Annual Report 2022-2023

Annual Report 2022-2023 Bulk Water Supply Weed Biosecurity Rural Flood Mitigation

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 1

Acknowledgement of Country Rous County Council acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which we work and live. We pay our respects to the Elders of the past, present and emerging and acknowledge their continuing connection to Country who will guide us on our shared journey to the future.

See our Statement of Commitment 2023.

Level 4, 218-232 Molesworth Street, Lismore NSW 2480 PO Box 230, Lismore NSW 2480 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays (02) 6623 3800 council@rous.nsw.gov.au www.rous.nsw.gov.au @RousCountyCouncil www.linkedin.com/company/rous-county-council @rouscountycouncil

Disclaimer and copyright The information contained in this report, including opinions, advice and representations (the Content) has been formulated in good faith and with all due care and is considered true and correct at the time of publication. Rous County Council does not warrant or represent that the Content is free from errors or omissions or that it is exhaustive. Rous does not accept any liability in relation to the quality or accuracy of the Content.

Rous, its respective servants and agents, accept no responsibility for any person acting on, or relying on, or upon the Content. To the extent permitted by law, Rous disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred or arising by reason of any person using or relying on the Content or by reason or by any error, omission, defect or misstatement (whether such error, omission or misstatement is caused by or arises from negligence, lack of care or otherwise). Users of this Annual Report are reminded of the need to ensure that all information upon which they rely is up to date. Clarification regarding the currency of the Content can be obtained from Rous.

You are permitted to copy, distribute, display and otherwise freely deal with the Content for any purpose, on the condition that you acknowledge Rous County Council as the source of the Content and attach the following statement to all uses of the Content ‘© Rous County Council’. If you are seeking to use any Content for a commercial purpose, you must obtain permission from Rous. © Rous County Council 2023.

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Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Chair’s message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 General Manager’s message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Our councillors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Council structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Our organisation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Our Mission Vision Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 About us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Our people. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Our functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Our achievements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 People and Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 People and Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Customer and Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Health, Safety and Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Planning and Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Strategic planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Water sustainability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Future Water Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Catchment and Cultural Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Reconciliation Action Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Flood Mitigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Weed Biosecurity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Bush regeneration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Dams and Treatment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Water Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Corporate and Commercial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Finance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Information Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Statutory reporting requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Financial performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Commercial properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Summary of financial report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

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Introduction Introduction

This Annual Report summarises the activities and performance of Rous for 2022-2023 against our Delivery Program and Operational Plan. As well as reporting on our activities, the report contains a range of statutory reporting information. This and earlier annual reports are available on our website: www.rous.nsw.gov.au

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Chair’s message In February 2022, the region experienced its worst flood in modern history. I’m proud of our Northern Rivers community who have demonstrated extraordinary resilience and strength this past reporting year as we continue to recover from these devastating floods.

The staff at Rous County Council (Rous) live in the community they serve. During a time when many experienced significant personal hardships, Rous staff continued to demonstrate their dedication and professionalism as they worked to repair, re-build and provide water, weed biosecurity, and flood mitigation services for our region.

A message from

Cr Robert Mustow Rous Chair

This was recognised at the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA) Reconnects Day in October 2022 when Rous’s Dams and Treatment Team were awarded the Team of the Year Award. The Award acknowledged the team’s tireless efforts, which kept the community from running out of water and from needing to boil water during the 2022 floods.

Following the 2022 floods, we continued to face new challenges in 2023 with the threat of drought.

Rous has been actively educating the community about water conservation and literacy. The Water Education program was reinvigorated as more than 250 school children from nine local schools were taught about sustainability using the catchment activity model.

The theme of water conservation continued as Rous sponsored the annual Water Night campaign (an initiative of The Water Conservancy), which took place during National Water Week. In honour of Water Night in 2022, Rous planted approximately 650 seedlings as part of the Bush Regeneration Project at Fosters Spur.

Right after Water Night, Rous launched its ‘Mindful Water Habits Start Now’ campaign, which aimed to educate the public about our limited supply of water in general – despite recently facing a flood.

These campaigns, in addition to regular messages provided to the public on social media and in publications by Rous and its constituent councils, have helped to inform and prepare the public for drier times ahead.

I congratulate the Flood Mitigation Team who have been working in partnership with Rous’s constituent councils and the local community to recover from the floods. Rous’s network of more than 700 individual floodgates required continued attention during the reporting year as debris was caught in and around the infrastructure.

Rous strived to mitigate post-flood weed biosecurity threats using a variety of surveillance techniques. Through their efforts they identified the prohibited matter, Frogbit, in the Byron Bay LGA, and conducted control works on large infestations including Tropical Soda Apple.

I am proud to Chair Rous County Council, and I am grateful for the support of the constituent councils of Lismore, Richmond Valley, Byron and Ballina, and also the councils we service on a feefor-service arrangement - Tweed and Kyogle.

Our important partnership ensures our community continues to benefit from the reliable, essential, services provided.

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General Manager’s message This reporting year was an exceptionally challenging time for the region. At Rous, we took on the vast responsibility of restoring the infrastructure that was damaged during the 2022 floods; while providing essential water, weed biosecurity, and flood mitigation services for our community; as we looked ahead by implementing new technology systems and continued our strategic planning for the future.

A message from

Phillip Rudd General Manager

Rous’s Digital Transformation team reviewed our various IT systems through a holistic lens. In June 2023, the team launched the ‘Program Novus’ initiative to investigate how Rous operates across the business. The purpose of the program is to identify and implement an IT system that is better suited to our needs, is simple to use by everyone, everywhere, and truly supports dayto-day tasks.

To achieve this, the project team will be working across all business areas, examining current work processes and ensuring that they capture business and system requirements that will be needed for our future.

We introduced a range of technology systems to increase our efficiency, improve our infrastructure and operating systems, and assist our community. This includes a new phone system, drawing management system, acoustic technologies to reduce leakage, turbidity analysers that provide realtime information at Nightcap Water Treatment Plant, and hydraulic modelling of our water network that we can take into consideration during future infrastructure upgrades.

Rous is working to ensure the Northern Rivers has a secure and resilient water supply to meet the community’s needs through its Future Water Project 2060. An adaptable supply of water may involve one or a combination of different options including water saving measures, groundwater, surface water, purified recycled water and desalination. These potential future water sources are being investigated to determine their viability; each option presents a complex mix of economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts that need to be considered, assessed and balanced.

Exploring all the options will put us in the best position to make well-informed decisions and develop a robust water supply scheme for the future.

At Rous, we endeavour to provide the best outcomes for our community and each other. In addition to celebrating our personal and teams’ successes, we came together to recognise significant events such as NAIDOC Week.

To say that I am proud of our organisation and its dedicated staff is an understatement. What we have achieved in the 2022-2023 reporting year highlights our strength and dedication. I am looking forward to continuing the work we do, together, for our community in close partnership with the councils and constituents of Lismore, Richmond Valley, Byron, Ballina, Tweed and Kyogle.

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Our councillors Our councillors The elected council is made up of eight councillors with two nominated from each of the constituent councils (Ballina, Byron, Lismore and Richmond Valley). Councillors are elected for a four-year term with the chairperson and deputy chairperson being elected by the councillors.

Due to the deferral of local government elections in 2020, the previous term was extended to five years.

Therefore, this term will be three years to bring it back in line with the election cycle. The next NSW local government elections are scheduled for September 2024.

The election of chair and deputy chair was held at the 16 February 2022 Council meeting with Cr Robert Mustow (Richmond Valley Council) elected chair and Cr Sharon Cadwallader (Ballina Shire Council) elected deputy chair.

Ballina Shire Council

Cr Sharon Cadwallader (Deputy Chair)

Cr Rod Bruem

Byron Shire Council

Cr Michael Lyon

Cr Sarah Ndiaye

Lismore City Council

Cr Big Rob

Cr Andrew Gordon

Richmond Valley Council

Cr Robert Mustow (Chair)

Cr Sandra Humphrys

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Council structure Council structure Operations are arranged across four Groups, each led by a manager who reports directly to the General Manager.

Audit Risk and Improvement Committee

Council

General Manager

Planning and Delivery

People and Performance

Corporate and Commercial

Operations

Our workforce consists of office based and outdoor workers operating across four local government areas: Ballina, Byron, Lismore and Richmond Valley.

Weed biosecurity activities extend to a further two local government areas that are serviced under separate fee-for-service arrangements in the Kyogle and Tweed local government areas.

Our Leadership Team

Phillip Rudd General Manager

Andrew Logan Group Manager Planning and Delivery

Helen McNeil

Group Manager People and Performance

Geoff Ward

Acting Group Manager Corporate and Commercial

Adam Nesbitt Group Manager Operations

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Our Our organisation

Organisation

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Our Mission Vision Values Our Mission

To partner with our constituent councils to provide quality services that support a sustainable and productive region.

Our Vision

Thrive and evolve as a valued regional service provider.

Our Values

About us

There are currently nine county councils in New South Wales (NSW) whose functions are limited to the supply of bulk water, flood mitigation, or weed biosecurity services. Rous provides all three of these services and is currently the only multipurpose county council in NSW. Rous provides bulk water to Lismore City, Richmond Valley, Ballina Shire and Byron Shire council areas.

Flood Mitigation services are provided by Rous within the Richmond River floodplain of Ballina Shire, Richmond Valley and Lismore council areas.

In addition to the above councils, Rous also provides Weed Biosecurity services under a fee-for-service arrangement to Tweed Shire and Kyogle councils.

Together, Lismore City Council, Ballina Shire Council, Byron Shire Council and Richmond Valley Council make up Rous’s constituent councils.

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Our people Our people as at 30 June 2023

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Our functions Our functions

Bulk water We provide water in bulk to local government areas of Ballina, Byron, Lismore and Richmond Valley – our principal water supply source is Rocky Creek Dam.

We are the regional water supply authority providing water in bulk to the local government areas of Lismore (excluding Nimbin), Ballina (excluding Wardell), Byron (excluding Mullumbimby) and Richmond Valley (excluding land to the west of Coraki).

A population of around 110,000 is serviced by this water supply system with the area of operations being approximately 3,000km2.

The regional supply network includes around 43,000 connections within the reticulation areas of the local government areas it services and nearly 2,000 retail connections to our trunk main system.

Reticulation of the water within the urban centres is the responsibility of our member councils.

The principal source of our supply network is Rocky Creek Dam (RCD) situated 25km north of Lismore near the village of Dunoon. The dam has a storage capacity of 14,000 mega litres (ML). Other available sources under our control include Emigrant Creek Dam (ECD), Wilsons River Source (WRS) near Lismore, Converys Lane and Lumley Park bores in the Alstonville area, as well as bores in the Richmond Valley area.

Our water infrastructure is valued at more than $250M. This includes the physical trunk main and pipeline system as well as reservoirs, RCD, ECD, WRS, two water treatment plants (Emigrant Creek and Habbie Habib Nightcap) and some areas made available to the public in and around RCD and ECD.

Weed biosecurity Exercising powers and duties in relation to weed biosecurity, identifying and managing high-risk weed species.

Exclude new weeds (prevent them establishing in our region).

Eradicate or contain any new weeds found in our region (eliminate them or stop their spread).

Effectively manage the impacts of widespread invasive weed species.

Build capacity in our region to help the community, industry and government commit to long-term management of invasive weeds.

We focus on: • Identification and management of high-risk weed species and how they spread into and within our region.

• Improving our capacity to find new weeds early.

• Ensuring we have the resources and procedures to take rapid strategic control measures against new weeds in our region.

• Directing our resources to where benefits will be the greatest.

• Increasing community commitment and involvement in proactive weed management.

• We also deliver weed biosecurity services under a service level agreement to Kyogle and Tweed Shire councils.

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Rural flood mitigation We manage 80km of levees, 750 individual floodgates and 180km of drains, which work together to reduce

Rous is the local Flood Mitigation Authority for the Lismore City, Richmond Valley and Ballina Shire local government areas; an area well known for its flooding. We have a proud history of mitigating the impact of floods on the community, dating back to 1959.

Our service delivery relates to maintenance of existing flood mitigation infrastructure and managing the natural resource impacts resulting from the operation of this infrastructure.

We manage 80km of levees, 750 individual floodgates and 190km of drains, which work together to reduce inundation and divert floodwater. floodwater. This infrastructure is very important to the communities who live and work along the Richmond River. In addition, we also have a role in relation to a levee and related infrastructure designed to protect the central business district of Lismore against a 1 in 10-year flood. inundation and divert

While levees, floodgates and drains provide flood mitigation, unfortunately, over time this infrastructure may contribute to poor water quality and fish kills, altering wetlands and changing the natural environment. Rous is committed to continue working cooperatively with landowners to reduce this impact.

The Rocky Mouth Creek floodgates are an example of the infrastructure that Rous manages. Located near the village of Woodburn, these six large floodgates prevent floodwater from the Richmond River travelling up Rocky Mouth Creek and inundating low lying land.

Outside of flood times, these floodgates are kept winched open to allow tidal water to exchange between the river and the creek. This improves water quality and benefits aquatic life. Rous has an Active Floodgate Management Plan for Rocky Mouth Creek which is a voluntary agreement with the landowners on how the floodgates will be managed to reduce their environmental impact.

We also have a strong interest in activities such as hydrological research, flood surveying and modelling.

This enables us to better understand flood behaviours and the impact of flooding on the catchment and floodplain.

As a flood mitigation authority, we also partner with our constituent councils to coordinate the preparation and submission of grant funding applications for agreed regional projects.

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Our achievements Our

Achievements

Rous’s activity is split into four organisational groups. They are People and Performance, Planning and Delivery, Operations and Corporate and Commercial. Each group comprises various teams that together meet Rous’s Delivery Program and Operational Plan objectives. The following section details operational highlights for the year from these teams.

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Governance Audit Risk and Improvement Committee From 1 July 2024, Audit Risk and Improvement committees will need to comply with new Guidelines issued by the Office of Local Government. Among other things, this means that the composition of the Committee will change.

Under the Guidelines, the Committee must be composed, at a minimum, of one independent chair and two independent members. There is an option to include a non-voting councillor member as well.

To be in a position to comply with the Guidelines and fill the position of chair – following confirmation the incumbent Incumbent Chair: Brian Wilkinson. chair will not be seeking reappointment – a recruitment process was undertaken to identify suitable candidates to fill the position of chair and an additional independent member position on the Committee.

The recruitment process was undertaken and as a result Laurie Lefcourt was appointed to the role of chair and Raymond Wong as an independent member.

A handover period between the outgoing and incoming Committee chairs occurred during the reporting period.

Sustainable procurement In June 2023, Rous established its commitment to promoting and influencing sustainability in the marketplace and its procurement practices by adopting a new Procurement policy.

People and Performance

People and Performance

Under the Local Government Act 1993, councils, including county councils, have an obligation to consider and apply principles of sustainability in their decision making and financial management practices.[1]

the needs of future generations.[2]

‘Sustainability’ is generally considered to mean a situation, comprising environmental, social and economic aspects, in which the needs of the present are met without compromising

The international standard on sustainable procurement (ISO 20400:2017) recommends that sustainable procurement principles be embedded at the policy and strategic level of an organisation to ensure sustainable purchasing is not merely conducted as an ad-hoc activity and that the organisation’s intentions and values are clearly communicated to its stakeholders.

Refer to sections 8A(2) and 8B of the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW).

Refer to definition of ‘sustainability’ at clause 3.33 of ISO 20400:2017 ‘Sustainable Procurement – Guidance’.

[1] [2]

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Continuous improvement within People and Culture The final modules of the ELMO Human Resources Information System (HRIS) were delivered in late 2022, with Recruitment, Onboarding, Performance and Organisational Mandatory Training, now all managed through the HRIS. Overall, the system provided several HR efficiencies, reduced risk, and improved the overall employee experience.

As part of the proposed continuous improvement cycle for the HRIS, the recruitment and performance modules were revisited in early 2023. The People and Culture and Change and Innovation teams worked closely together to re-design and streamline these processes and workflows. The result: a simple, efficient system that has seen significant time-savings across the organisation. Information gathered from stakeholders, identified time savings of 30 minutes to 2 hours across workflows and feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Diversity Award Rous received the Employment Diversity Award (Regional) as part of the 2022 Ministers’ Awards for Women in Local Government. The Award was based on our inaugural ‘Leader in Me’ (LiMe) program, which was established to promote diversity in leadership at all levels, support both professional and personal development, and reward high performers.

LiMe provides emerging leaders with a safe space to learn and develop their skills, and many have since taken up new roles or opportunities to extend themselves. This has been beneficial not just for Rous, but other local government organisations and industries in the region.

Rous Deputy Chairperson and Ballina Shire Councillor, Sharon Cadwallader, also received the Lilliane Brady OAM Award in honour of her dedication to local government. The awards were presented by the Honorable Wendy Tuckerman MP the then Minister for Local Government and the Honorable Bronnie Taylor MLC the then Minister for Women at NSW Parliament House on Thursday 24 November 2022.

People and Performance

People and Culture

Customer and Communications Branding and marketing strategy - staff workshops Early in 2023, Rous a journey to develop a branding and marketing strategy.

Over the years, especially since our merger in 2016, we have grappled with the challenges of not being widely recognised, misunderstandings about what a ‘county council’ is (rather than a general purpose council), and the community’s presumption that Rous continues to be its antecedent institution, ‘Rous Water’.

While we have made significant strides, the decision was made to review our brand and marketing position to raise our profile and communicate what we do and why we do it more effectively to the community.

Continued over page ...

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Identifying what Rous does as an organisation, why it is done and for whom was integral. It was an opportunity to share views from different areas of the business and there were plenty of discussions and varying viewpoints. Though there was one clear and recurring theme: Rous’s greatest asset is its staff, who are well-regarded for being highly skilled, highly competent and passionate about what they do.

Constituent council networking event Rous’s Communications Team hosted a networking and information session for its constituent councils at the end of March, 2023. The morning, held at the Ballina Surf Life Saving Club, brought together communications and customer service representatives to share ideas, discuss current issues and build relationships.

It was also an opportunity to provide a snapshot of the services Rous provides to increase awareness and understanding of our work in the region. The purpose of this was to support the teams that handle community enquiries so that they can direct requests to the appropriate people.

Despite liaising online and on the phone, in some cases over many years, it was the first time that the communications teams from the various general purpose councils and Rous met in person. This was an important opportunity to strengthen collaboration amongst the communications teams and discuss the important topics within the region. This partnership has continued.

Improving internal communications During the reporting period, Rous’s Leadership Team focused on improving internal communications and implemented strategies to facilitate more opportunities for two-way engagement between leadership and staff.

People and Performance

As part of this process, more than a dozen employees were involved in a two-day workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to get a better understanding of who Rous is, who our audiences are, and to discuss talent acquisition.

This initiative aimed at ensuring staff – who work at a range of locations and with varying levels of time spent indoors and outdoors – are kept up to date and consistently receive important information from the organisation, particularly as we relocate to Ballina.

In collaboration with the Communications Team, Rous’s General Manager initiated a regular all-staff email called ‘from the GM’s Desk.’ To help decrease the volume of emails sent, key messages from various committees are now included in the monthly newsletter, Rous Connect.

In person, the General Manager hosted ‘Pheeds with Phil’ as an opportunity for staff to have lunch in an informal setting and get to know each other better, and have the opportunity to ask questions of the General Manager. All-staff events were hosted to celebrate key recognition days and were occasions for staff working across the region to meet face-to-face, more often.

This initiative also enabled staff to communicate anonymously with the Leadership Team through the online feedback tool, Mentimeter.

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Inspections completed by type The increase in inspections and pre-starts completed during the reporting period is a testament to Rous’s commitment to safety and environmental protection, and reduces the risk of accidents and injuries before they can cause harm.

Overall, the increase in inspections and pre-starts is a positive development for Rous and its staff, and can lead to a number of additional benefits such as reduced downtime and costs, improved compliance, and increased employee morale.

Inspections completed by month

2021-2022

2022-2023

July

3

62

August

1

140

September

4

163

October

3

162

November

1

340

December

1

211

January

1

338

February

1

361

March

0

407

April

80

290

May

95

369

June

People and Performance

Health, Safety and Environment

284 TOTAL

194

3127

Expanded rollout of BeSafe, Vault Check and Vault Notify apps Rous expanded its rollout of BeSafe - a comprehensive safety management system that has assisted us to improve safety performance in a number of ways.

BeSafe can help to: • track and manage safety incidents and hazards more effectively • identify and implement corrective actions quicker • improve communication and collaboration between employees on safety issues • generate reports that can be used to track safety trends and identify areas for improvement.

BeSafe is one example of how Rous is committed to providing its employees with the tools and resources they need to stay safe.

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The digitisation of the Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) and Safe Work Instructions (SWIs) will make them more accessible and easier for employees to use. This will also help to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries. Additionally, iPads can be used to take photos and videos of hazards, which can be used to document and track them. This information can then be used to develop and implement corrective actions.

The extended update and rollout of iPads has provided employees with access to the latest technology, which can further improve safety and efficiency. For example, employees can use iPads to access SWMS and SWIs while they are working on a task, which can help to ensure that they are following the correct safety procedures. Additionally, iPads can be used to conduct safety inspections and audits, and to deliver safety training to employees.

Overall, the digitisation of SWMS and SWIs and the extended update and rollout of iPads are positive developments that will help us to improve safety, increase efficiency, and better comply with regulations.

SafeWork NSW Consultation Workshop Rous held a consultation workshop with SafeWork NSW to discuss the latest changes to workplace health and safety legislation in line with Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

The workshop was attended by employees from all levels of the organisation, including management, supervisors, and frontline workers.

The workshop was an opportunity for Rous to learn about the latest changes to the law and to discuss how to implement them in the workplace. The workshop also provided an opportunity for Rous to get feedback from SafeWork NSW on its safety procedures and best practices.

People and Performance

Paper-based systems digitised

One of the key takeaways from the workshop was the importance of consultation with employees when making changes to safety procedures. Rous is committed to consulting with its employees on all matters related to safety, and the workshop was a valuable opportunity to do so. Rous is also committed to providing its employees with the training and resources they need to stay safe.

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Projects Smart meters and backflow prevention devices In the reporting period, Rous continued the planning phase of new digital smart meters for the majority of our existing 2,132 direct water customers.

Smart meter design.

Smart water meters are a modern, digital way to record the use of water. Unlike traditional water meters that are read manually on a quarterly basis, smart meters use wireless technology to remotely record water usage in real time. Smart meters will enable our customers to better understand their water use by providing more detailed information. They also provide for more accurate billing and help with the early detection of leaks, saving water and money.

The contract for installation has been awarded and is anticipated to commence early 2024.

Some properties have also been identified as requiring the installation of a backflow prevention device, which will occur at the same time.

Planning and Delivery

Planning and Delivery

Advanced acoustic technologies reducing leakages In August 2022, a team of experts helped to reduce leakage in our water supply network using advanced acoustic technologies.

The program focuses on targeted leak detection activities in areas of concern, and on-ground works to pinpoint leaks and reduce water loss. Initial work utilised acoustic technology to detect leaks. When a leak occurs in a pressurised pipeline, a distinct acoustic signal is generated that can be detected with advanced technology and skilled technicians.

The program surveyed more than 140km of water pipes in the Rous water supply network. While some leaks show at ground surface, others may discharge into sandy soils or along trenches of other services and are unable to be detected by visual inspection. This is where active leak detection can provide real benefits in finding leaks that can be difficult to locate.

A specialised water loss management company was engaged to complete the works and the project was supported by NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) under the NSW Water Efficiency Program.

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 20

Bulk water strategic modelling The hydraulic modelling of our Bulk Water Network was performed in 2023. The work included the transfer of an existing software model into the new software, InfoWorks WS Pro, used by many other water utilities.

The recent modelling was supported by the water demand forecasting assessment completed in 2022, which forecast the water demands of Lismore City, Richmond Valley, Ballina and Byron Shire Council’s up to the year 2060.

The new hydraulic model well represents the actual operation of the network and demonstrates the effectiveness of previous installations and its reliability after future capital works upgrades have been implemented.

The future 30-year capital works program - including reservoirs, pipelines and valves - has been updated to ensure sustainability of water infrastructure from existing water sources. Water quality modelling demonstrated the reliability of disinfection within the network.

Bulk water network modelling The hydraulic modelling of Rous’s bulk water network has provided great information that we can take into consideration for future infrastructure upgrades.

Planning and Delivery

Strategic planning

The model represents the actual operation of the network; it shows the effectiveness of previous installations and its reliability after future capital works upgrades are implemented. Future infrastructure upgrades include pipes, pumps, valves and reservoir storage.

Bulk water network modelling.

Dam Safety Management Plan Rous has been active in taking responsibility for dam safety for many years and has been progressively implementing the Dam Safety Management System as per the Dams Safety NSW Regulation 2019 (Regulation).

Emigrant Creek Dam.

In 2023, Rous completed the Dam Break and Consequence Category Assessments and surveillance inspections for both the Rocky Creek Dam and the Emigrant Creek Dam, and is progressing with the Societal and Individual Risk Rating Assessment and Safety Review for Emigrant Creek Dam.

Rous continues to update and improve existing reports and plans as new guidelines are released and as required by the regulator, Dams Safety NSW. Rous has been working closely with the State Emergency Services (SES) to better respond to any potential emergencies and has forged a good relationship for efficient communications.

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Educating students on water sustainability During the reporting year, the Water Education program was reinvigorated as Rous aims to increase water literacy in our region and ensure water sustainable behaviours continue.

Primarily this was done using our catchment activity model trailer, which was presented to over 350 school children from nine different local schools.

Educating students with the Catchment Activity Model trailer.

Introduced pre and post knowledge assessments showed an increase in understanding of issues, including pollution in our waterways and erosion. Feedback stated “Great presentation. Wonderful resources. And clear and concise explanations.”

The booking process has been digitised to facilitate the process. Presentations were also conducted at four community events in the region.

Water Night 2022 Rous sponsored the annual national Water Night campaign in October 2022.

Planning and Delivery

Water sustainability

To increase public registration, Rous offered to plant 10 trees for every household registered. As a result, more than 650 native seedlings were planted at Fosters Spur.

Advertising through social media on Facebook and Instagram occurred from September to November, as well as advertising in the local paper and on our website, culminating in a hosted morning tea with live conferencing at our offices.

‘Mindful Water Habits Start Now’ campaign The ‘Mindful Water Habits Start Now’ campaign launched n 2022 with a focus on highlighting the limited supply of water and sustainable water behaviours.

The campaign produced an educational ebook, which was downloaded 6,000 times.

Overall, the social media campaign reached 138,848 people.

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In 2022-2023, Rous received and processed 46 rainwater tank rebate applications, with a total volume of 379,042 litres. Of these applications, 20 received additional rebates for internal connections to the toilet and laundry.

The Rainwater Tank Rebate Program is available to residents whose property is connected to town water and within the Rous bulk water supply area.

This includes the council areas of Ballina (excluding Wardell); Byron (excluding Mullumbimby); Lismore (excluding Nimbin); and Richmond Valley (excluding Casino and land to the west of Coraki).

The rebate program has an annual capped budget that is renewed each financial year. Rebates are provided on a first in, first serve basis until the cap is reached. Once this cap is reached, there are no more rebates provided until the new financial year starts. Residents who miss out in the current financial year, can submit an application when the budget is renewed at the start of the next financial year.

Future Water Project

Planning and Delivery

Residential Rainwater Tank Rebate Program

The Future Water Project 2060 represents Rous’s Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy and is our plan to ensure the Northern Rivers has a secure and resilient water supply that will meet our needs to 2060 and beyond. It was adopted in 2021 and sets out a three-stage approach that includes more water saving initiatives and an expanded range of water supply sources.

In the reporting period, Rous secured over $2 million in funding from the NSW Government’s Safe and Secure Water Program. This supports all investigations, options assessments, concept designs and detailed designs related to securing a safe and sustainable supply of water for the region, including the following activities.

First stage actions to secure water in the short-term Alstonville water supply scheme development Rous is transforming the Alstonville water supply scheme to include two new water sources, the Clarence Moreton Basin sub-aquifer and surface water from Marom Creek; this is in addition to water from the shallower Alstonville Basalt Plateau aquifer.

To develop the scheme, Rous secured an in-principle agreement with Ballina Shire Council to acquire the Marom Creek weir and the adjacent water treatment plant. We are progressing through the required actions to facilitate this transfer, including detailing assets and surveys as well as striking a binding agreement on the terms of transfer.

Rous is also securing land within the planned final stage of the Russellton Industrial Estate for the construction of a new water treatment plant for the Alstonville water supply scheme.

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Rous secured flood recovery funding from the NSW Government Infrastructure Betterment Fund to repair and replace existing assets at its Woodburn groundwater supply scheme and water treatment plant.

A Woodburn Catchment Risk Assessment and Bore Sites Determination Report has been completed; this has recommended locations for additional production bores. Concept designs for three new bores and their connection to a new water treatment plant have also been initiated.

Second stage investigations for the medium-term Investigations into the Brunswick Coastal Sands groundwater source at Tyagarah were deferred due to the impact of the 2022 floods.

When second-stage studies resume, they will assess the viability of a potential groundwater scheme at Tyagarah, taking into consideration potential economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts.

Third stage investigations into options for the long-term The project team commenced preliminary investigations into several different longer-term options designed to augment Rous’s supply scheme. These options include new groundwater sources, purified recycled water, desalination and a new surface water supply. Investigations are happening concurrently due to the long planning and construction lead times of large and complex infrastructure projects.

Planning and Delivery

Woodburn groundwater scheme reinstatement

A multi-year investigation has commenced to assess the feasibility of different purified recycled water (PRW) schemes. Rous has conducted a series of workshops with Purified recycled water workshop with regulators, internal staff and expert consultants, to better expert consultants. understand the regulatory landscape and develop our investigative approach. Various PRW scheme options have been longlisted and we continue to evaluate the viability of several types of pilot schemes and site locations. We are contributing to the existing and expanding knowledge base in this area by collaborating with industry peers and NSW agencies, which is also helping to inform the relevant regulatory frameworks.

We have conducted preliminary investigations into desalination as a potential future water source and are evaluating temporary and permanent options for emergency use in a severe drought. Key considerations being investigated are the capital costs of construction, high energy costs for operation, technical feasibility and sensitive coastal and marine environments.

In February 2022, Rous councillors voted in favour of commissioning an independent cultural heritage and biodiversity assessment of a previously proposed area for a new dam west of the village of Dunoon. Consultation with relevant stakeholders is underway regarding these studies.

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River Reach Program During the reporting period, the Catchment and Cultural Awareness Team worked on a number of riparian projects - from river reach planning and restoration works, to revegetation and weed control in the Upper Emigrant Creek catchment.

Rous’s River Reach Program has a history of collaboration with local landholders to improve river condition in its drinking water catchments and improve long-term water quality.

Rous partnered with Reforest Now to plant 15,000 rainforest trees in the Upper Emigrant Creek catchment area. Rous funded the assisted regeneration of another 2km of riparian area fronting Emigrant Creek near Newrybar. This will create a significant new area of forest in this area and will assist in protecting the Emigrant Creek water supply.

Revegetation and weed control.

Fish Habitat Action Grant The first year of the Fish Habitat Action Grant at Coraki has been completed. This project controlled environmental weeds along 1km of riverbank next to the Coraki township and facilitated the planting of more than 2,500 trees.

Planning and Delivery

Catchment and Cultural Awareness

An additional $40,000 grant was secured from the NSW Coast and Estuary Management Grant program to begin more works on the eastern bank of the river at Coraki to protect and enhance a further 800 meters of riverfront.

Erosion severity ranking along the riverbank.

These works are part of Rous’s contribution to riparian restoration of the Richmond catchment, one of the key environmental actions in the Richmond River Coastal Zone Management Plan.

Stage 1 of the Plan has been officially completed for the Richmond River and the team are progressing to Stage 2, extending to the upper catchment areas of the river system.

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Rous established its first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) (Reflect RAP) in 2016 and an Innovate RAP in 2021. Highlights of progress during 2022/23 includes the following.

RAP Advisory Group (RAPAG) RAPAG continued the evolution of the Terms of Reference for our Advisory Group to facilitate increased coverage from First Nations organisations and communities across the Rous operational footprint.

As part of National Reconciliation Week 2023, members of the RAPAG and staff travelled to Gamilaraay Country to participate in the annual remembrance of the Myall Creek massacre. The Myall Creek commemoration process has been recognised nationally and internationally as a beacon for reconciliation, and the RAPAG has expressed an interest in exploring the potential for such a commemoration in our local area.

Flood recovery In November 2021, Rous, in partnership with Lismore City Council, re-opened the Lismore Visitor Information Centre as the Rous Cultural Environmental and Information Centre as a place to learn about our relationships with each other and with the environment – a place for reconciliation.

Whilst the centre was closed following the devastating floods of 2022, Rous refocussed the activities of our contractors at the centre from coordination and engagement to direct support for Aboriginal organisations and communities impacted by the flood. Our contractors were able to coordinate a series of successful funding applications for undertaking activities to assist in mitigating the cultural, environmental, social and economic impacts of the flood.

Planning and Delivery

Reconciliation Action Plan

Statement of Commitment Rous has for many years worked in partnership with local First Nations people, organisations and stakeholders on community educational projects for the protection of water and land, and for reconciliation.

Rous is keen to ensure that these relationships and ongoing partnerships are not undermined by community concerns regarding the management of Aboriginal cultural heritage matters associated with the Future Water Project 2060 (FWP).

In April 2023, Rous endorsed a Statement of Commitment to First Nations people to ensure that Rous can continue to work in partnership on important social justice components of the RAP and to appropriately respond to legislative / regulatory requirements of the FWP. See our Statement of Commitment 2023.

Cultural awareness training Rous’s Cultural Awareness Training Framework aims to increase cultural competencies across our workforce and to promote greater understanding of processes and protocols for working cross-culturally.

This has involved the conduct of self-guided e-modules. In addition, Rous’s Reconciliation Liaison Officer commenced Yarning Circles. This involves forming small groups of male and female employees to discuss and better understand cultural awareness, and the impacts of colonialisation, and is built on establishing trust, respect and confidentiality.

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Flood Mitigation Recovering from the 2022 floods During the reporting year, the focus for Flood Mitigation has been working with the local community to recover from the catastrophic floods of February and March 2022.

It has been a challenging year, with Flood Mitigation staff themselves also directly and indirectly impacted by the floods.

Flood Mitigation team and Rous Chair, Robert Mustow.

Operations

Operations

Additionally, the Flood Mitigation depot and office at Woodburn was also inundated and damaged. The devastating and far-reaching impact of the floods means recovery will take time; however staff have made steady progress in repairing damage to Rous’s infrastructure.

With the assistance of the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement, critical repair works occurred on levees that were damaged in the floods. Rural levees at Bungawalbyn, East Coraki and Duck Creek were damaged by rapid floodwater eroding sections of the earth levees. Kilometres of damage to levees has now been repaired with disaster assistance.

Rous’s network of more than 700 individual floodgates has also required continued attention following the floods, with debris caught in and around the infrastructure needing to be removed.

In June 2023, the flood damaged flood mitigation depot and office at Woodburn were also repaired, signalling an important milestone in the Flood Mitigation Team’s own recovery from the floods.

Further flood repairs are scheduled for the year ahead.

Northern Rivers drainage review The 2022 flood event highlighted the importance of floodplain drains to the community.

Following the floods, the NSW State Government undertook an independent review of floodplain drainage, which Rous contributed to. This review has led to the establishment of the Northern Rivers Drainage Reset Program, which will invest $5M in repairing floodplain drains.

NSW Government launch of the Northern Rivers Drainage Reset Program in February 2023 at East Wardell.

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Following the completion of critical repairs to Rous infrastructure, Flood Mitigation’s routine maintenance program has recommenced.

Major maintenance projects completed during the reporting year include removal of vegetation from Tuckombil Levee near Woodburn and mechanical cleaning of a drain near Ross Lane.

Mechanically removing vegetation that has grown up along Tuckombil Levee, located near Woodburn.

Tuckombil Levee is a high priority asset for Rous as it prevents minor and moderate floods from spilling out towards the village of Woodburn and surrounds.

Operations

Resumption of routine maintenance

Heavy maintenance of the Tuckombil Levee was undertaken in late May, with trees that have regrown along the slope being mechanically removed and mulched.

In March, a 1.3km drain near Ross Lane, Newrybar, was cleaned of silt and aquatic vegetation that had accumulated in the drain. To neutralise the very high levels of acid sulfate soils in the drain, 20 tonnes of lime was used to treat the sediment removed. The heavy maintenance has opened the drain, removed any obstacles to flow and addressed nearby landowner’s concerns.

Blackwater roundtable discussion On World Wetlands Day (2 February 2023), Rous hosted stakeholders from across the state for a roundtable discussion on blackwater in coastal floodplain wetlands.

Blackwater, or deoxygenated water, is a major water quality issue for many coastal estuaries, including the Richmond River, and a concern for Rous in managing its drains and floodgates.

Representatives from State and Local government, Academia and NGOs met to discuss the management of Blackwater in coastal floodplain wetlands.

Key stakeholders including researchers from University of New South Wales and Southern Cross University, representatives from Department of Planning and Environment and Department of Primary Industries, Tweed Shire Council, Ballina Shire Council, Rous County Council and Ozfish shared their collective understanding of blackwater and how it can be minimised.

Rous remains committed to working cooperatively with all stakeholders to raise awareness of blackwater and the complexity in addressing it.

Natural Resource Management Discussion Paper During the year, Rous commissioned a discussion paper that reviewed and identified the challenges in reducing the environmental impact of floodplain drains and floodgates in a changing climate.

The paper, written by leading academic Professor Will Glamore and technical expert Duncan Rayner, both from Restore Blue, provided the latest scientific advice to Rous on how the environmental impact is predicted to change and how those impacts can be effectively reduced.

This advice will inform future decision making of Rous as well as provide information that can be discussed with relevant stakeholders.

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Preventing highly invasive weed, Miconia Calvescens, in NSW Miconia calvescens (Miconia) is a fast-growing, highly invasive priority weed and is a Prohibited Matter in NSW. Known as the ‘purple plague’, Miconia has wiped out vast tracts of native forests and reduced forest cover in Hawaii.

The Weed Biosecurity Team is dedicated to preventing Miconia from establishing on the NSW Far North Coast and causing widespread devastating effects to the rainforests, including the World Heritage ‘Big Scrub’.

Weed Biosecurity Officer, Jesse, showing Miconia’s unique and large leaf in a forest setting.

Operations

Weed Biosecurity

To ensure Miconia does not become established in the Far North Coast region, Rous’s Weed Biosecurity Team has an on-going control program and works closely in partnership with stakeholders.

In the 2022/23 reporting period, Rous has: • held regular surveillance searches in high-risk locations • maintained a broad public awareness campaign • worked in partnership with property owners where Miconia has been detected.

During this period, Rous has continued to prevent Miconia from establishing on the Far North Coast through the early detection and rapid response of Miconia in known and high risk sites through on-ground and aerial works, coupled with a strategic public awareness campaign. Activities include developing education resources, participating in events, radio advertisements, social media, digital advertising and bus banners.

Through the success and lessons learned from the Miconia campaign so far, Rous intends on replicating the Miconia public awareness campaign with other priority weeds, including Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus). A greater emphasis on community education will help to eradicate and prevent other Priority weeds on the NSW Far North Coast.

Mitigating weed biosecurity threats after the 2022 floods During 2022-2023, Rous inspected flood affected properties and controlled high priority weeds on both private and public land in conjunction with developing key resources (Post-Flood Weeds book) and delivering over 20 events across the Far North Coast.

Weed Biosecurity Officer, Karolina, with Byron Shire’s Andy Erskine; Frogbit infestation in waterway in Byron LGA.

Using flood inundation modelling and historical data, Rous used a variety of methods to undertake inspections for intensive weed surveillance, including canoeing, boating, using all-terrain vehicles and on foot. These inspections resulted in the identification of the prohibited matter, Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum), in the Byron Bay LGA and an emergency response to control the weed from an extensive stretch of creekline.

Continued over page ...

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In addition to mapping priority weeds, officers mapped and monitored incursions of other environmental weeds, providing flood-impacted landholders and residents with property-specific information on weed identification and control advice.

Rous post-flood Weed Biosecurity Officers forged linkages between flood-impacted residents and local support services. The provision of community education and assistance through the delivery of weeds workshops and referrals were established through strong collaboration with the Department of Primary Industries Recovery Officers, Local Land Services, Resilient Lismore, Council Recovery Hubs, Rural Mental Health and Rural Financial Counselling.

Operations

Post-flood Weed Biosecurity Officers completed comprehensive surveillance of priority weeds along high-risk pathways. Surveillance methods assessed flood inundated land, streams, gullies, and large water bodies across both small and large holdings. Officers identified, mapped and conducted control works on large infestations of Tropical soda apple (Solanum viarum), Kidney-leaf mud plantain (Heteranthea reniformis), Job’s tears (Coix lacryma-jobi), Seeded banana (Musa spp.), Miconia (Miconia calvescens), Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and Frogbit.

Weed Biosecurity Officers have been involved in over 20 events offering training and information on post-flood weed threats and farm hygiene. Information has been delivered to urban, rural, and remote communities through partnerships with Landcare, Conservation Volunteers Australia, National Parks and more, with a particular focus on rural agricultural stores and their affiliates.

Rous Weed Biosecurity Officers continue to utilise flood inundation mapping and knowledge of existing known high-risk pathways to prevent new weed biosecurity incursions, eradicate known priority weeds and increase the capacity of flood impacted landholders through property inspections and community education. *This project is supported by North Coast Local Land Services through funding from the NSW and Australian Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Bush regeneration Restoring Fosters Spur Rous’s Bush Regeneration Team has committed to an ambitious 10-year project that aims to restore 40 hectares (100 acres) of giant weed infestations and degraded land at Fosters Spur, located adjacent to Rocky Creek Dam and Nightcap National Park.

Through the bush regeneration at Fosters Spur Project, 50,000 native seedlings will be planted to establish a selfsustaining, sub-tropical rainforest that realises improved water quality, public amenity and ecological benefits.

In its third year, approximately 4,000 native seedlings have been planted, seedlings have grown up to four meters tall, and local fauna has returned to the area bringing the desired species back to the site.

Fosters Spur.

Ultimately, Restoring Fosters Spur to its original state will improve catchment health and provide environmental, community and economic benefits.

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Water quality risk assessment workshop Maintaining the highest water quality is a primary objective for Rous. Although water quality management begins with maintaining healthy catchments, the water treatment plants, distribution system, and maintenance processes are essential for managing the risks associated with water production and supply.

To further our understanding and address the risks involved, a water quality risk assessment workshop was conducted over two days in February 2023.

Amongst others, risks identified included the presence of potentially harmful concentrations of metals, treatment by-products, and other toxins in raw and treated water, the treatment of viruses within raw water, the growth of undesirable bacterial species, and the impacts of future flood and fire events and the affect that such events could have on Rous’s ability to maintain a healthy water supply.

Operations

Dams and Treatment

During the workshop, staff developed an updated, comprehensive water quality risk matrix, a tool fundamental to mitigating risk, identifying extant risks and potential improvements. This will help Rous continue to improve water quality management processes, improve workplace safety, and guarantee an on-going supply of the highest quality water to the community.

PFAS tested within the Wilsons River For the first time, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) testing of the Rous water distribution network and Wilsons River was conducted. The testing aimed to identify the presence and levels of PFAS compounds, which are synthetic chemicals known for their persistence in the environment and potential health risks. Going forward, regular testing of PFAS will help Rous understand and address potential contamination in the region. Fortunately, the result returned concentrations of total PFAS below the detectable limit.

The significance of ongoing PFAS testing lies in its role in continuous monitoring and assessment of the Wilsons River water quality. By conducting regular tests, authorities can track any changes in PFAS concentrations over time, allowing for early detection of emerging issues or trends. This proactive approach is essential for implementing effective mitigation strategies, safeguarding public health, and protecting the environment.

Automated microbial testing Rous regularly used the TECTA-PDS automated microbial detection system for additional testing and quality assurance. Samples were collected and results obtained within 24 hours, allowing microbe-related questions of water quality to be answered faster than ever.

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New turbidity analysers installed at the outlets of each Biologically Activated Carbon (BAC) filter at the Nightcap Water Treatment Plant are providing real-time monitoring and insights into individual filter’s operation and performance. The data is used to optimise the backwash sequence so that the filter ripening process immediately after a backwash is reduced as much as possible.

Turbidity analysers at Nightcap Water Treatment Plant.

As part of the five-yearly review of Rous’s Drinking Water Management Systems, the instruments will also be critical control points, playing an integral role in ensuring water quality.

Operations

New tubidity analysers at Nightcap Water Treatment Plant

The installation of the instruments was undertaken in-house by the mechanical and electrical trades team.

Water booster pumps at Emigrant Creek New, intelligent service water pumps installed at Emigrant Creek Dam Water Treatment Plant provide smarter controls and greater pumping ability. This has resulted in an ease of plant operations and stability of service water flows.

The variable speed pumps replaced the former direct online pumps, which are able to maintain an ideal line pressure regardless of the demand.

Service water pump at Emigrant Creek Dam Water Treatment Plant.

New reduced pressure zones installed at strategic locations on the service water line means the line is up to code, and is protected from unintended chemical ingress, making the line suitable for safety showers.

In case of power loss to the plant, and the service water pumps are not able to run, line pressure will have backup pressure from the Knockrow DN375 pipeline, meaning crucial safety equipment, such as safety showers, will still be operational.

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Gasworks pump station refurbished after flood The Gasworks pump station, part of the Lismore Levee system, was inundated by the 2022 major flood event - the pump and switchboard were fully submerged and rendered inoperable.

Lismore City Council assisted Rous to remove and refurbish the pump, including stripping it apart, baking the motor to dry it out and rebuilding it.

Gasworks Creek pump station.

A new switchboard was fabricated and installed as part of the remediation.

Operations

Water Operations

This is one of three of the major pump stations that were significantly damaged as a result of the flood event. These pumps help keep the Lismore township and its surrounds dry, and the roads open for longer, when floodwaters rise outside the levee wall.

Major works at Emigrant Creek Dam A 130-tonne crane was used at Emigrant Creek Dam to undertake major works, including the replacement of the dam water pump lifting arm on the pump jetty, and the removal and placement of approximately 100 cubic meters of carbon from our final polishing filters.

Installing new valves on the Brunswick 300 The 2022 flood event caused damage to a section of elevated 300mm pipeline that supplies Brunswick Heads and Ocean Shores. The force of the flowing flood water pushed the pipeline out of alignment and caused a noticeable deformation along the line. Although the pipe did not fail and was not leaking, the deformation is expected to have caused increased pressure on the joints, which may lead to early failure.

Brunswick 300: Installing new valves.

compromised section of pipeline.

The pipeline is continuing to be monitored by the Water Operations Team.

To mitigate the impact of any failure and allow quick repair, two isolation valves were installed either side of the

In the event of a leak or failure, these valves can be closed allowing Rous Water Operators to enact a quick repair without stopping water supply to customers.

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Major construction works during the 2022-23 financial year enabled the St Helena Pipeline to open in October 2023.

Rous has led and funded the $27 million capital works project to replace the existing pipeline and increase its size – allowing more water to flow to coastal areas within Rous’s network.

St Helena project team.

The increased carrying capacity and vastly improved asset reliability enables Rous to keep up with higher demand in coastal areas during peak times and to meet the needs of the region’s population and tourism growth.

Operations

St Helena Pipeline Project update

The St Helena Pipeline Project started in 2019 with construction works contracted to Ledonne Constructions Pty Ltd. It was anticipated that the St Helena Pipeline Project would be complete earlier, however the significant natural disasters, persistent rainfall and COVID delayed construction works.

The St Helena Pipeline Project is part of Rous’s long-term Capital Works Program.

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Finance App-based credit card program introduced The Finance Team introduced a new app-based credit card program during the 2022/23 financial year.

The digital card works like a regular card and the app has a streamlined, easy to use process. This allows staff to take a photo of a tax invoice, complete the required details and send for approval; all on their work mobile phone.

IT Systems Administrator demonstrates the Weel app.

Transactions are checked and reviewed by supervisors and finance staff before being posted to the ledger. This is a significant improvement on the existing process and has been well received by staff across the organisation.

Statistics Finance staff are responsible for managing Rous’s finances, and the day-to-day processes involve many transactions.

Below are the key statistics from the 2022/23 financial year compared to the previous year.

Water accounts sent Invoices sent Section 603 Certificates issued Retail water customers receiving assistance Invoices paid

2022/23 8,530 595 68 13 5,700

2021/22 8,460 1,430 98 10 5,500

Corporate and Commercial

Corporate and Commercial

Information Technology Phone system Upon analysis of the previous phone system, Rous’s IT Team replaced the Samsung PBX system with a more mobile, portable phone solution that caters for the needs of the modern workplace and facilitates customer service processes.

For staff, the main feature of the new system is that it utilises Microsoft Teams to make and receive telephone calls. Most staff at Rous are already very familiar with Teams, and Teams will now gain another powerful communication ability – the ability to make and receive phone calls via a headset or the Teams mobile app.

The former Samsung desk phones were removed. A small number of our sites received physical handsets (in particular, our water treatment plants and depots).

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In 2023, Rous implemented the Redeye Drawing Management System to help facilitate the drawing management process as staff were facing challenges using the previous system.

The Redeye system has since transformed the drawing management process by offering a userfriendly interface, ensuring accurate version control, streamlining drawing searches, and enabling improved document collaboration.

These improvements have significantly enhanced our ability to manage technical drawings for new and existing projects and infrastructure.

Program Novus Program Novus, the Rous Digital Transformation program, is replacing our legacy business applications with integrated digital technologies and at the same time adopting improved and simplified business processes across the business.

The Program started in May 2023 and is in the process of selecting a Solution Provider and Implementation Partner by March 2024.

The implementation is planned to commence in second half in 2024.

Corporate and Commercial

Redeye drawing management system

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Statutory reporting requirements

Statutory

Reporting requirements

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 37

Unless otherwise stated, a reference herein to a section is a reference to that section of the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) and a reference to a clause or reg. is a reference to that clause in the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 (NSW).

Audited financial reports - section 428(4)(a) Rous’s audited financial reports: Annual Financial Statements year ending 30 June 2023.

Asset reporting - section 406(2) (refer Planning and Reporting manual requirement). In accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 1993 and the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021, the NSW Local Government Code of Accounting Practice and Financial Reporting and the Australian Accounting Standards: Assets to the value of $10,923 million were acquired by Rous during the reporting period, bringing total Infrastructure, Property, Plant and Equipment assets held as at 30 June 2023 to the value of $569,037 million (refer to page 32 of the audited financial reports 2022/23 (refer to link above).

Rous’s report on the condition of public works, is available on page 3 – Special Schedules 2023 of the audited financial reports 2022/2023 (refer to link above).

Rates and charges written off - Reg. 132 Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 - cl132. The annual report must include the amount of rates and charges written off during 2022/23: There were $24,071.44 in rates and charges written off during the reporting period.

Legal proceedings - section 428(4)(b) and Reg. 217(1)(a3) An annual report must include a summary of the amounts incurred by the council during the year in relation to legal proceedings taken by or against the council (including amounts, costs and expenses paid or received by way of out of court settlements, other than those the terms of which are not to be disclosed) and a summary of the state of progress of each legal proceeding and (if it has been finalised) the result.

Details

Costs

Status

Result

7 x proceedings for the recovery of unpaid water accounts/charges in the Local Court.

$6,404.00

Statement of Claim filed in the Local Court.

5 x matters progressed to default judgement.

1 x in dispute.

1 x Rent for Rates.

5 x Default Judgement for unpaid water accounts/charges.

$902.40

Notice of Motion - Default Judgement.

5 x Default Judgement awarded by the Court.

1 x Rent for Rates arrangement.

$270.00

Rent for Rates delivered to tenants.

In dispute.

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Councillor induction training and professional development Reg. 186 a)

b)

In addition to the induction training, the following councillors participated in ongoing professional development: Details

Name of program

Cr Rob

NSW Local Government Conference - October 2022

Cr Bruem

Rural and Regional Summit - February 2023

Cr Rob

OzWater Conference - May 2023

Cr Rob

Water Management Conference - June 2023

Cr Humphrys

Water Management Conference - June 2023

Cr Mustow

Water Management Conference - June 2023

Cr Rob

Executive Certificate Course

Councillors were issued with a ‘Councillor Handbook’ at the beginning of their term on the governing body of Rous. No other seminars, circulars or other activities were delivered as part of the ongoing professional development program.

Councillors fees and expenses - section 428(4)(b) and Reg. 217(1)(a1) The following fees and expenses were incurred by councillors in accordance with the policy ‘Payment of Expenses and Provision of Facilities for Chairperson and Councillors’ in-force at the time - current policy available on our website.

Member fees and expenses: expenditure

01/07/22 - 30/06/23

Chair fees

$ 17,330

Member fees and travel reimbursed

$ 94,495 Total

$ 111,825

Budget allocation

$122,400

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 39

Dedicated office equipment allocated to councillors on a personal basis.

cl217(1)(a1)(i)

0

Telephone calls made by councillors.

cl217(1)(a1)(ii)

0

Councillor attendance at conferences and seminars (includes airfares, registrations, meals and accommodation).

cl217(1)(a1) (iii)

$ 11,614

Training of councillors and provision of skill development for councillors.

cl217(1)(a1) (iv)

$ 5,763

Interstate visits undertaken during the year by councillors while representing Rous, including the cost of transport, the cost of accommodation and other out-of-pocket travelling expenses.

cl217(1)(a1)(v)

0

Overseas visits undertaken during the year by councillors while representing Rous, including the cost of transport, the cost of accommodation and other out-of-pocket travelling expenses.

cl217(1)(a1) (vi)

0

Expenses of any spouse, partner (whether of the same or the opposite sex) or other person who accompanied a councillor in the performance of his or her civic functions, being expenses payable in accordance with the Guidelines for the Payment of Expenses and the Provision of Facilities for Mayors and Councillors for Local Councils in NSW prepared by the Director-General from time to time.

cl217(1)(a1) (vii)

0

Expenses involved in the provision of care for a child of, or an immediate family member of, a councillor, to allow the councillor to undertake his other civic functions.

cl217(1)(a1) (viii)

$ 1,295

Total

$ 18,672

Budget allocation

$ 39,500

Additional information for inclusion in annual report - section 428(4) and Reg. 217(1)(a) During 2022/23, no overseas visits were made by councillors, Rous staff, or other persons while representing Rous.

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 40

Senior staff - section 428(4)(b) and Reg. 217(1)(b)(i-v) Rous is required to appoint and employ a person under a performance-based contract to be its general manger. The General Manager is the only senior staff person employed by Rous. The total amount payable to the General Manager during the reporting period was: Total value of the salary component of the package.

$ 306,523

Total amount of any bonus payments, performance payments, or other payments made to the general manager that do not form part of the salary component of the general manager.

Total amount payable by Rous by way of the employer’s contribution or salary sacrifice to any superannuation scheme to which the general manager may be a contributor.

0

$ 32,185

Total value of any non-cash benefits for which the general manager may elect under the package.

0

Total amount payable by Rous by way of fringe benefits tax for any such non-cash benefits.

0

Total

$ 338,708

Modern Slavery actions - section 428(4)(c) An annual report must contain a statement detailing the action taken by Rous in relation to any issue raised by the Anti-slavery Commissioner during the reporting year concerning the operations of the council and identified by the Commissioner as being a significant issue: There were no issues raised during the reporting period.

Modern Slavery steps taken - section 428(4)(d) An annual report must contain a statement of steps taken to ensure that goods and services procured by and for Rous during the reporting year were not the product of modern slavery within the meaning of the Modern Slavery Act 2018: The following outlines the steps Rous has taken to ensure goods and services procured during the reporting period comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2018.

Declaration of new accounts: New suppliers are required to declare that their offerings are free from modern slavery, reinforcing our commitment to ethical procurement.

Risk assessment: A risk assessment is conducted for all new entries in the contracts register, with a focus on high-risk scenarios, ensuring a vigilant approach to modern slavery compliance.

Standardised documentation: We have been establishing standardised documentation incorporated into our procurement processes, outlining our expectations and creating a consistent framework to address modern slavery risks.

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 41

Contracts awarded - section 428(4)(b) and Reg. 217(1)(a2) An annual report must provide details (names, nature, amounts) of contracts awarded for amounts exceeding $150,000.

Contract number

Contract details

Contractor

Tender amount

PO19295

RCC Admin Office - Variation of Head Lease, Molesworth Street

Galactica Tours Pty Ltd

$322,211.00 per year

SSW01-011-01

Emigrant Creek Dam - Risk Rating Assessment and Safety Review

Stantec Australia

$356,200.00

Large Sites Electricity Supply

Shell Energy Retail Pty Ltd

PO21177

Fleet - 3 x Ford Ranger

James Frizelle’s Automotive Group

$198,684.93

PO21197

Gallans Rd Architectural Services

DWP Australia Pty Ltd

$354,750.00

PO21198

Gallans Rd Project Management Services

DWP Australia Pty Ltd

$579,255.33

RCC1122-0014

Supply of Industrial Control System Integrator

Safegroup Automation Pty Ltd

$687,500.00

RCC1022-0013

Temporary Desalination Options Assessment

BECA Hunter H2O

$173,508.50

RCC1022-0010

RH100DN - Richmond Hill water main replacement

Ledonne Constructions Pty Ltd

$829,225.35

D22/11415

Purified Recycled Water for Drinking Investigations

Tyr Group Pty Ltd

$321,656.27

RCC0123-0018

Nightcap WTP Filter Walkway and Saturator Access

Advanced Concrete Engineering Pty Ltd

$361,372.55

RCC1022-0015

Bore Cleaning CCTV & Pump Test

ACS Equip Pty Ltd

$170,132.80

RCC1022-0011

Supply and Installation of Smart Meters

Nucleus 3 Pty Ltd

$2,847,167.00

PO20346

Fleet - John Deere 5115M 4x4 Tractor and attachments

RDO Equipment Pty Ltd

$173,349.57

PO21505

Fleet - 3 Mazda BT-50 XT 4x4 Space Cabs and accessories

Lismore Mazda

$156,314.58

D22/6979

Supply of Backflow Prevention Device

Australian Valve Group Pty Ltd

$261,293.41

$1,969,390.00

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 42

Works on private land - section 67 and Reg. 217(1)(a4) An annual report must include details or a summary of resolutions made during that year under section 67 of the Local Government Act 1993 concerning private works carried out on private land, and details or a summary of such work if the cost of the work has been fully or partly subsidised by the council, together with a statement of the total amount by which the council has subsidised any such work during that year.

Rous did not undertake private works within the meaning of section 67 of the Local Government Act 1993 during the reporting period.

Performing paid work - Reg. 217(1)(d)(i)-(iv) An annual report must include a summary of the Statement of total number of persons who performed paid work.

Description

Total number

Persons who performed paid work on Wednesday, 23 November 2022.

102

Persons employed by Rous on a permanent full-time, permanent part-time or casual basis or under a fixed-term contract: • Permanent, full-time • Permanent, part-time • Casual • Fixed-term contract

84 4 2 12

Persons employed by Rous as senior staff members.

1

Persons engaged by Rous, under a contract or other arrangement with the person’s employer, wholly or principally for the labour of the person.

3

Persons supplied to Rous, under a contract or other arrangement with the person’s employer, as an apprentice or trainee.

0

Financial Assistance Contributions - section 356 and Reg. 217(1)(a5) An annual report must include details of the total amount contributed or otherwise granted under section 356 of the Local Government Act 1993 to financially assist others.

Assistance category Retail Customer Water Account Assistance policy.

Amount $ 46,637.47

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 43

Equal employment opportunity (EEO) Management Plan section 428(4)(b) and Reg. 217(1)(a9) An annual report must include a statement of activities undertaken by a council during the year to implement its equal opportunity management plan.

Rous County Council’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Plan details our commitment to deliver equal opportunities through the Reconciliation Action Plan, the Disability Inclusion Action Plan and other measures, to ensure a workforce that is representative of the demographics of our community.

New activities have included: • expanded flexible working arrangements • endorsement of principals supporting the recruitment of identified roles.

External bodies (delegated by council) - section 428(4)(b) and Reg. 217(1)(a6) An annual report must include a statement of all external bodies that during that year exercised functions delegated by the council.

Rous has not delegated any of its functions to external bodies.

External bodies (controlled by council) - section 428(4)(b) and Reg. 217(1)(a7) An annual report must include a statement of all external bodies that during that year exercised functions delegated by the council.

Rous does not hold a controlling interest in any companies.

External bodies (participated in by council) - section 428(4)(b) and Reg. 217(1)(a8) An annual report must include a statement of all corporations, partnerships, trusts, joint ventures, syndicates or other bodies (whether or not incorporated) in which the council participated during the year.

Statewide Mutual - A self-insurance pool covering public liability and professional indemnity insurance as well as providing risk management advice.

StateCover - A self-insurance pool providing cover for workers’ compensation insurance as well as providing advice on work health and safety matters.

Disability Inclusion Act 2014 - section 13(1) Rous must include in its annual report, information on the implementation of its Disability Inclusion Action Plan.

Key activities relating to the Disability Inclusion Action Plan include: • endorsement of an assistance dog to support an employee’s health and wellbeing.

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 44

Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 - s 125 and 7 * References in this section to the ‘Act’ is a reference to the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009.

Following is a copy of Rous’s Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (‘GIPA’) annual report to the NSW Ombudsman’s office: Agency name

Rous County Council

Reporting period

1 July 2022 - 30 June 2023

Clause 8a: Details of the review carried out by the agency under section 7 (3) of the Act during the reporting year and the details of any information made publicly available by the agency as a result of the review: Reviews carried out by agency 8(a)

Yes

Information made publicly available by the agency Yes

The open access information and proactively released information made available during the relevant reporting period on Rous’s website was reviewed. The following are examples of new information of public interest that were proactively released: + Council agenda and minutes + Media releases + Updated policies, disclosure log and contract registers + Update Privacy Management Plan + IP&R Framework (final and public exhibition) + Annual Report + Annual Financial and Audit reports + Presentation of annual financial statements public notice + Draft Code of Meeting Practice (final and public exhibition) + Statement of Revenue policy (final and public exhibition) + Retail Water Customer Account Assistance policy (final and public exhibition) + Debt Management and Financial Hardship policy (final and public exhibition) + Payment of Councillor Fees and Expenses policy (final and public exhibition) + Weed fact sheets + Weekly pesticide notification (when spraying done) + Pending and awarded Tenders + Avdata prepaid key customer portal handout (Water Filling Stations) + Mid Richmond Annual Progress Report January 2022 and 2023 + Richmond River Water Quality updates + Post Flood Water Quality and Fish Kill Assessment Richmond River 2022 + Delegation for General Manager + Instrument of delegation and designation to Rous staff + Rocky Creek Dam – Annual dams safety report 2022 + Emigrant Creek Dam – Annual dams safety report 2022 + Regional Demand Management Plan 2023-2026 (final and public exhibition) + Regional Demand Management Plan Review + Regional Demand Management Plan Summary fact sheet + Update Sustainable Water Partner Program fact sheet + Open Space Water Efficiency Review + Update Development Servicing Plan Retail Water Supply 2023 (final and public exhibition) + Update Development Servicing Plan Bulk Water Supply 2023 (final and public exhibition) + Catchment Management Plan 2021-2025 + Cape Byron Power Case Study 2022 (Sustainable Water Partner Program) + Annual summary of drinking water quality 2021-2022 + DPE Water Concurrence 2022 (Future Water Project).

Clause 8b: The total number of access applications received by the agency during the reporting year (including withdrawn applications but not including invalid applications).

Total number of applications received 8(b)

2

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 45

Clause 8c: The total number of access applications received by the agency during the reporting year that the agency refused either wholly or partly, because the application was for the disclosure of information referred to in Schedule 1 to the Act (information for which there is conclusive presumption of overriding public interest against disclosure).

8(c)

Wholly

Number of applications refused

0

Partly 0

Access granted in full

Access granted in part

Access refused in full

Information not held

Information already available

Refuse to deal with application

Refuse to confirm / deny whether information is held

Application withdrawn

Table A: Number of applications by type of applicant and outcome.

Media

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Members of Parliament

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Private sector business

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Not-for-profit organisations or community groups

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Members of the public (by legal representative)

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Members of the public (other)

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 46

Access granted in full

Access granted in part

Access refused in full

Information not held

Information already available

Refuse to deal with application

Refuse to confirm / deny whether information is held

Application withdrawn

Table B: Number of applications by type of application and outcome.

Personal information applications *

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Access applications (other than personal information applications)

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Access applications that are partly personal information applications and partly other

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Table C: Invalid applications.

Reason for invalidity Application does not comply with formal requirements (section 41 of the Act).

Number of applications 0

Application is for excluded information of the agency (section 43 of the Act).

0

Application contravenes restraint order (section 110 of the Act).

0

Total number of invalid applications received.

0

Invalid applications that subsequently became valid applications

0

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 47

Table D: Conclusive presumption of overriding public interest against disclosure: matters listed in Schedule 1 of the Act. Number of times consideration used * Overriding secrecy laws.

0

Cabinet information.

0

Executive Council information.

0

Contempt.

0

Legal professional privilege.

0

Excluded information.

0

Documents affecting law enforcement and public safety.

0

Transport safety.

0

Adoption.

0

Care and protection of children.

0

Ministerial code of conduct.

0

Aboriginal and environmental heritage.

0

Privilege generally - Sch 1(5A)

0

Information provided to High Risk Offenders Assessment Committee.

0

Table E: Other public interest considerations against disclosure: matters listed in table to section 14 of the Act. Number of times consideration used * Responsible and effective government.

0

Law enforcement and security.

0

Individual rights, judicial processes and natural justice.

2

Business interests of agencies and other persons.

2

Environment, culture, economy and general matters.

0

Secrecy provisions.

0

Exempt documents under interstate Freedom of Information legislation.

0

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 48

Table F: Timeliness.

Decided within the statutory timeframe (20 days plus extensions).

Number of applications * 2

Decided after 35 days (by agreement with applicant).

0

Not decided within time (deemed refusal).

0

Table G: Number of applications reviewed under Part 5 of the Act (by type of review and outcome).

Decision varied

Decision upheld

Internal review.

0

0

Review by Information Commissioner.

0

0

Internal review following recommendation under section 93 of the Act.

0

0

Review by NCAT.

0

0

Table H: Applications for review under Part 5 of the Act (by type of applicant.

Applications by access applicants.

0

Applications by persons to whom information the subject of access relates (see section 54 of the Act).

Table I: Applications transferred to other agencies.

Agency-initiated transfers.

Applicant-initiated transfers.

Number of applications for review * 0

Number of applications transferred * 0 0

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 49

Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 - section 7.5 Constituent councils are the relevant planning authority for their local government areas and as such, Rous has no function in reporting on planning agreements.

Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (PPIP Act) - section 33 Rous revised and adopted its ‘Privacy Management’ policy in August 2022. The policy is based on the Model Privacy Management Plan for local government. As a result of the revised policy, a privacy management plan was adopted by the General Manager in September 2022. No reviews were conducted during the reporting period by or on behalf of Rous under Part 5 of the PPIP Act.

Public Interest Disclosures Act 1994 (PID Act) - section 31

Made by public officials performing day-to-day functions

Under a statutory or other legal obligation

All other PIDs

Following is a summary of Rous’s Public Interest Disclosures (PID) annual report to the NSW Ombudsman.

Number of public officials who made PIDs directly.

0

0

0

Number of PIDs received.

0

0

0

• Corrupt conduct.

0

0

0

• Maladministration.

0

0

0

• Serious and substantial waste.

0

0

0

• Government information convention.

0

0

0

• Local government pecuniary interest contravention.

0

0

0

0

0

0

Reporting period: 1 July 2022 - 30 June 2023

Of PIDs received, number primarily about:

Number of PIDs finalised.

• Rous has in place an internal reporting policy: Public Interest Disclosures.

• The General Manager has taken action to meet staff awareness obligations by implementing a range of measures such as: Incorporating training into Rous’s Employee Induction Program; raising awareness of PIDs, including outcomes of recent investigations by the ICAC, in the internal staff newsletter; making available public Interest Disclosure (PID) Information within the electronic document management system; and ensuring all Rous worksites display the NSW Ombudsmansupplied posters with details of who a PID may be made to.

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 50

Financial performance

Financial

Performance

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 51

Overview The financial performance of Rous is aligned with its continued focus on long-term financial sustainability.

Quarterly reviews of the Operational Plan and its financial performance are monitored and adjusted to the changing conditions and requirements identified throughout the year. The Long-Term Financial Plan is reviewed annually to ensure short-term needs are considered against long-term sustainability. As a result, Rous remains in a strong financial position with cash and investments at satisfactory levels to ensure that all current liabilities can be met when due.

The financial position remains strong with a net surplus result of $4.2 million (2022: $3.3 million) and included depreciation expense of $8.0 million (2022: $9.0 million). Overall income has increased by $1.5 million compared to the previous year. Most of the increase can be attributed to additional bulk water charges to constituent councils.

Rous continues to align its investment strategy with NSW TCorp investment guidelines. Over the past 12 months, Rous has achieved an average ethical investment percentage of 20.45% of the total portfolio.

Overall investment return for the year was 4.08%. The result achieved is consistent with Rous’s strong investment performance despite difficult market conditions. This was slightly less than the 90-day bank bill swap rate (BBSW) benchmark, was 4.29%.

Rous holds a total equity of $582.8M at 30 June 2023.

Commercial properties Rous owns a commercial property in the Lismore CBD, which was previously leased to a business entity to obtain a commercial return, however has since become vacant following the February / March 2022 flood events. The property portfolio is regularly reviewed to ensure returns are optimised and are making a positive contribution to revenue overall. Rous also continues to explore market opportunities to dispose of part of its investment property portfolio with one commercial property being sold during the year.

In addition, Rous is the head lessee of the Rous County Council Administration Centre, 218-232 Molesworth Street, which accommodates a number of staff, as well as providing commercial leasing revenue from non-Rous occupied space.

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 52

Summary of financial report for the year ended 30 June 2023 2022/23 $’000

2021/22 $’000

Total income from continuing operations

36,088

34,562

Total expenses from continuing operations

31,883

31,199

Operating result from continuing operations

4,205

3,363

-

-

Net operating result for the year

4,205

3,363

Net operating result before grants and contributions provided for capital purpose

(971)

(2,268)

2022/23 $’000

2021/22 $’000

Total current assets

43,814

43,122

Total current liabilities

10,555

9,199

Total non-current assets

571,295

513,656

Total non-current liabilities

21,762

25,396

Total equity

582,792

522,183

Unrestricted current ratio

4.02 : 1

4.26 : 1

Operating performance ratio

(0.88%)

(5.58%)

Building and infrastructure renewals ratio

0.97 : 1

0.62 : 1

Debt service ratio

1.71 : 1

1.65 : 1

Income statement

Gain on local government amalgamation

Balance sheet

Other financial information

Annual Report | 2022-2023 | Page 53