year, people wanted to talk about data centres! Both state and federal governments have recently announced their intention to position Victoria/Australia as a data centre hub for the Asia-Pacific region. Water corporations have been working with data centre providers to understand their water usage requirements and different approaches to cooling, and the opportunities for using alternative or recycled water to minimise impacts on customers and the environment.

Earlier this year, as many parts of the state were experiencing dry and drought conditions, the Premier established a drought taskforce and there was a renewed focus on water security. In October, the Minister for Water released the Water Security Plan for Greater Melbourne, Geelong and connected towns. This plan is notable for including purified recycled water (PRW) in the mix of options under consideration, and has already attracted a lot of commercial interest from companies with PRW experience in other parts of the world.

On 13 November, Victoria’s historic Treaty with First Nations was signed into law. For the water sector, this will mean recognising Traditional Owners as rights holders, not just stakeholders, and adapting governance structures to incorporate self-determination principles and shared decision-making.

No doubt these three issues will continue to command our attention next year – along with all the other challenges and opportunities the water sector is facing, it looks like 2026 is going to be another busy and exciting year!

I’ll close my last Word for 2025 with some important acknowledgments and thanks: to all the people in our member organisations who have contributed their expertise, energy and passion across our various projects and activities; to our many sponsors and partners who helped us deliver our key events and programs; to the VicWater Board for their guidance and support; and last, but not least, to the VicWater team – Jason Cotton, Tara Daniel, Isobel Decru, Linna Fang, Stuart Craven and Lauren Vines – for bringing their A game each and every day.

Wishing you all a safe and joyful festive season, and I look forward to continuing to be ‘better together’ in 2026.

Jo Lim
CEO

November 2025

Last month 135 directors commenced their appointment (or reappointment) to the boards of Victorian water corporations, CMAs and the Birrarung Council. In her announcement, Minister for Water Gayle Tierney highlighted the Government’s commitment to ensuring that Victoria’s water entities are led by boards that reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

More than half of water board directors, and more than 60% of board chairs, are women. First Nations representation has also increased, with 23 out of 29 water sector boards now having an Aboriginal board member. People from regional Victoria, the LGBTIQ+ community, and younger people (under 35) are also represented on water sector boards.

One of VicWater’s strategic priorities is to advance member capability and performance through strengthening sector governance and leadership. The new cohort of board directors joining our sector gives us an opportunity to put this into practice by offering professional development opportunities to complement organisational inductions.

Some of the ways in which VicWater is supporting non-executive directors include:

• New Director Introduction Webinar on 19 November 2025 – we run this in partnership with Vic Catchments for all newly appointed directors to water corporation and CMA boards, to welcome them and let them know about the role of the two peak bodies and opportunities to participate in the broader sector beyond their own organisation.

• VicWater Director Masterclass on 16-17 March 2026 – this is a program that we deliver in partnership with Monash Sustainable Development Institute. The program is designed for non-executive directors who want to develop deeper insight into the sector and ways of thinking to strengthen their governance and leadership skills.

• Director Development Forum on 18 March 2026 – this is a biennial event which we deliver in partnership with DEECA and Vic Catchments for all directors of water corporations, CMAs, the VEWH and Birrarung Council. The program includes sessions on sector governance and topical issues, and is a great opportunity to bring new and continuing directors together for professional development and networking.

We congratulate all newly appointed and reappointed directors, and we look forward to working with them to strengthen collaboration and resilience across our sector.

Jo Lim
CEO

October 2025

My favourite time on the VicWater calendar each year is our Annual Conference, which took place last month at Park Hyatt Melbourne with over 200 delegates in attendance. Over three days of connection and learning, we explored the conference theme ‘Future-Ready: Innovation, Optimism and Opportunity’ across a variety of topical issues, and every session reminded us that the future of water is as much about people and collaboration as it is about assets and infrastructure.

It was a privilege to welcome international guest speakers Will Sarni (US), Hayley Monks (UK) and Howie Sim (Singapore), who offered fresh global perspectives on innovation, technology, collaboration and leadership.

I was particularly heartened by the strong audience engagement around the panel session on Treaty readiness, where we heard about the unique opportunity we have to build on the work we are already doing and the relationships we already have with Traditional Owners around the state, to continue to integrate First Peoples’ knowledge, values and leadership in water planning, decision-making and governance.

I was also encouraged by the active participation in the circular economy workshop facilitated by Jodie Bricout from Aurecon. The notion of designing out waste — not just material waste, but carbon, underutilised capacity and other inefficiencies — resonated powerfully with conference delegates. Another highlight was the strong interest generated by Steve Capewell’s presentation on pathways to community and regulatory acceptance of purified recycled water, based on the Western Australian experience.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this year’s conference such a success – to our speakers, facilitators and panellists for the careful thought and effort they put into their sessions, to our conference sponsors for their generous support, and most of all to our delegates for bringing their energy and enthusiasm.

Last but not least, a big thank you to the VicWater team for all their hard work in creating this opportunity for our members and industry colleagues to come together as a sector, and focus on the big issues shaping the future of water in Victoria.

Jo Lim
CEO

September 2025

Last month VicWater/IWN hosted a visit from Prof Dr Jacqueline Cramer, former Minister for Housing, Spatial Development and the Environment in the Netherlands Government. More recently, Prof  Cramer has been appointed to assist the Dutch cement industry, steel industry and textile industry on circular solutions and decarbonisation. Prof Cramer was accompanied by circular economy industry expert Helen Millicer, CEO of One Planet Consulting.

The Netherlands is a recognised leader in circular economy, and it was fascinating to learn from Prof Cramer about the role she is playing as a ‘transition broker’ between government and industry to achieve an ambitious target of 50% reduction in the use of raw materials by 2030. She has pioneered a ‘frontrunner-peloton’ approach in the concrete sector, where a core group of public and private sector partners (frontrunners) are working to implement innovative re-use and recycling solutions will then be included in procurement requirements for the followers (peloton) over time.

Prof Cramer’s visit was also a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of the exciting circular economy and sustainability projects that are currently underway in the Victorian water sector. It was great to hear from Barwon Water, North East Water, Wannon Water and Yarra Valley Water about the work they’re doing to promote and advance resource recovery, waste to energy, recycled water use and sustainable construction materials.

This month we are very pleased to renew our long-standing partnership with Vision Super. Did you know that Vision Super used to be the default superannuation fund for the water industry, and for many years VicWater nominated an industry director onto the Vision Super board?

We are grateful for Vision Super’s ongoing support, including sponsorship of our Annual Conference which is taking place next week at Park Hyatt Melbourne. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming more than 200 delegates from Victoria and beyond, including a cohort of 22 Emerging Leaders representing the best and brightest of talent in our sector.

Jo Lim
CEO