WaterNSW

You might remember our project that kicked off earlier in the year to place 'snags', repurposed hardwood, into the Peel River to create vital habitat across the ecosystem for macroinvertebrates like beetles, snails and worms as well as native fish, platypus and rakali (water rats). Our snags are now in place, and to help us monitor their success we've kicked off a sharing of knowledge to our next generation of custodians. The WaterNSW First Nations team led the engagement as part of our reconciliation work to improve First Nations connection to Country. WaterNSW aquatic experts, local Elders and the Walaaybaa Rangers came together on the banks of the Peel River near Tamworth last week for an outdoor education experience with local high school students. First Nations people shared knowledge with local students from Tamworth, Peel, Oxley and Farrer Memorial Agricultural high schools about caring for Country and water, and WaterNSW experts explained how they use science to monitor and understand the river. Co-designed activities like cultural storytelling, electrofishing, seed bombs and autonomous monitoring boats blended modern scientific methods of protecting waterways with traditional knowledge to explore the benefits of recently installed snags and how we can measure their success. The Rangers will be invited to help us monitor the project over the next five years, learning more about modern and scientific methods and how they blend along the way. Learn more about the program and the benefits of snags at https://bit.ly/4eJdycs Indigico Creative

At WaterNSW, we’re committed to ensuring that our infrastructure is well-maintained and ready to deliver water when and where it matters. With 41 major dams and hundreds of waterways across the state, maintenance work is constantly underway to ensure we can continue to deliver two thirds of all the water used in NSW. This?essential project supports our ongoing supply of water from the Kangaroo Valley to Shoalhaven and Greater Sydney,?and?Diona's delivery?reflects our commitment to sustainability, community and First Nations connection to the land.

What a week! We had a wonderful time at the 2024 ANCOLD conference, sharing our expertise and learning from other leaders in the water sector. This year’s theme is ‘never the same dam twice’. With 41 major dams across the state, we understand the complexities of these dynamic assets and ensure our planning and management of critical infrastructure is constantly evolving and innovating. We’re proud to have had the work of a number of WaterNSW team members presented this week, including our Manager Operations Assets Planning Hetal Parmar, who presented on targeted and customised engineering assessments and how they drive risk-informed decision-making. Brandon Pearce, Project Manager at WaterNSW, presented to the ANCOLD Emerging Professionals Group as the group's National Convenor. Together with Hetal, he also presented the Young Professional Best Paper Award to this year's winner Sammy Gibbs. Congratulations on your winning paper, Sammy! ???? We know expertise doesn’t happen overnight, and at WaterNSW, we're invested in supporting young professionals to develop their skills and experience in the industry. Thanks to ANCOLD for another fascinating conference. We’re already looking forward to next year!

Did you know that only just over 20% of STEM professionals are female? We’re working hard to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at WaterNSW and more broadly in the water sector. That’s why we’ve partnered with NAWO, the National Association for Women in Operations. Together we aim to empower women across the industry by fostering development opportunities for leadership, mentoring opportunities, and driving greater representation in key decision-making roles. We’re excited about the impact that this partnership will have as we seek to build and maintain a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve, and every individual has the opportunity to thrive. We’re looking forward to sharing more on our exciting initiatives in this space. #DiversityandInclusion #WomenInLeadership #WaterIndustry #DiversityMatters #PartnershipForChange

Finding a new opportunity shouldn’t mean having to find a new organisation. At WaterNSW, we appreciate our employees not just for the skills they bring to the table, but those they aspire to. Our culture is focused on providing opportunities to learn, extend and develop, so that you can discover your potential. But don’t take our word for it – the choices WaterNSW employees make tell their own story: ?? last financial year, almost 10% of staff participated in leadership development programs, designed to ready employees for the next step towards their career goals ?? 40% of roles advertised last financial year were filled by internal applicants ready to take up a new challenge ?? 8 years is the average length of employment at WaterNSW. We’re the people capturing, storing and delivering our state’s water, when and where it matters. Is it time for you to join us at the source? Explore current roles at waternsw.com.au/careers

Heading to #Bathurst for the Koori Knockout? ?? Come and say hello! Visit our friendly staff at our joint stall with Sydney Water at stall number 38, near the front entrance from today until Sunday 6 October. Have a yarn and find out more about: ?? employment opportunities with WaterNSW ?? First Nations programs ?? WaterNSW and our operations or anything else you’d like to ask our team! Check out our current job opportunities at https://bit.ly/48kQkaz #AtTheSource #KooriKnockout

Meet Daniella Maffeo-Zuvela, our Legal Workplace and Governance Manager. Applying her knowledge and leading her team to provide astute legal advice, Daniella loves solving problems right across the business. By supporting WaterNSW staff to understand legal requirements and how to respond to matters, she helps to support a culture that expects the highest levels of accountability. With so many different role types at WaterNSW and staff spread geographically across the state, no two days are the same. “One of my favourite parts of the role is learning about infrastructure along the way! The assets, like our dams, are fascinating,” Daniella says. “Supporting these assets in an increasingly complex regulatory environment keeps me on my toes and challenged in new areas.” Daniella’s team is geographically diverse too, with Daniella in the Hunter Valley, her team based in Sydney and the WaterNSW staff they support based all over the state. The flexibility of location on offer at WaterNSW means geography is no barrier to taking up opportunities either. “I had the opportunity to act in a more senior role as Company Secretary, drawing on my years of experience reporting to accomplished company secretaries. The position really grew my capacity, increasing my practical experience with governance,” Daniella shared. “I’ve also completed our internal leadership development program RISE and learned so much through mentorship from some wonderful female senior leaders in the business, who have been generous with their time over my four years with the company.” When not leading her team, you might find Daniella long-distance running, with her young children enjoying the country air, or indulging in her passion for wine with the odd weekend shift at a Hunter Valley winery where she can talk all things winemaking!

Meet Lorena Oliveira, our Manager Operating Strategy. Lorena leads operational strategies that support the delivery of resilient and sustainable water services now and into the future. While nature is an unpredictable partner, Lorena and her team deliver adaptation strategies, water resources modeling and scientific research to help drive innovation, manage risks and ensure that decisions are evidence-based in our changing environment. Lorena manages a diverse team, and she describes interacting with so many talented people every day as one of her favourite parts of her role. “I consider it a privilege to lead such an incredible array of expert scientists, engineers and leaders in their field!” “Some of my recent highlights have been working on the implementation of the Regional and Greater Sydney Water Strategies and progressing the Town Water Risk Reduction Program, partnering with Local Water Utilities across NSW to improve source water management. My team and I are also focusing on developing WaterNSW’s five-year Science Program and our Water Resources Modelling Strategy – so as you can imagine there is never a dull moment!” For Lorena, playing a role in providing vital water services to communities across the state is hugely rewarding, but it’s the importance of diversity and emphasis on safety and wellbeing that sets WaterNSW apart as a workplace. Lorena described opportunities to have a positive impact on our people's experience at WaterNSW, including taking part in the Inclusion and Diversity Council, as an extremely rewarding way to learn and challenge herself. Beyond WaterNSW, Lorena is actively involved in initiatives from the wider water sector – you might know her as a mentor, a member of the International Water Association Australia committee, Pride in Water network or specialist networks as part of the Water Services Association of Australia and International Water Association. When she’s not working towards a more resilient future for NSW, you’ll find Lorena at the beach, soaking up nature, or restoring mid-century modern furniture. We love having your leadership at WaterNSW, Lorena!

We’ve had a wonderful time at the Australian Water Association's NSW State Conference this week. Attendees have heard from many different speakers on how we can together unlock the potential of the water sector to ensuring a thriving and resilient future for NSW communities. WaterNSW staff have contributed to the conversation, sharing research that includes: ??The positive outcomes of representative modelling in the Murrumbidgee, and the particular benefit that high resolution satellite imagery can have in understanding how much water can be used while sustaining natural ecosystems. This work was presented by Gurmeet Singh MIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus) (Water Resources Specialist). ??How we can balance water delivery for irrigation, supplying our towns and communities with water and environmental needs in the Murrumbidgee Valley, presented by Shaun Gleeson (Water Planning and Delivery Specialist). ?? Exploring Rainfall Variability in the Greater Sydney Catchments: The Influence of El Ni?o presented by Neda Yousefi and Rafa Mamun (Water Planning and Delivery Officers). ?? Going beyond the thought bubble – exploring the best option to mitigate cold water releases from large dams, presented by Andrew Richardson (Strategic Adviser System Resilience). ??How the Menindee Lakes fit in water resource management, presented by Ashley Webb (General Manager Water Planning and Delivery). Our thanks again to the Australian Water Association for this wonderful opportunity for experts right across the sector to share their knowledge and insights and collaborate for the future. WaterNSW conference attendees pictured left to right: Rafa Mamun, Ronan Magaharan, Shaun Gleeson, Ashley Webb, Gurmeet Singh MIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus), Neda Yousefi, Andrew Richardson, Chris Braddock #ResilientNSW #ResilientFuture #AtTheSource #Vital

Science and engineering are at the heart of WaterNSW. This #ScienceWeek, we’d like to introduce you to just some of the many scientists helping to protect the state’s water. Our experts work to capture and store our most vital natural resource and effectively deliver water around the clock for the people and businesses of NSW. Our Science Program is how WaterNSW plans for and delivers on catchment health, with scientists in disciplines like hydrology, environmental chemistry, aquatic ecology and ecotoxicology working together to understand catchment health and water quality. Meet Camilla Edmunds, an Environmental Scientist. Camilla is our Manager Environment, Sustainability and Catchment Protection. Leading a diverse team of environmental scientists, hydrogeologists, ecologists, biologists, and other specialists, Camilla and her team are dedicated to not just minimising environmental harm but actively enhancing it. Their efforts focus on safeguarding natural and built assets, protecting water quality, and reducing our carbon footprint. Alec Davie is a Water Quality Scientist, specialising in freshwater ecology. Alec and his team research how we can improve the quality and quantity of drinking water for Greater Sydney, but share their findings across the state, too. He’s currently investigating what chemicals are released by ash from fires, so that we can better manage the effects of rainfall washing ash into streams and lakes in the catchment. Emily White is a Drinking Water Technical Advisor, focused on the ways we can ensure water is safe to drink. Water can travel long distances before it reaches the tap, with lots of opportunity to become contaminated along the way – Emily is currently sharing her knowledge and expertise on how to combat risks with communities around NSW, improving drinking water safety and security, no matter where you live. Science is represented right across WaterNSW, with scientists making up about 10% of our people. Learn more about science at WaterNSW at https://bit.ly/3WMJZQw #AtTheSource #Vital