The Water Directorate's Annual General Meeting

The Water Directorate's Annual General Meeting was held on Thursday 8 November 2012. A quorum was achieved with a record 17eligible attendees and all requirements under the Incorporated Associations Act were satisfied.

Stewart McLeod , Chair of the Water Directorate, provided the following summary:

• 2011/12 was notable for the ongoing lack of response from the State Government to the Armstrong Gellatly Report released in January 2009.
• Liaison with Government Departments remains a major priority and it is pleasing that the Water Directorate is well respected by representatives of those departments.
• Liaison with the LGSA and IPWEA continues to be strong. We were involved in the IPWEA’s Conference in May 2012 at Coffs Harbour and the LGSA’s Conference in September 2011 at Grafton.
• Regular liaison with WSAA and AWA has continued throughout the year with representatives of both organisations invited to our bimonthly meetings.
• A number of Executive Committee members attended Ozwater in May 2012.
• Stewart McLeod and Gary Mitchell attended the WSAA members’ meeting in Canberra in August 2011.
• The joint Water Loss Management Program was formally completed with the submission of the Final Progress and Evaluation Report to the Federal Government in December 2011.
• The sponsorship of various awards will continue as they are valuable to our members.
• Unfortunately the Environmental Best Practice Award for Local Water Utilities has not generated enough interest from members over the past 3 years and will not be renewed in 2012/13.
• Changes to the Executive Committee over the period include the resignation of Mike Rayner, John Maxwell and Brian Carter. Anthony Burnham and Heinz Kausche have been duly elected to fill two of the three vacancies.
• Thanked James Ryan and Sascha Moege from the LGSA for their support and advocacy of the Water Directorate.
• Thanked the staff members, Gary Mitchell and Eloise Stanley, for their continuing excellent support of the Water Directorate’s activities.
• Special mention of thanks to Carmel Krogh for her excellent contribution to the Executive Committee over the years since 1998. Carmel was an inaugural member of the Executive Committee and after leaving to do other jobs returned in 2005. Carmel was presented with a 10 year voluntary service medal.

Gary Mitchell’s report noted the following:

• Membership in 2011/12 increased with MidCoast Water, Boorowa and Junee joining. One member, Gloucester handed over its water and sewer businesses to MidCoast Water in mid 2010. A net gain of 2 members. Membership is now 95% (97/102) - the best % figure ever.
• Five projects were undertaken in the year and 3 published:
• Land Matters Guidelines (Stage 1 Version) (released)
• Land Matters Guidelines (Final Version) (released)
• Revised Business Continuity Management Guidelines (released)
• Revised WTP Guidelines for Residuals Reuse & Backwash Water Reclamation
• Overview of the 2011 ADWGs
• Both the Land Matters Guidelines and the Overview of the 2001 ADWGs were joint projects undertaken with the IPWEA Roads and Transport Directorate and the Queensland Water Directorate respectively.
• We purchased WIOA’s Practical Guide to Odour Control in Sewage Transport Systems and distributed copies to member councils.
• At the end of the year 5 original Executive Committee members remain with 4 serving continuously for since December 1998. A special thanks to the following members
  • David Byrne
  • Doug Hill
  • Stewart McLeod
  • Simon Thorn
• During the year, Jeff Sharp became the 9th Executive Committee member to attain 10 year’s voluntary service having first joined in March 2002.

The minutes of the AGM and audited finances for the year 2011-12 are available below.

AGM Minutes 8 November 2012

Audited Finances to 30 June 2012