New subsidiary to lead Mount Barker district’s wastewater service
Council owns and operates the largest wastewater service of its kind run by any South Australian local government.
To meet the needs of its rapidly growing community, Council is also planning and delivering a program of significant wastewater and recycled water infrastructure expansion and upgrading works over the next 10 years, worth in excess of $238m.
In order to most effectively and efficiently manage the increasing scale, complexity and regulatory requirements of its wastewater and recycled water service, there is a need for ongoing specialist expertise that is outside the scope of Council’s traditional services and operations.
Council is preparing to set up a wastewater subsidiary, with a skills-based Board to be established to manage the service and deliver performance objectives set by Council.
A draft Mount Barker Region Wastewater Utility Charter was endorsed by Council at its June 2024 meeting. This sets out how the subsidiary will be established, how much authority Council gives to the Board, how Council decides who sits on the Board, and what reporting obligations the Board has.
Mount Barker District Council Mayor David Leach said the charter would allow the Council to more effectively manage its wastewater and recycled water service, while still retaining full ownership and control.
“Council has long been a leader in providing high-quality, reliable wastewater services to our community and our priority is to ensure that a high standard of service provision continues into the future,” Mayor Leach said.
“Our wastewater service is rapidly expanding to keep pace with the significant growth of the Mount Barker district. We have a program of major projects that require a lot of specialised technical decision-making – from the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant through to the expansion of wastewater trunk mains networks in high-growth areas.
“Currently, that decision-making falls to Council Members and, while we receive excellent guidance from staff, we just don’t have the high level of industry and engineering knowledge required. Decisions on wastewater projects also have to compete for time and attention with the many other priorities Council is required to manage. As we move into building these projects, timely decision making will be essential.
“By establishing a wastewater subsidiary, Council can appoint a highly-qualified Board of experts whose sole role will be to run the wastewater service – providing the skills and time required.”
Transition costs for the subsidiary including board fees have been factored into the most recent adopted Long Term Financial Plan.
“Council is making a significant investment in major infrastructure to provide high quality wastewater and recycled water services for our district into the future. We want to make sure we’re getting it right,” Mayor Leach said.
“Having a subsidiary means Council can secure people with the requisite and specialist skills available to manage the wastewater service.
“A Board of highly-qualified experts will have the knowledge, skills and time to give specialist attention to Council’s wastewater service – rather than the wastewater service having to compete with all of Council’s many other priorities for attention from Council Members.”
The draft charter has been reviewed by the Office of Local Government and will soon be sent to the Minister for Local Government for approval.
The council aims to have the subsidiary in place by January 2025.
