Sydney Water

Sydney Water or formally, Sydney Water Corporation, is a New South Wales Government–owned statutory corporation that provides potable drinking water, wastewater and some stormwater services to Greater Metropolitan Sydney, the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains regions, in the Australian state of New South Wales.

Sydney Water
Sydney Water logo
State-owned statutory corporation overview
Formed1 July 1995
DissolvedWater Board
JurisdictionGreater Metropolitan Sydney, Illawarra and the Blue Mountains
Headquarters1 Smith Street, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
Minister responsible
State-owned statutory corporation executives
  • Roch Cheroux, Managing Director
  • Bruce Morgan, Chairman
Parent State-owned statutory corporationGovernment of New South Wales
Websitewww.sydneywater.com.au

Name changes

The origins of Sydney Water go back to 26 March 1888 when the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Amendment Act, 1888 (NSW) was enacted and repealed certain sections of the Sydney Corporation Act, 1879 (NSW) relating to water supply and sewerage, thereby transferring the property, powers and obligations from the Municipal Council to the Board of Water Supply and Sewerage.[1]

The forebears of Sydney Water include:

  • Board of Water Supply and Sewerage (1888 – 1892)[1]
  • Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage (1892 – 1925)[1]
  • Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board (1925 – 1987)[2]
  • Water Board (1987 – 1994)[2] which had also been the colloquial name for the organisation for much of its history in the 20th century, and persists among longer term employees and older members of the community to this day
A sign authorised by Sydney Water (Prospect Nature Reserve).

Water supply management
Main article: 1998 Sydney water crisis

Sydney Water's management received extensive criticism following the 1998 Sydney water crisis regarding what was believed to be the large scale contamination of Sydney's raw water supply. The supposed contamination was heightened levels of cryptosporidium and giardia in Sydney's Warragamba Dam. This meant the public had to take extra steps in their own homes to ensure tap water was safe to drink.[4] After this event, the Sydney Catchment Authority was created to manage Sydney's dams, reservoirs, raw water and catchment areas. The Chairman of Sydney Water, David Hill resigned ten days after the crisis and denied any responsibility, claiming he was leaving only to concentrate on his political career.[5]

On 1 January 2015, The Sydney Catchment Authority was merged with State Water Corporation to form WaterNSW so that WaterNSW is now the supplier of raw water to Sydney Water.

Water restrictions

Since June 2019 Sydney Water replaced water restrictions with Water Wise Rules. The Rules are:

  • All hoses must now have a trigger nozzle.
  • Hand held hoses, sprinklers and watering systems may be used only before 10 am and after 4 pm on any day – to avoid the heat of the day
  • No hosing of hard surfaces such as paths and driveways. Washing vehicles is allowed.
  • Fire hoses may be used for fire fighting activities only.

Sydney Water has imposed fines of $200 for violations of the rules for individuals, $500 for businesses, and $2,200 for water theft. Rules are enforced by Sydney Water staff through random checks.[6]

Headquarters and influence
Part of the art deco façade of the former Metropolitan Water Sewerage & Drainage Board Building.

Sydney Water, and its predecessors, had for virtually all of its existence dating back to the 19th century, been located in the Sydney central business district at the corner of Pitt and Bathurst Streets, directly above Sydney's Town Hall railway station. The central location of Sydney Water in Sydney reflected the organisation's strategic significance as the lead organisation in planning Sydney's growth and future expansion. Without water services, no residential or business growth could occur in Sydney, the Illawarra or Blue Mountains.

Sydney Water's headquarters were relocated to Parramatta in May 2009.[7] The historic former headquarters building has been redeveloped into a hotel, with the adjacent 1969 building being extended into a skyscraper.

The developer, Brookfield Multiplex, valued the new Parramatta headquarters project at A$176 million.[8] Under this deal, rather than Sydney Water owning its own building, the corporation would enter a long-term lease with a private sector provider, who would own and maintain the corporate head office, at an annual rent charged to the NSW taxpayer.

Desalination

In early 2010 operations of the Sydney Desalination Plant began;[9] with a licence granted to Veolia Water Australia Pty Ltd to operate the plant and supply Sydney Water with drinking water. In 2012, the NSW Government entered into a 50–year lease with Sydney Desalination Plant Pty Ltd (DSP), a company jointly owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (50%) and two funds managed by Hastings Funds Management Limited: Utilities Trust of Australia and The Infrastructure Fund (together 50%).[10] The terms of the A$2.3 billion lease lock Sydney Water into a 50–year water supply agreement with DSP.[11]

Executives

From 1888 to 1987, Sydney Water and its predecessors were managed by the President, who effectively served as chair of the board and managing director. However, with the passing of the Water Board Act, 1987, the roles were split between an executive Managing Director and a non-executive Chairman of the board.[12]

Presidents, 1888–1987
# President Term Notes
Board of Water Supply and Sewerage
1 Thomas Rowe 26 March 1888 – 24 March 1892 [13]
Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage
2 Cecil West Darley 24 March 1892 – 20 March 1896 [14][15]
– Thomas Rowe 20 March 1896 – 14 January 1899 [16]
3 Jacob Garrard 24 January 1899 – 22 March 1904 [17]
4 Thomas William Keele 22 March 1904 – 22 March 1908 [18][19]
5 William James Millner 22 March 1908 – 31 March 1925 [20][21]
Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board
6 Thomas Bryce Cooper 31 March 1925 – 30 April 1935 [22]
7 Thomas Haynes Upton 30 April 1935 – 15 April 1955 [23][24][25][26]
8 John William Goodsell 15 April 1955 – 23 September 1960 [27][28][29]
9 Stanley Haviland 23 September 1960 – 22 September 1965 [30][31]
10 Edwin James Walder 22 September 1965 – 15 October 1981 [32][33][34][35]
11 Eric George Warrell 15 October 1981 – 16 June 1987 [36]

Managing Directors, 1987–date
# Managing Director Term Notes
Water Board
1 Robert Ernest Wilson 23 October 1987 – 2 April 1993 [37][38]
2 Paul Anthony Broad 5 April 1993 – 31 December 1994 [38]
Sydney Water Corporation
– Paul Anthony Broad 1 January 1995 – 29 September 1997 [39]
3 Christopher Pollett 29 September 1997 – 19 August 1998[40] [39]
4 Warren Hart 19 August 1998 – 16 November 1998[41] [39]
5 Alex Walker 16 November 1998 – 30 November 2002 [39][42]
– Ron Quill (Acting) 30 November 2002 – 26 May 2003 [39]
6 Gregory Francis Robinson 26 May 2003 – 26 February 2004 [43][44][45][46]
7 William David Evans 27 February 2004 – 1 August 2006[47] [44][48]
8 Kerry Schott 2 August 2006 – 1 August 2011 [49][50][51]
9 Kevin Young 1 August 2011 – 31 July 2019 [52][53][54]
10 Roch Cheroux 2 September 2019 – date [55][56]

Chairs, 1987–date
# Chairman Term Notes
Water Board
1 David Anthony Harley 19 October 1988 – 15 September 1992 [57][58][38]
2 John McMurtrie February 1993 – 31 December 1994 [59][38]
Sydney Water Corporation
– John McMurtrie 1 January 1995 – 21 November 1997 [39]
3 David Hill 21 November 1997 – August 1998 [39]
4 Gabrielle Kibble August 1998 – 31 May 2007 [60]
5 Thomas Gregory Parry 1 June 2007 – 30 September 2013 [61]
6 Bruce Morgan 1 October 2013 – date [62]

References
  1. "Agency Profile of the Board of Water Supply and Sewerage". State Records Authority of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  2. "Agency Profile of the Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board". State Records Authority of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  3. "Agency Profile of the Sydney Water Corporation Limited". State Records Authority of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  4. Stein, P. L. (2000). "The Great Sydney Water crisis of 1998". Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. SpringerLink – The Netherlands. 123: 419–436. Bibcode:2000WASP..123..419S. doi:10.1023/A:1005255202854.
  5. Francis, Geoff; Hicks, Peter (16 September 1998). "David Hill: from Giardia to Labor MP?". Green Left Weekly. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  6. "Water restrictions". Sydney Water.
  7. "Our corporate head office". Archived from the original on 11 February 2010.
  8. "Sydney Water Corporate Headquarters, Parramatta". Multiplex.
  9. "Sydney's desal plant switched on". The Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  10. "Ownership Structure". About. Sydney Desalination Plant Pty Ltd. 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  11. "NSW signs $2.3b desalination plant deal". The Sydney Morning Herald. Reuters. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  12. "WATER BOARD ACT 1987 No. 141" (PDF). legislation.nsw.gov.au. NSW Government. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  13. "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". New South Wales Government Gazette. New South Wales, Australia. 26 March 1888. p. 2243. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  14. "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". New South Wales Government Gazette. New South Wales, Australia. 25 March 1892. p. 2465. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  15. "1 photograph : b&w ; 24 x 18.5 cm. on mount 35.4 x 28.1 cm.", Portrait of Cecil West Darley, [188-?], nla.obj-137234627, retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove Check date values in: |year= (help)
  16. "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". New South Wales Government Gazette. New South Wales, Australia. 20 March 1896. p. 2046. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  17. "Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". New South Wales Government Gazette. New South Wales, Australia. 27 January 1899. p. 734. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  18. "NOTIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF AN OFFICIAL MEMBER AND PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 22 March 1904. p. 2464. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  19. "NOTED ENGINEER". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 20 June 1927. p. 14. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  20. "NOTIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF AN OFFICIAL MEMBER AND PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF WATER SIPPLY AND SEWERAGE". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 25 March 1908. p. 1680. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  21. "OBITUARY". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 2 November 1933. p. 15. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  22. "WATER BOARD". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 24 March 1925. p. 8. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  23. "METROPOLITAN WATER, SEWERAGE, AND DRAINAGE ACTS, 1924-35". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 30 April 1935. p. 1822. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  24. "FOR WATER BOARD". The Daily Telegraph. New South Wales, Australia. 30 April 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  25. "WATER BOARD PRESIDENT". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 30 April 1935. p. 12. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  26. T. F. C. Lawrence, 'Upton, Thomas Haynes (1889–1956)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/upton-thomas-haynes-11902/text21319, published first in hardcopy 2002, accessed online 13 June 2020.
  27. "METROPOLITAN WATER, SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE ACT, 1924-1954". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 15 April 1955. p. 1011. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  28. Ross Curnow, 'Goodsell, Sir John William (Jack) (1906–1981)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/goodsell-sir-john-william-jack-12553/text22597, published first in hardcopy 2007, accessed online 13 June 2020.
  29. "METROPOLITAN WATER, SEWERAGE, AND DRAINAGE ACT, 1924-1954". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 8 April 1960. p. 1028. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  30. "METROPOLITAN WATER, SEWERAGE, AND DRAINAGE ACT, 1924-1954". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 23 September 1960. p. 2997. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  31. Jack Watson, 'Haviland, Stanley (1899–1972)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/haviland-stanley-10455/text18543, published first in hardcopy 1996, accessed online 13 June 2020.
  32. "METROPOLITAN WATER, SEWERAGE, AND DRAINAGE ACT, 1924-1964". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 3 September 1965. p. 2822. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  33. "METROPOLITAN WATER, SEWERAGE, AND DRAINAGE ACT, 1924". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 28 July 1972. p. 2998. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  34. "METROPOLITAN WATER, SEWERAGE, AND DRAINAGE ACT, 1924". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 7 September 1979. p. 4382. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  35. "Edwin James Walder BEc (Hons)". The NSW Budget 2019-2020. NSW Government. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  36. "METROPOLITAN WATER, SEWERAGE AND DRAINAGE ACT, 1924". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 11 September 1981. p. 4811. Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via Trove.
  37. "APPOINTMENTS". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 23 October 1987. p. 5949. Retrieved 22 June 2020 – via Trove.
  38. McClellan, Peter (December 1998). "Sydney Water Inquiry - Fourth Report: Prospect Water Filtration Plant tender process and contract arrangements" (PDF). New South Wales Premier's Department. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  39. "The Sydney WaterCustomer Information and Billing System". The Australia and New Zealand School of Government. 2006. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  40. Acting to 21 November 1997.
  41. Acting to 1 September 1998.
  42. "MR ALEX WALKER MANAGING DIRECTOR". Sydney Water. Sydney Water Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 February 2001. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  43. "STATE OWNED CORPORATIONS ACT 1989 - Appointment" (PDF) (93). NSW Government Gazette. 30 May 2003. p. 4953. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  44. AAP (27 February 2004). "Shock sacking of Sydney Water chief: new man flagged". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  45. "Cavalier style led to water chief's fall". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 February 2004. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  46. "ICAC clears ex-Sydney Water manager". ABC News. 13 October 2004. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  47. Acting to 1 April 2004.
  48. "STATE OWNED CORPORATIONS ACT 1989 - Appointment" (PDF) (104). NSW Government Gazette. 25 June 2004. p. 4681. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  49. "STATE OWNED CORPORATIONS ACT 1989 - Appointment" (PDF) (93). NSW Government Gazette. 21 July 2006. p. 5757. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  50. Hyland, Anne (21 June 2014). "Kerry Schott – heard around the world". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  51. Whitbourn, Michaela; McClymont, Kate (8 April 2014). "Phillip Costa tells ICAC that Kerry Schott was 'nothing short of excellent' despite Obeid request to 'sack the bitch'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  52. "Board of directors - Kevin Young (Managing Director) - B Eng (Hons), MBA, FIE Aust, CPENG, FAICD". Sydney Water. Sydney Water Corporation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  53. "Sydney Water's new Managing Director is off to a great start". Sydney Water Corporation. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original (Media Release) on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  54. "Sydney Water Chief Executive Officer announced" (Media Release). Sydney Water Corporation. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  55. "Sydney Water announces new CEO". Australian Water Association. Water Source. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  56. "Executive team > Roch Cheroux - Managing Director". Sydney Water. Sydney Water Corporation. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  57. "WATER BOARD ACT 1987". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. New South Wales, Australia. 21 October 1988. p. 5489. Retrieved 22 June 2020 – via Trove.
  58. "Water Board 'fiddle' denied". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 18 February 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 22 June 2020 – via Trove.
  59. "Water Board overhaul". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 10 September 1994. p. 6. Retrieved 22 June 2020 – via Trove.
  60. "Board of Directors - MRS GABRIELLE KIBBLE AO (Chairman) - BA, DipTCP, FRAPI, D Sc Hc UNSW". Sydney Water. Sydney Water Corporation. Archived from the original on 22 August 2006. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  61. "Board of directors - Dr Thomas G Parry AM (Chairman) - BEc (Hons), MEc, PhD". Sydney Water. Sydney Water Corporation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  62. "Board members - Bruce Morgan - Chairman BComm, FCA, FAICD, Adjunct Professor University of New South Wales". Sydney Water. Sydney Water Corporation. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
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