Creating liveable communities
We're at the heart of a rapidly transforming Lower Hunter region which is developing towards its vision of being the leading regional economy in Australia.
For more than 125 years, we have achieved a strong track record of delivering safe, reliable and efficient water and wastewater services to the region. We’re building on this success by contributing to the vision for the region, informed by our community’s values and expectations.
We’re helping to transform the Lower Hunter into a liveable community, where members feel safe and secure, have access to affordable housing and transportation options, and benefit from supportive community features and services.
We’re investing in our communities by taking an integrated water management approach and working with our partners to enable growth. We support investment that:
- delivers efficient and innovative services and solutions for new development
- supports housing affordability and regional growth
- works with developers and planning authorities to improve sustainability for new development
- improves the amenity of urban areas.
Integrated water management
Integrated water management involves a cohesive approach to water supply, sewerage, stormwater services and waterway health.
It means customers can access different water supplies for different uses. For example, residential customers can use rainwater tanks or recycled water for garden watering and can reuse their own ‘grey water’ from washing machines, showers, baths and basins.
Managing water on a whole-of-water-cycle basis delivers diverse water supplies that are fit-for-purpose and make the best use of water at different stages of the urban water cycle.
Case study: Collaboration to improve public amenity
The NSW Government has developed a 20-year blueprint for the future of the Hunter Region that reflects community and stakeholder aspirations, as detailed in the Hunter Regional Plan 2036 and the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan.
A key direction is to enhance amenity for quality of life, including creating great public spaces, access and connectivity to the waterfront, and improving pedestrian and cyclist safety.
We’re exploring opportunities to contribute to the amenity of existing urban areas and to collaborate with stakeholders to understand how our stormwater assets can be used to improve sustainability and liveability.
We have been working with HCCDC to develop the best options that meet the vision for the Honeysuckle public domain. This includes work to improve our concrete stormwater channel at the lower end of Cottage Creek, which was constructed almost 100 years ago and does not align with the vision for the area in its current state.
Investing in liveable communities
We are committed to integrating sustainability principles into the way we plan and operate our business, so we can meet the needs of our community while preserving the quality of life for future generations.