LEAK DETECTION WORK BEGINS IN WENTWORTH

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The NSW Government’s innovative $12.5 million Regional Leakage Reduction Program keeps kicking goals, with more councils joining up and seeing incredible water savings. 

The Department of Planning and Environment’s Manager of Water Efficiency Programs Jethro Laidlaw said work on Phase 2 of the Active Leak Detection Project is getting underway at Wentworth Shire Council to pinpoint exactly where pipes, meters and valves need to be patched up.    

“This program has already located a mind-boggling 4.7 billion litres of water leaking from network infrastructure across the state each year which rams home the message that even though we’ve had plenty of rain in recent times, we can’t relax when it comes to looking after our most precious resource,” Mr Laidlaw said. 

“Our experts teams use cutting-edge technology such as high-powered listening devices to zero in, isolate and confirm the leak before calling in the Council cavalry to get it repaired. 

“The numbers speak for themselves. We’ve surveyed more than 6400kms of water mains and saved a staggering 2.3 billion litres of water in partnership with local councils which shows just how valuable this project is in terms of maximising water efficiency across regional NSW.” 

Nearly 200km of mains across Wentworth Shire Council will be covered in this latest work thanks to $32,500 from the NSW Government.  

Mayor of Wentworth Shire Council Tim Elstone said it’s a huge win for residents. 

“Fixing leaky pipes and damaged infrastructure preserves water and improves reliability for Wentworth Shire ratepayers, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars every year in pumping and treatment costs,” Councilor Elstone said.

“As Mayor of Wentworth Shire and an advocate for water reliability, partnering with the state government to get this work done is a great opportunity to have our communities on the front foot when it comes to water efficiency.”

Phase 1 and 2 of the project has involved 34 local government areas and 25 Aboriginal communities, with dozens more councils in the pipeline. 

The Active Leak Detection Project is part of the NSW Government’s three-year, $12.5 million Regional Leakage Reduction Program. 

For more information, visit:   https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plans-and-programs/water-efficiency/regional-leakage-reduction-program

NSW Government’s Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme

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SecureEnergy is doing its bit for the environment with its workforce participating in a popular recycling initiative.

SecureEnergy has been contracted by Transgrid to deliver part of EnergyConnect with the construction of 700km of new power lines from the SA border to the regional energy hub of Wagga Wagga.

At the Buronga camp near Wentworth, the team has recycled a whopping 29,000 eligible containers including cans, bottles and cartons as part of the NSW Government’s Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme, preventing all those containers from ending up in landfill.

SecureEnergy Environment Manager, Catherine Curlewis said this is a fantastic result.

“The Environment team has worked hard at educating our workforce and making sure the recycling containers are accessible to everyone. As a result, we now want to give back to the local community,” said Ms Curlewis.

“We are looking at making a donation to a local based charity or not-for-profit organisation that focuses on re-vegetation using some of the funds received from the recycling program.”

Not-for-profit organisations are encouraged to contact SecureEnergy Environmental Manager Catherine Curlewis by email: ccurlewis@elecnor.es

#SecureEnergy #Transgrid #EnergyConnect #WentworthShireCouncil #recycling #returnandearn

For further information on the NSW Government Return & Earn Container deposit scheme, visit the link below.

Container Deposit Scheme
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WaterNSW Pricing Proposal 2025-2030

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Every four years, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) sets the maximum charges for WaterNSW prices and ensures that WaterNSW proposed costs are fair, prudent and efficient.

For the next pricing period (2025-2030), WaterNSW must submit its draft water pricing proposal to IPART by September 2024, with new prices, regulated and set by IPART, to take effect from 1 July 2025. These determinations will affect Rural Valleys, Greater Sydney, and Water Administration Ministerial Corporation customers.

This pricing proposal engagement will look a little different to previous years. WaterNSW are expanding the breadth and depth of their engagement so that customers and stakeholders of all types – big and small – are offered the opportunity to be involved in decision-making.

In the second half of 2023, WaterNSW will start to examine price proposal issues and there will be a deeper dive into greater detail, with the website regularly updated. Price sharing issues, tariffs structures, and cost proposals will be examined into 2024. 

For further information or to get involved in the pricing proposal process, click or tap the button below.

WaterNSW Pricing Proposal 2025-2030

Service NSW – Quiet Hour

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From May 2020, Service NSW began trailing Quiet Hour in eight (8) Service Centres across NSW.

Following the success of this trial, from June 2023, ‘Quiet Hour’ will be introduced in additional Service Centres to help better support customers who prefer a less stimulating environment.

Quiet Hour will run within Wentworth Service Centre every week, commencing in June for one hour each week.

Wentworth Service Centre will have reduced lighting, music will be turned off, and mobile phones on silent mode to make visits more comfortable for customers.

For further information, contact:

Service NSW – Wentworth Service Centre

Shop 9, Sandwych Street, Wentworth NSW 2738

P: 13 77 88

Privacy Awareness Week 2023

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Privacy Awareness Week is a global campaign that involves both public sector agencies and citizens and aims to improve understanding and awareness of NSW privacy legislation, and to raise awareness of a person’s privacy rights and agency obligations.

Privacy Awareness Week NSW takes place from 1 – 7 May 2023 and this year’s theme is Back to Basics: Privacy foundations in NSW.

Wentworth Shire Council is a proud Champion of Privacy Awareness Week NSW 2023 and is committed to protecting the privacy of NSW citizens.

In NSW, your privacy is protected by the:

  • Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act) which outlines how NSW public sector agencies, including government agencies, local councils and universities, manage and protect personal information
  •  (HRIP Act) which promotes fair and responsible handling of health information. The HRIP Act applies to an organisation in NSW that is a health service provider or that collects, holds or uses health information. This includes both public and private sector organisations.

This Privacy Awareness Week, follow these basic principles to protect your privacy:

  • Store – store personal documents such as passports, driving licences, pay slips, tax returns, bank statements and bills in a safe place.
  • Destroy – Destroy or shred personal documents you are throwing away such as bills, receipts, credit card statements and other documents that show your name, address or other personal details.
  • Secure – If you need to post personal documents, ask the post office for advice on the most secure method.
  • Limit – Keep the number of documents you carry around on you to a minimum. Don’t leave personal documents in your vehicle or unattended.
  • Check – Check your bank and credit card statements regularly for unusual transactions.
  • Vary – Always use a different password and PIN for different accounts and take care when using public computers to access personal information.
  • Accurate – Regularly check your records. Make sure your information is correct and up to date.
  • Secret – Disable auto-connect to public Wi-Fi and never connect to public Wi-Fi on your work account. Use a VPN, incognito mode and/or ad blocking browser extensions, and clear out your cookie caches and browsing history to prevent your data and activity being collected.
  • Ask – Get permission before you share photos or videos of someone, and don’t share posts that contain personal information. Never exchange sensitive information over email.
  • Think –Think before you click links or share posts. Social media platforms have around 20 per cent more methods to scam customers than other websites, including malicious advertisements, share buttons and plug-ins.
  • Separate – Never use a work email address on a personal social media account. Use your own email address or create a separate one.
  • Delete – Remove unused apps from your phone, and disable location, camera and microphone access where it’s not required.

The Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) can also help you understand privacy laws in NSW and give you information on how to protect your personal information and assert your rights. Learn more by visiting the Privacy Awareness Week webpage www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/PAW2023

PAW2021_Top_Ten_Privacy_Tips_Infographic_May_2021Download
Fact_Sheet_IPPs_for_members_of_the_public_April-2023Download
Fact_Sheet_A_guide_to_privacy_laws_in_NSW_September_2019Download