Too much of the Three Waters debate has been driven by a small but loud minority who choose to ignore the
important purpose of the reforms, which are all about making sure we have drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services that are safe and fit for the present and the future.
That means drinking water that’s safe and clean. It means properly functioning wastewater and stormwater networks that don’t degrade our waterways and beaches. It means catching up on decades worth of under-investment in many parts of the country, as well as upgrading infrastructure like stormwater and wastewater pipes so it can cope with challenges like the changing climate.
Vital infrastructure
Recent extreme weather events have been a reminder of just how important stormwater networks are for keeping us safe and as the climate warms they will become more common. The level of work required over coming decades is much bigger and more expensive than any council can deal with on their own. The
reforms enable pooling of resources across multiple communities and the ability to raise substantial new
investment to deliver water services as affordably and equitably as possible in the future.
PSA local government sector committee member Brad Hedger works in water infrastructure. He says that “we have numerous small wastewater treatment plants that serve a small payer rate base that were designed last century, and the community is demanding upgrading. The environmental effects, solutions and capital are substantial which means a small council would struggle to afford or have the in-house capacity to investigate alternative solutions to meet the community’s needs.”
A better way forward
The reforms are an opportunity to build a system that will give workers the resources, the support and the scale to be able to do their best work building and running high-quality infrastructure.
Bringing water services together within larger water services entities, instead of over 60 different councils and CCOs, will provide economies of scale that allow for more specialisation and training, and better career pathways. The reforms will enable the estimated $120-$185 billion needed over the next 30 years for essential infrastructure investment to be raised – funds existing providers cannot access because of their constrained balance sheets.
Union participation
The PSA has been actively participating in the reform programme, engaging constructively with the Government, the select committee that considered the legislation and now with the Transition Unit implementing the new water services structure, to ensure that the reforms are better for everyone, including water service workers.
Earlier this year the Prime Minister announced that the Government is looking at refocusing some aspects of the reforms, and it’s possible that by the time you’re reading this we’ll know more about whether the model will change and how. We believe this refocus is a good opportunity to refine the policy, however the need for change is undeniable.