Lower Murray Water Enhances Rural Customer Engagement

The Board of Lower Murray Water has announced significant enhancements to its rural customer committee structures in a bid to strengthen its commitment to engagement with its irrigation and stock and domestic customers.

“We are changing some of the structures of our customer committees to better define the difference between our strategic and operational committees and to seek to gain some efficiencies in merging our 4 pumped irrigation district committees into one.” said Board Chair Sharyon Peart.

Lower Murray Water recently conducted a comprehensive review with the aim of bolstering its customer committee effectiveness and creating openings for a more diverse committee composition that reflects the region’s community.

“It’s important to represent all growers across our region’s agricultural profile and these changes ensure that anyone interested in representing their sector can apply.” said Ms Peart.
While the existing Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) structure remains unchanged, the organisation has streamlined its approach by consolidating the current six Customer Service Advisory Committee (CSAC) entities into three:

1. Rural CSAC: Comprising representation from each of the four pumped irrigation districts.
2. Millewa CSAC: Focusing specifically on Millewa-related issues.
3. Private Diverter CSAC: Dedicated to addressing the concerns of private diverters.

“The Terms of Reference for each committee has been extensively revised to provide clear and concise guidance on their respective purposes, thus optimising effectiveness in driving positive outcomes for rural customers.” said Ms Peart.

Lower Murray Water will appoint the committees through a skill-based ‘Expression of Interest’ (EOI) and assessment process. The EOI period is set to run from 26 February to 5 April 2024, and eligible irrigation customers are encouraged to apply. Full application details can be found on the Lower Murray Water website.

“We have an unwavering dedication to engaging with rural customers, leveraging their insights, and delivering optimal service. The organisation looks forward to collaborating with its valued customers, both current and prospective committee members, to continually enhance water management and sustainability in the region.” Said Ms Peart.