AGY-4147 | State Water [I]

Full description

State Water [I] was established in 1997 as a business unit of the Department of Land and Water Conservation. (1) The agency was a commercially oriented water delivery business responsible for cost effective water supply to regulated users and its establishment came at a time of significant reform to water resources in the state. State Water was responsible for rural bulk water supply and management of assets such as dams, weirs and their associated structures.

In 2000, State Water supplied approximately 6,000 licensed users with water along those rivers regulated by its storages. (2) It was a unit of the Regional and Commercial Services Group of the Department of Land and Water Conservation and was divided into four customer service areas - North, South, Central and Coastal. (3)

In August 2000, the head office of State Water was transferred from Sydney to Dubbo (4) and other regionally based staff were located at Moree, Leeton, and Muswellbrook. In the 1999/2000 financial year, State Water established eight valley-based customer service committees to enhance the flow of information between customers and State Water. The committees were formed in the Border, Gwydir, Namoi-Peel (including Manilla), Coastal, Lachlan, Macquarie (including Cudgegong), Murrumbidgee and the Murray-Lower Darling valleys. (5) Water in each valley was shared between the environment and all users in accordance with annual allocation plans.

On 2 April 2003, State Water was removed from the Department of Land and Water Conservation and transferred to the Ministry of Energy and Utilities. (6) On 1 January 2004, the Ministry of Energy and Utilities was abolished and the Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability was established.(7) As a result, State Water was now part of the new Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability. On 1 July 2004, State Water was removed from the Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability and established as a State Owned Corporation. (8)

Endnotes
1. Annual Report of the Department of Land and Water Conservation for 1998/99, p.17.
2. Annual Report of the Department of Land and Water Conservation for 1999/2000, p.53.
3. Annual Report of the Department of Land and Water Conservation 1998/99, p.17.
4. Annual Report of the Department of Land and Water Conservation 1999/2000, p.14.
5. ibid., p.63.
6. NSW Government Gazette Special Supplement No.67, 2 April 2003, p.4328.
7. Annual Report of the Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability for 2003-04.
8. NSW Government Gazette No.110, 1 July 2004, p.4983.