Diversity, equity and inclusion policy
1. Purpose
This policy sets out Yarra Valley Water’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). This commitment benefits our customers and communities and current and future employees. It enables us to successfully deliver on our 2030 Strategy.
It is anchored in human rights and the freedoms, respect, equality and dignity offered in accordance with national and international laws and standards dealing with human rights, employee entitlements, consumer rights, health and safety and unlawful discrimination and harassment (refer to section 7).
Our policy supports a holistic and consistent approach to equity and inclusion across our business, embedding it in our systems, processes and culture. It recognises that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce is essential to providing accessible and inclusive services. It is also consistent with our values: People First, One Team, Be Brave, Deliver What Matters and Positive Impact, and our Code of Conduct.
2. Scope
This policy applies to the Yarra Valley Water Board of Directors and all employees.
We work with organisations which share our values, and we expect our partners, suppliers and contractors to share our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The Victorian Government Social Procurement Framework, Fair Jobs Code and the Building Equality Policy help ensure that our suppliers are aligned to our values in these areas.
Policy statement including objectives
We believe that everyone should have access to safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water and sewerage services. This is a fundamental human right and necessary for the fulfillment of all other human rights. We will ensure our services are accessible and inclusive.
We always aim to meet and, if possible, exceed minimum legislative and regulatory standards. This policy recognises that accepted standards, legislative instruments and human experience will deliver the best outcomes.
We will:
- Ensure our workplace, and those of the organisations we choose to partner with, are acting to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Strive to reflect the communities that we serve, so that we can better understand and meet the needs of our customers and community.
- Empower our people and partners to work together to build a culture that supports us in achieving these objectives.
- Invest in our people, policies, systems and processes to promote positive outcomes and ensure non-discrimination.
3. Responsibilities
Delivering on this policy is ultimately everyone’s responsibility, but there are certain accountabilities held by key stakeholders in the business:
On behalf of the board | Leadership, Culture and Wellbeing (LCW) Committee Monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of strategies, policies and practices in achieving stated objectives and ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace that best serves our diverse community of customers. | Customer, Asset and Sustainability (CAS) Committee Ensuring the business is currently meeting customer needs, community expectations and regulatory obligations, and has insight and oversight of business plans to understand and meet customer needs, engage with community and address regulatory requirements in the future. |
Executive
| Direct accountability for the execution of relevant strategies, action plans and business rules in service of our DEI Policy and promoting values and behaviours in line with this policy. | |
Business groups | People, Performance & Culture (PP&C) | Strategy & Community (S&C) |
Joint responsibility for the development, sharing, and maintenance of the DEI Policy. | ||
PP&C is responsible for governing the implementation of the workforce elements (outlined within the People pillar of the 2030 Strategy) | S&C has responsibility for the governance of the customer and community elements. | |
All people leaders | Expected to foster a culture of inclusion within teams, ensure the composition of diverse teams and ensure equitable outcomes for team members. | |
All employees | Must display respect and act in accordance with our values and Code of Conduct, as they seek to understand each other’s perspectives and individual differences. | |
Partners/ suppliers | We strive to ensure that we engage with and work alongside organisations that share our commitment and deliver those commitments through our work with us. This will be achieved by regular review of our procurement targets, social procurement plans and partner/supplier relationships – to ensure we hold our partners and suppliers to similar standards. | |
4. Guiding principles
Rights-based approach
In accordance with our obligations, we will consider human rights in all that we do and uphold society’s obligation to ensure these rights are accorded and protected.
Respect and dignity
We will always treat people with dignity and respect. We will invest in our capability at all levels in the organisation to ensure we are inclusive in line with this policy.
Inclusive engagement with diverse groups in our community
We will ensure our engagement processes are inclusive so that everyone can meaningfully participate in our decision-making, and we benefit from diverse perspectives. This includes building and maintaining relationships with diverse consumer groups and addressing barriers to participation.
Accessible and inclusive services
We will ensure compliance with our anti-discrimination obligations in relation to the services we provide. We will use a universal design approach and proactively identify and address barriers to ensure everyone can access our services in the way they need. We will apply an intersectional lens to understand impacts on different groups (see definition below).
Accessible communications
We will communicate effectively and inclusively so that everyone has equal access to information. This includes providing a range of communication channels to meet different needs and using inclusive language and imagery.
Lived experience
In designing and delivering accessible and inclusive services, we recognise the expertise of people with lived experience, and will ensure that this informs our work.
Diverse and inclusive workplace
We are committed to building, embedding and celebrating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. This will ensure people feel a strong sense of belonging and have equitable access to support systems and workplace benefits so they can thrive and make their best contributions at work.
Broader thinking
A diverse workforce will deliver better outcomes for our customers and community as we benefit from broader perspectives, and diversity of thinking, skills and experience. We celebrate our diversity, show respect and appreciate unique talents and perspectives.
Embedding into our culture
We promote positive attitudes towards inclusion and consider it in all the work we do.
Continuous learning
We will invest in continuous development of staff capability and understanding through targeted training, workshops and informal learning opportunities. We will monitor and report on our progress, so that we can continue to adapt and evolve as we develop new capabilities and as new information and ideas emerge.
Collaboration
We will work collaboratively within and across sectors, to share our practice and learn from others.
Definitions
Diversity
We recognise diversity takes many forms, including values, religion, culture and language, ethnicity and nationality, biological traits, disability, the spectrums of gender and sexuality, socio-economic status, stage of life, education, geography, or access to resources and opportunities.
People require different supports and opportunities to make their best contributions at work. They are diverse in the way they like to work, socialise and interact. Diversity is also found in family structures, social traditions and communities, with individuals holding diverse roles and responsibilities within them. We recognise and respect that our customers have diverse opinions and expectations, as well as life experiences.
Equity
Equity means fair inclusion. It can be demonstrated when we provide processes, opportunities or resources that fit individual, or group needs or circumstances so everyone can participate and succeed. This may involve action to reverse the impact of disadvantage stemming from a person or group’s differences.
Inclusion
Inclusion is the practice of making sure we encourage the involvement and engagement of diversity in all our systems and practices relating to our customers, community and people.
Intersectionality
Intersectionality refers to the interaction between different aspects of our identities. It can help to understand how people’s experiences are shaped by but not limited to their race, socio-economic background, sex, gender, age, sexuality etc, all at the same time. This combination of different aspects of a person’s identity can expose them to overlapping forms of discrimination and marginalisation.
Accessibility
Accessibility is the degree to which people of all abilities can effectively use a product or service and obtain the same level of access to content and information. This is distinct from the concept of physical access to a property or asset.
Ensuring that information, products and services are accessible is key to creating enjoyable and engaging experiences for everyone. This is especially important for people living with disability, which is defined as a mismatch in interaction between the features of a person's body or mind and the features of the environments in which they live and work. In other words, an individual person is not inherently ‘disabled’; rather, they are disabled by the barriers they encounter in a world that was not constructed with inclusion in mind. Accessibility is about knocking down those barriers, or ensuring they never exist in the first place.
Universal design
Universal design is about designing to meet the needs of as many people as possible. By understanding the diverse needs and abilities of all throughout the design process, universal design creates products, services and spaces that don’t discriminate and that benefit everyone.
5. Compliance and Monitoring
Upholding this policy protects the human rights of our customers, community, and staff. It also ensures we access the benefits of a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace and enables us to reflect the customers and communities we serve, which we believe will lead to better decision making on matters that affect our customers.
Failure to comply may result in significant reputational damage - undermining public trust or stakeholder confidence in its commitment to human rights and inclusive service delivery and employment, and could expose us to legal and regulatory risks under anti-discrimination and workplace legislation, potentially leading to sanctions or litigation.
To ensure compliance, we have established monitoring and reporting mechanisms that track our progress and guide continuous improvement. These include:
- Biannual progress reporting to the Gender Equality Commission, which assesses our performance against legislated gender equality obligations
- Quarterly reporting through the Strategy Scorecard, which tracks key performance indicators aligned with our organisational DEI objectives
- Regular updates through Leadership, Culture and Wellbeing Committee which oversees progress against People Strategy
6. Key Related Documents and References
Instrument | Authority |
Age Discrimination Act 2004 | Commonwealth of Australia |
Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 | Commonwealth of Australia |
Carer Recognition Act 2012 | Victorian Government |
Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 | Victorian Government |
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | United Nations |
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 | Commonwealth of Australia |
Disability Act 2006 | Victorian Government |
Equal Opportunity Act 2010 | Victorian Government |
Fair Work Act 2009 | Commonwealth of Australia |
Gender Equality Act 2020 | Victorian Government |
Modern Slavery Act 2018 | Commonwealth of Australia |
Multicultural Victoria Act 2011 | Victorian Government |
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 | Victorian Government |
Public Administration Act 2004 | Victorian Government |
Racial Discrimination Act 1975 | Commonwealth of Australia |
Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 | Victorian Government |
Sex Discrimination Act 1984 | Commonwealth of Australia |
Sustainable Development Goals | United Nations |
Water Industry Standard – Urban Customer Service | Essential Services Commission |
Yarra Valley Water Enterprise Agreement Code of Conduct and Values Fair Treatment at Work Policy | Yarra Valley Water |
7. Review and revision
The Board or delegated Committee, along with the Executive team, will monitor the effectiveness of the DEI Policy, relevant strategies, and action plans. They will review them every two years, or sooner if needed, to adapt to changing business circumstances or regulations. Changes to the policy are to be approved by the Board.
Authorisation
The Board approved the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy at the Board of Directors meeting on 24 June 2025.
| Date | Summary of changes | Authorisation |
| 28/08/2023 | New policy | Grace Rose-Miller, Community Inclusion Divisional Manager |
| 24/06/2025 | Update to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy: structural changes, updates to legal instruments and Committee titles, and simplified language | Board approved at its meeting of 24 June 2025 |