Caring for our environment

At Hunter Water we know that we are lucky enough to live and work in one of the most beautiful regions of Australia, with many unique environmental features. So to make sure we preserve this environment we make environment protection a fundamental priority when managing our services.

We are committed to integrating sustainability principles into the way in which we plan and operate our business, so that we can meet the needs of today’s society, while preserving the quality of life for future generations.

We are integrating ecological, economic and social objectives into the management of operations and resources, and our Environmental Management System ensures all our activities are fully integrated, co-ordinated and reviewed.

To make sure this happens, and that our commitment is properly incorporated into our operations and management, we have some important policies, plans and specific programs:

Community & Environment Policy

We have a Community and Environment Policy  that underpins our commitments and directions for the way Hunter Water interacts with its community and the environment.

Corporate Environmental Management Plan

The Corporate Environmental Management Plan  provides a framework for meeting Hunter Water’s Community and Environment Policy commitments.
The plan sets out the objectives, actions and targets that have been identified to manage Hunter Water’s environmental performance over the term of our 2007-2012 Operating Licence .

The Corporate Environmental Management Plan was developed in consultation with key stakeholders and included an exhibition period to seek input from members of the community. Performance and delivery against the Environmental Management Plan actions and targets will be reported annually.

Environmental Performance Indicators

The environmental performance of Hunter Water’s activities is tracked and reported using a predefined set of Environmental Performance Indicators (also called ESD Indicators). Development of the Environmental Performance Indicators included consultation with the community and key stakeholders. 

Performance and delivery against the Environmental Performance Indicators is reported annually in the Environmental Performance Indicators Report .

Catchment Management

Protection of our water sources is paramount and a cornerstone of the water management approach adopted by Hunter Water for our catchments .

We continue to work with key stakeholders to ensure that vital activities such as weed management, feral animal control, bushfire management, land rehabilitation, and control of illegal dumping and unauthorised access are undertaken within the drinking water catchments.

Hunter Water reports on performance against catchment management activities in an annual Catchment Report .

Environmental Programs

Hunter Water has a number of specific environmental programs that are outlined in the Corporate Environmental Management Plan.

Additional Resources

Recycling
Resources and Performance
How we are Saving Water
Securing our Water Future