About the program
The NSW Government, in partnership with local water utilities and the wider water sector, is collaborating on the Town Water Risk Reduction Program to develop and implement a new approach to working together that enables local water utilities to manage risks and priorities in town water systems more strategically and effectively and, as a result, reduce risks in regional NSW communities over time.
Phase 2 of the Town Water Risk Reduction Program was announced by the Minister for Lands and Water in December 2022.
The program will be extended until June 2025 to ensure the original deliverables are met and additional outcomes can be achieved.
The program has been extended so the Advanced Operational Support Program can work with more water treatment plants and new actions can be added to the 9-point skills and training plan.
This extension to the second phase of the program will bring additional benefits at no extra cost, allowing issues that have been identified during earlier stages to be addressed.
Following the extension, there will be an evaluation of the program and how best to continue to reduce town water risks to NSW communities beyond June 2025.
Phase 2 will:
- address critical skills shortages and boost water operations training and employment opportunities in regional NSW for school leavers, Aboriginal and First Nations students and existing water operators, in partnership with Training Services NSW
- deliver a new program in partnership with NSW Health to help optimise the performance of high-risk water treatment infrastructure using innovative technology so that more regional towns have reliable, resilient, and safe water services
- enable local water utilities to accelerate responses to audits to improve local dam safety and address water quality risks, leveraging the systems and expertise of WaterNSW.
Phase 2 programs
Phase 2 includes the below programs and initiatives:
- Advanced operational support program
- Skills and training program
- Incident and emergency planning and response support
- Water NSW supporting local water utilities on dam safety
- Reviewing funding arrangements for local water utilities
- Identifying and considering any outstanding policy gaps.
Water NSW supporting local water utilities on dam safety
Phase 2 of the Town Water Risk Reduction Program funding includes a new community service obligation of up to $10 million over 2 years to accelerate local water utilities’ response to the findings of Dams Safety NSW audits and respond to raw water quality risks, by leveraging the capabilities of WaterNSW.
WaterNSW will offer services to local water utilities to improve outcomes for regional communities.
Under the community service obligation, WaterNSW will provide information and expert services to local water utilities, where agreed with the council, which reduce dam safety and drinking water quality risks.
Have your say
We continually incorporate feedback into our program and would like to hear more about what you think about the program elements. To have your say, simply email regional.town.water@dpie.nsw.gov.au