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Governing the City State - Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate ...

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Water PolicyResponsibility for water is currently shared by several ACT Government entities under abroad overarching governance framework. Overall coordination for water governance <strong>and</strong>regulation is currently achieved through <strong>the</strong> <strong>Chief</strong> Executives Water Group (which includes<strong>the</strong> Managing Director of ACTEW). It oversees <strong>and</strong> directs <strong>the</strong> ongoing consideration ofwater-related issues, including supply options. It is charged with ensuring coordinated,consistent, <strong>and</strong> regular advice is provided to <strong>the</strong> ACT Government <strong>and</strong> that non ACTGovernment stakeholders are provided with consistent views in line with ACT Governmentpolicy. These responsibilities should be discharged by <strong>the</strong> ACTPS Strategic Board,supplemented by ACTEW representation, in <strong>the</strong> future.Issues surrounding water restrictions, water security projects, <strong>and</strong> flooding were topicalduring <strong>the</strong> course of <strong>the</strong> Review. A number of consultations suggested that <strong>the</strong> process forconsideration of changes in levels of water restrictions might be amended to make <strong>the</strong> finaldecision one for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Minister</strong> to make (ra<strong>the</strong>r than one on which <strong>the</strong> <strong>Minister</strong> is consulted asoccurs now). It was also suggested that it may be possible to achieve greater impact fromwater efficiency programs if <strong>the</strong>y were delivered entirely by ACTEW.In its Submission to <strong>the</strong> Review, ACTEW Corporation Limited argued:Consideration of making one entity responsible for overall water policy <strong>and</strong> for ensuringconsistency across departments would be beneficial <strong>and</strong> worthy of serious consideration toimprove current arrangements <strong>and</strong> deliver efficiencies <strong>and</strong> better outcomes. Consideration ofmaking one entity responsible for overall water regulation <strong>and</strong> for ensuring consistency acrossdepartments would be beneficial. ACTEW’s roles <strong>and</strong> responsibilities in both <strong>the</strong>se areasneed to be better understood, taken into account <strong>and</strong> reflected in any revised arrangements. 228Management of waste water is already contracted to ACTEW by TAMS, so it would beconsistent <strong>and</strong> sensible to make ACTEW responsible for all water matters.*The issue of responsibility for management of Lake Burley Griffin was raised in a number ofconsultations, <strong>and</strong> discussions are now underway involving <strong>the</strong> National Capital Authority,ACTEW, <strong>and</strong> relevant ACT Government Agencies. Given that ACTEW is alreadyresponsible for water above <strong>the</strong> Lake in Googong Dam, as well as below Scrivener Damincluding <strong>the</strong> Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre, it would be sensible for it to beresponsible for <strong>the</strong> Lake as well. One issue that needs to be settled in this context isresponsibility for maintenance of Scrivener Dam itself.This responsibility would extend to issues including <strong>the</strong> operation of <strong>the</strong> Captain CookMemorial Jet at Regatta Point, <strong>the</strong> operation of which has been limited in recent years as aresult of National Capital Authority funding restrictions.228 Submission No.16. ACTEW Corporation Ltd.Administrative Arrangements Changes: 177

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