Reflecting on our achievements in 2019-20
We’re pleased to share our Annual Report 2019–20 which was tabled with the Victorian Parliament on 29 October 2020. The report provides an overview of our operational performance, audited financial reports and key highlights, along with statements on our governance and management practices.
It details how we’ve performed against the promises made to our customers in our Five-year Customer Commitment 2018–23, and delivered safe and reliable water in line with our vision to create a better world for our customers, for all and always, that won’t cost the earth. It also tracks our progress against the initiatives we committed to delivering in our Corporate Plan 2019-24.
Our Managing Director, Lara Olsen said the report reflects on the achievements and challenges of the last year, and demonstrates the strength of our organisation as we’ve adapted to challenges presented by coronavirus (COVID-19).
“During such a challenging year, our people worked to increase our focus and support of customers and to manage through new working environments and practices with the rest of our community. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and look forward to continuing to improve for our customers,”
-Lara Olsen, South East Water Managing Director
We’ve been working hard to uphold the promises we made in our Five-year Customer Commitment 2018–23, in particular the promise to keep our services fair and affordable for all.
“We’re continuing to help more customers who need support to access grants and concessions and all of our customer-facing employees completed resilience training to continue delivering great service, especially to customers experiencing high levels of vulnerability,” Lara said.
One of our greatest responsibilities is to ensure long-term water security while also protecting Port Phillip Bay and minimising our impact on the environment.
“We’re doing this in lots of ways – removing septic tanks and connecting properties to the sewerage system; supporting community groups with their environment initiatives through our community grants program; creating water efficient communities and implementing our plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to name just a few”.
As part of our customer commitment to protect the environment, we’re working on a number of projects to help us transform to a circular economy based business model.
“A key focus of our research is exploring our role in the hydrogen economy - which will play a critical role in achieving a sustainable and decarbonised future. We’re also working to better understand the actual presence of microplastics in our sewage and how efficiently they’re removed through our treatment processes,” Lara said.
We’re really proud to be part of one of the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiatives to fight inequality and injustice and protect our planet for generations to come. Our commitment to the United Nations Global Compact helps us achieve our vision to help create a better world for our customers with forward-thinking water solutions, for all and always, that won’t cost the earth.