Victorian Minister for Water, Harriet Shing, has announced the appointment of three new Board members at Barwon Water, following the departure of three directors from the utility.
Barwon Water Chair, Jo Plummer, said new directors Jodie Leonard, Chris Chesterfield and Jason Kambovski would bring a wealth of expertise and experience to help guide the organisation as it continued to pursue its ambitious Strategy 2030 goals.
“As we welcome our new directors, we also acknowledge the outstanding contributions of our outgoing directors.
“Elaine Carbines, Bernard Walsh, and John Gavens finished up after eight years of exemplary service, overseeing a period of significant transformation and growth.”
Ms Plummer said the outgoing directors had helped the water corporation navigate major changes with exceptional skill and commitment.
“During their tenure, Barwon Water has achieved substantial growth, with the value of assets to service our region rising from $2.7 to $3.7 billion, showcasing enhanced financial stability and investment in the future.
“Our Strategy 2030, shaped by their valuable input, continues to drive our pursuit of regional prosperity and our ambitious goals of zero emissions and zero waste, which have set industry-leading benchmarks.”
Ms Plummer said during the outgoing directors’ time at Barwon Water, safety, inclusion and diversity had improved significantly.
“Improvements in safety, indicated by the Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate dropping from 34.15 to zero, underscore an unwavering commitment to workplace safety.
“Gender diversity of our staff shifted from 30 per cent women and 70 per cent men to 42 per cent women and 58 per cent men.
“Meanwhile, the Essential Services Commission (ESC) customer perception survey results have reached new heights, positioning Barwon Water as the number one rated Victorian water corporation in all four ESC customer perception metrics, including value for money, reputation, trust, and overall satisfaction,” Ms Plummer said.
On behalf of Barwon Water and Barwon Asset Solutions, Ms Plummer extended heartfelt thanks to Ms Carbines, Mr Walsh and Mr Gavens for their remarkable contributions over the past eight years as Barwon Water directors.
“We wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”
Ms Plummer welcomed the new directors’ perspectives and expertise when they joined the Barwon Water team from 1 October.
“Their combined experience will be instrumental as we continue to pursue our Strategy 2030 aims,” Ms Plummer said.
