The call for efficiency in the water business Ways and means to deliver Rod Naylor, Executive General Manager Growth, Veolia Australia New Zealand, Sydney and Veolia Innovation and Markets Department, Paris
Making sustainable changes that deliver more for less is a challenging task. Substantial, sustainable change primarily focused on improving efficiencies requires a willingness to change the very nature of an organisation: what it does, how it gets done and even who does it.
T
aking on such changes re-
Similar pressures exist around the globe,
quires courage, conviction
but depending on the local circumstances,
and long-term commitment.
the response taken can vary substantially.
It takes learning and explo-
Ultimately, there are two attitudes of response
ration, and it involves an
that organisations and institutions can take:
element of risk. If change
is successfully adapted, however, the wins
• Defence of the status quo and doing enough to satisfy criticism; or
could be huge for the organisation and for
• Leadership and commitment to develop new
its customers, who will reap the benefits of
ways to deliver fully on these demands.
receiving an improved and better value-for-
Taking the high road is a difficult task,
money service. In the wake of the global
as journeys that require change always are.
financial crisis and the end of the Australian
However, there are three key elements neces-
water industry’s investment peak necessitated
sary for success:
by the millennium drought, the expectations
1. Identification and acceptance of the op-
of customers, regulators and political leaders
portunity to do better.
are increasingly focused on improvements
2. Leadership and organisational behaviour.
in efficiency. Calls are regularly heard for
3. Opportunities for cooperation outside
reductions in water bills and, at the same
the utility.
time, for increased levels of service in terms
16 Sustainability Matters - Oct/Nov 2015
of enhancing the livability, sustainability and
Benchmarking
resilience of our urban centres.
A common approach to understanding the
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au