Bob Tilbury - Senior Associate, Water & Environment Sinclair Knight Merz

1. Practical insights and lessons learnt from working with sustainability across major water infrastructure projects Bob Tilbury - Senior Associate, Water & Environment Sinclair Knight Merz

2. Changing Context for Water Managers • Climate Change • Water shortage crises • Increased water & energy costs • Declining catchment yields • Unreliable water quality • Changes in community values

3. “Cost of water tipped to rise by 100pc” “Utility prices: Water bills likely to rise 3% above inflation” “Water prices to rise by up to 60 per cent in Victoria” “Water plant to guzzle energy” “Climate change accelerates water hunt in U.S. West”

4. A ‘business as usual’ approach to managing water is not only inadequate, but bordering on the irresponsible!

5. Sustainability uptake • Varies among organisations • Increasingly, Sustainability Strategy = Business Strategy

6. The Top 10 Insights

7. 1. Authenticity • Real effort and leadership needed • Avoid ‘spin’ and ‘green-wash’ • Failure reduces staff/community engagement and the organisation’s brand • e.g. Public Sustainability Reporting • Evolved from social, economic, environmental model • Themes reflect strategic priorities • Not just past performance: Future strategy & direction

8. The challenge – from principles to implementation in projects In three years – “Sustainability underpins our culture – how we do business, from the way we provide water services to the way we purchase supplies. …….fully integrate sustainability thinking into the ‘way we do things’.”

9. 2. Not just technology • Not only What we do, but How we do it • An integrated, holistic way of thinking • Needs a catalyst – someone to drive it • e.g. Role of Sustainability Practitioner • Avert the Project “tunnel vision” & isolated solutions • WA wastewater upgrade program • Energy use/efficiency, design options, potable water use, community engagement

10. 3. Design fit for the future • What will the operating environment be like in 20 years?

12. 5. Early adoption • ‘The solution is out there, not in here.’ • think outside the box, or the Project • Understand connections, relationships – beyond the site • e.g. Sustainability Framework: criteria to guide decision-making • Reduced land take for infrastructure • which would have constrained future options • Calculate true energy consumption and GHG emissions • doubled operating costs

13. The Top 10 Insights

14. 7. True stakeholder engagement • Social and community elements of sustainability • A recurring theme • Often dominate technical issues • Getting beyond the “Design and defend” mindset • e.g. Dam upgrade project • Community Reference Group achieved full consensus on preferred option • Upgrade completed without complaint • e.g. HV power line route selection • Community (technical) input improved selection process • Project completed 2 years early

15. Industry Reflections “People need a practical definition of sustainability to work with. You can’t just leave it to people’s sense of altruism – you need to make it about self interest for many to act. We have found that we will need to put it into KPIs or similar to really get a change in behaviour.” Bob Humphries, Water Corporation, Western Australia

16. Conclusions • A sustainability approach has much to offer water managers • Design that promotes long term value • Understand the gap in translation of sustainability • The challenge to operationalise • Business as usual is no longer an option

17. Thank you