Governance
The Board has overall responsibility for Corporate Governance which reflects the manner in which we conduct our business.
Role of the Board
The Board of Directors is responsible for setting the strategic direction, establishing goals for management and monitoring their achievement and monitoring the performance of the business.
Day-to-day responsibility for operations and administration is delegated by the Board to the Managing Director and the Executive Team.
Members of the Executive Team are invited to Board meetings when their areas of operational responsibility are considered. The Board ensures that funds are used to deliver the best possible service to our customers and financial returns to the State Government.
Board membership
The Board has ten directors comprising a non-executive Chair, eight non-executive directors and one executive director (the Managing Director).
The non-executive Chair and non-executive directors are appointed by the Minister for Water. The Managing Director is appointed by the Board.
The Directors come from a wide range of backgrounds and bring to the Board an appropriate mix of skills and experience.
Board Charter
The Board Charter clearly sets out clearly the role, responsibilities and powers of the Board and incorporates all aspects of Board governance, along with referencing the source of the items included in the Charter.
As required by the Charter, the Board undertakes a review of the Charter at least every three years and may amend the Charter if required at any time.
Code of conduct
The Board has adopted a Directors' Code of Conduct based on the Code of Conduct issued by the Victorian Public Sector Standards Commissioner.
Declaration of private interests
All Directors have completed a declaration of private interests.
All executives, senior managers, officers and contractors/consultants, with delegation to approve expenditure in excess of $20,000, are required to complete an annual "Declaration of Private Interests".
Independent professional advice
The Board has adopted a number of measures to ensure that independent judgement is achieved and maintained. Directors are entitled to seek independent professional advice on matters relating to the business of Yarra Valley Water at the Corporation's expense, subject to the prior approval of the Chair.
Board performance review
In order to monitor its own performance, the Board has adopted a Policy on Performance Review of the Board. This provides for the following.
(a) Two-yearly - Conduct an externally facilitated performance review of the Board.
(b) Alternative year to (a) - Conduct an internal assessment of the Board's performance.
(c) Annually - Progress on the Board's performance is to be measured against the agreed actions arising from performance reviews.
Induction and training
The Board has adopted a Training and Development Policy for Directors. This policy facilitates appropriate training and development opportunities for Directors to enable them to fulfill their role, broaden their knowledge and share this knowledge with the rest of the Board.
All newly appointed Directors are required to undertake an induction program to help them understand their role and encourage fulfilment of their Board responsibilities. The induction program includes an overview of the Yarra Valley Water business, the water industry and the linkages with Government.
Directors also attend seminars and other events to broaden their exposure to water industry issues and initiatives.
Board committees
The Board has established the following Committees of Directors to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities and to allow detailed consideration of complex issues. Each Board Committee has its own terms of reference, which set out the Committee’s objectives, duties and responsibilities, composition, meetings, authority and reporting responsibilities.
At Board meetings, where the minutes of Committee meetings are presented, the Chair of the Committee highlights key issues under consideration by the Committee.
- Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee
The Risk Management and Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities relating to risk management, the effectiveness of internal controls and the accounting and reporting practices of the business, reviewing financial reports and overseeing the audits conducted by the internal and external auditors.
The majority of Committee members have financial expertise. - Customer, Asset and Sustainability Committee
The Service, Community, Assets and Regulation Committee assists the Board with oversight to ensure the business is currently meeting customer needs, community expectations and regulatory obligations, and insights and oversight of the business's plans to meet customer needs, engage with community and address regulatory requirements in the future. - Leadership, Culture and Wellbeing Committee
The Leadership, Culture and Diversity Committee assists the Board in reviewing strategies and policies to ensure that critical actions and plans are in place to implement and develop the business’ people and culture, the adequacy of the Executive Remuneration Framework, the Management Succession Plan and the Corporation’s Diversity Policy, Strategy and Action Plans.
Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality policy
As a state-owned water corporation, it is important that Yarra Valley Water upholds the highest level of public integrity and confidence and as such, Yarra Valley Water has a Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality policy. The policy sets out how Yarra Valley Water’s Board of Directors and employees will respond to an offer of a gift, benefit or hospitality. It aims to minimise gift offers made to and accepted by our Board of Directors and employees.
GBH REGISTER 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2024.pdf
Privacy collection statement (123 KB)
Compliance with Legislation
Compliance Framework
Being a highly regulated business and one which strives to achieve its own high internal standards places the Corporation in a position where many tasks or obligations must be performed within certain timeframes. To meet or exceed these obligations, a Compliance Framework has been developed that identifies these tasks and ensures they are performed within the required timeframe. This approach ensures that the business meets the service obligations and the expectations of all our stakeholders.
Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014
As the holder of customers’ confidential and personal information, we are conscious of the need to ensure that this information is protected and to prevent any unauthorised access to, and improper use of, that information.
A Privacy Policy and Code of Practice is in place for our employees, contractors and agency staff to ensure that customer information is protected.
Privacy issues can be directed to:
FOI Officer
Yarra Valley Water
25-35 Lucknow Street
Mitcham VIC 3132
Telephone: (03) 9872 2634
Email: [email protected]
Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012
We have procedures in place to help employees and contractors understand the requirements and obligations under the Public Interest Disclosure Act and to facilitate the making and handling of disclosures and the notification of such disclosures to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission. These procedures are available to the public at Yarra Valley Water's office in Lucknow Street, Mitcham.
To support our Code of Conduct, Yarra Valley Water has a whistleblower program that staff, contractors and customers can access. This program now provides access to Stopline, a confidential, independent provider of whistleblowing services who can take full details of your concerns via telephone, mail, email, fax or the website.
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1982
Yarra Valley Water is committed to ensuring information is accessible to customers in compliance with the Victorian Freedom of Information Act 1982 ("FOI ACT").
The FOI Act governs Victorian agencies such as Yara Valley Water in how they respond to requests for access from the public. Access to documents requested under the FOI Act must be provided subject only to certain exemptions and exceptions under the FOI Act.
Yarra Valley Water makes a range of documents available for public access in accordance with the Part II of the FOI Act. Yarra Valley Water encourages members of the public to review the Part II Statement before making a formal request for access to documents.
General enquiries relating to Freedom of Information can be made by emailing [email protected].
Your Rights under the FOI Act
The FOI Act provides you with the following rights:
- To request copies of documents held by Yarra Valley Water;
- To ask for your personal information held by Yarra Valley Water to be amended if it is incomplete, outdated, incorrect or otherwise misleading;
- Seek a review of any decision on your request.
While you have a right to access documents, access to documents may be refused based on exceptions and exemptions under the FOI Act.
How to make a FOI Request under the Freedom Of Information Act (1982)
A request for access to Yarra Valley Water documents must:
- be made in writing to Yarra Valley Water;
- provide sufficient information to enable the Yarra Valley Water officers to identify all relevant documents; and
- be accompanied by an application fee, or a request for fee waiver or fee reduction due to hardship.
If applying for fee waiver or fee reduction on the grounds of hardship, please provide evidence of hardship. That might include:
- Health Card;
- Concession/Pension Card; and/or
- Statutory Declaration containing how payment of application fee would cause hardship.
You may be asked for further information to enable an assessment of your hardship application.
Requests for access to Yarra Valley Water documents can be made using the Freedom of Information form and be sent by email to [email protected] , or by mail to:
FOI Officer
Yarra Valley Water
25-35 Lucknow Street
Mitcham VIC 3132
Once we have received your request, we'll acknowledge receipt of your request electronically or via mail and the FOI Reference Number assigned to you request. It will also include the request for you to pay the FOI application fee if that has not already been paid.
From 1 July 2024, the application fee to make an FOI request is $32.70.
The payment for the application can be made electronically by EFT, using the following details.
Account Name: YARRA VALLEY WATER CORPORATION
Bank Details: WESTPAC, Shop 11, 33 Mahoney’s Road, Forest Hill, VIC 3131
BSB: 033-135
Account Number: 47-6808
Once you have made the payment of the application fee, please send the remittance advice to [email protected] and quote your ‘FOI Reference Number’ in your remittance.
If your request is clear, we will proceed to process your request in accordance with the provisions of the FOI Act. If your request requires clarification, we will write to you to seek clarification and reasonably assist you to make a valid request. Yarra Valley Water cannot begin processing of your request unless it is considered valid under the FOI Act.
Timeframes
Under the FOI Act, Yarra Valley Water has 30 days from the date of receipt of a valid request to provide you with a decision on your request.
In some cases, more than 30 days might be needed to process your request for various reasons. This timeframe may be extended with your consent by up to 30 days.
If it third-party consultation is required, we may notify you in writing of need to extend by up to 15 days.
You can contact us for an update on your request.
Access Charges
If it becomes apparent that the estimated access charges payable to process your FOI request are likely to exceed $50, you will be requested to pay a deposit on account of those access charges. If so, you will also be given an opportunity to either limit the scope of the request or agree to extending the processing period with a view to reducing or eliminating what may be payable.
Access charges payable are calculated in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Access Charges) Regulations 2014.
When Yarra Valley Water notifies you of its decision on your request, it will also calculate the actual access charges payable. They will need to be paid (less any previous deposit) before access to documents is provided.
If you disagree with the calculation of the estimated or actual access charges you have a right to seek review of the calculation by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (“VCAT”) but only if you have first obtained a certificate from the Officer of Victorian Information Commissioner (“OVIC”) that the matter is of sufficient importance for VCAT to consider.
For more information on the FOI process, please visit the OVIC website.