From Local to Global

The recent drought affecting rural Australia has been difficult for many people. VicWater—which represents 19 water corporations across Victoria—understands this struggle well.

The scale of the water crisis in Victoria may be different to that being experienced in other parts of the world, but VicWater Chief Executive Officer Peter Morison believes rural Victorians and their water utilities are able to empathise with those experiencing water scarcity issues abroad.

“It’s not easy for our members, particularly in rural areas where (the drought) is stark and real every day,” Morison explains. “For those people, they can really… appreciate to some extent what it’s like at a global level.”

It’s the best thing we can do as an industry, not just to service our customers but also to have a global context in which we’re operating.

This empathy has been a key factor in VicWater’s long-running support for WaterAid Australia, having been one of our original founding members back in 2004.

The flipside of that coin is that the knowledge and experience of VicWater and its members on water management issues has given it the ability to play a meaningful role in contributing to WaterAid’s work abroad. “It’s a two-way street,” Morison explains. “We have some innovations that we can give back.”

Just as Morison understands the challenges of water scarcity, so too can he appreciate the benefits of clean water. “Water is essential no matter where it is,” he says. “To play a part in servicing people in great need in a global context is fantastic.”

VicWater are Silver Members of WaterAid. If your organisation is interested in starting a conversation about corporate membership with WaterAid, email Leigh Mawby at [email protected] or Michael McLennan at [email protected]

This article first appeared in WaterAid's Oasis Spring-Summer 2019 magazine, available for download here.