Five water Victorian corporations join forces to strengthen emergency resilience
18 September 2024
In a significant new agreement, five water corporations from across northern Victoria have formalised a mutual aid arrangement to boost their resilience against increasingly frequent extreme weather events.
North East Water, Goulburn Valley Water, Coliban Water, Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water, and Lower Murray Water have committed to strengthening their collaboration in both planning and emergency management.
Jo Murdoch, Managing Director of North East Water, noted that the corporations provide essential water and sewerage services to communities dependent on the Murray-Darling Basin.
"The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding by the five corporations is a critical step in addressing the challenges posed by natural disasters such as droughts, floods, fires, and widespread algae outbreaks, all of which affect towns from Corryong to Mildura," Ms Murdoch said.
"By formalising what has been an informal arrangement, we are ensuring a coordinated approach to building resilience and supporting one another during emergency events.
“Our communities face increasing risks due to climate extremes, and this partnership will significantly improve our ability to respond swiftly and effectively."
The MOU establishes several key areas for collaboration, including emergency training, resource and intelligence sharing, cataloguing and sharing emergency equipment, resilience planning, standardising processes, and preparing jointly for summer and winter seasons.
Danny McLean, Chief Officer Assets & Operations at Coliban Water said in 2022, many towns in northern Victoria faced one of the most severe floods on record, comparable to the widespread flooding in 2011.
“With climate change, such catastrophic events are likely to become more frequent”, Mr Mclean said.
“Strengthening our ability to respond by collaborating with neighbouring water providers in the Murray Cluster ensures that we can continue delivering water and sewer services to our communities, helping to minimise the disruption to their lives."
The initiative has received strong support from Minister for Water Harriet Shing, who praised the collaboration.
“This MOU will ensure that Northern Victoria’s water services remain reliable and ready to respond to extreme weather events.”
“By working together, these water corporations and communities are better positioned to safeguard their water resources, environment, and future."
