A performance audit examining whether the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) has effectively supported the planning for and funding of town water infrastructure in regional NSW found it had been ineffective for at least six years.
In her report, Support for regional town water infrastructure, Auditor-General Margaret Crawford says the Department had not effectively supported or overseen town water infrastructure planning since at least 2014.
“It does not have a clear regulatory approach and lacks internal procedures and data to guide its support for local water utilities that service around 1.85 million people in regional NSW,” Ms Crawford said.
“The audit also found that the Department has not had a strategy in place to target investments in town water infrastructure to the areas of greatest priority,” she said.
Ms Crawford said DPIE had recently developed a risk-based framework to inform future town water infrastructure funding priorities and a State-wide plan was now in development.
“A continued focus on coordinating town water planning, investments and sector engagement is needed for the Department to more effectively support, plan for and fund town water infrastructure, and to work with local water utilities to help avoid future shortages of safe water in regional towns and cities,” she said.
Ms Crawford made seven recommendations aimed at improving the administration and transparency of the Department’s oversight; support and funding for town water infrastructure; as well as strengthening its sector engagement and interagency coordination on town water planning issues and investments.
The Auditor-General’s 49-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.
