Technology will aid new water body

The South West's new merged water authority will manage its offices and depots across the region with the help of a state-of-the-art communications network. The Wannon Region Water Authority will come into existence on July 1.

It has signed on to the South West Alliance of Rural Health communication system. The system offers teleconferencing, free local phone calls, long distance calls at local rates and broadband Internet access. The network includes more than 47 health care providers over 115 sites.

Pre-merger coordinator Harry Peeters said the network would allow staff at the water authority's different locations to talk quickly and easily.
"The key to a successful multi-campus water authority is communication and this will allow us to provide a data network link for all staff," he said. "It has a regional benefit too because the more big organisations that got on this network, the more it reduces the cost to all in the network."

Mr Peeters said arrangements for the merger of South West Water, Glenelg Water and Portland Coast Water were progressing well. "We anticipate that it's going to be a seamless transition and the general customer will not know the difference," he said. "Some things can't he done until the authority takes up on July 1 but we have a number of working groups ensuring all the main financial compliance work is finished."

All South West Water Authority sites will be connected to the Alliance network as well as Portland's Townsend Street offices, Hamilton's Gray Street offices and Port Fairy's wastewater treatment-plant.

The Warrnambool Standard, Tuesday, June 14, 2005 (P.3)