Sustainability Indicators

Customer Contacts

Where we would like to be:
In the Water Plan, we commit to delivering a level of service to our customers when they are contacting us either by telephone or by correspondence (email, fax or letter).

Where we are:

Account Enquiries  – calls answered within 30 seconds	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
Actual	63.6%	78.7%	81.7%	78.87%
Target	80%	80%	80%	78.3%

Service Faults – calls answered within 30 seconds	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
Actual	84.3%	85.7%	90.9%	92.6%
Target	98.4%	98.3%	88%	89.0%

Correspondence responded to within 10 days	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
Actual	100%	100%	100%	100%
Target	100%	100%	100%	100%

Results:
This year, our Customer Account Enquiries Centre handled 263,179 calls, with an additional 14,458 calls handled by our Technical Enquiries team. Our Service Faults Centre also handled 76,718 calls. Our Customer and Community Relations team also responded to over 4,978 items of correspondence.

We have recently updated our website to make it easier for our customers to pay their bills online, change their account details or simply obtain information on projects and initiatives that are occurring in our area.

Where we are headed:
We are committed to achieving our customer contact targets in line with the Essential Services Commission requirements. We measure our performance monthly to ensure our targets are met.

 

Community Assistance

Where we would like to be:
We aim to help our customers by giving them the tools to manage their finances more effectively now and into the future.

Where we are:

Community Assistance	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
Customers on payment arrangements	21,035	22,967	24,515	25,598
Money spent on hardship program $ (approximately)	38,000	26,000	38,000	47,000
No of customers assisted	92	70	89	109

Note: We do not have any targets for this indicator as we believe our hardship programs are implemented according to customer needs.

Results:
We provide 15 different payment options, to ensure that payment methods suit the changing needs of our customers. Our payment options include giving customers who may be experiencing financial difficulties the opportunity to enter into an arrangement with us to pay their bills in instalments.

We also offer assistance to these customers by providing aid under the Utility Relief Grants Scheme, referring them to free financial counselling services or assessing their eligibility for City West Water’s Hardship Assistance Program.

Occasionally we are informed of, or identify, customers who are experiencing a partial or total loss of water or sewer services due to failure of internal property plumbing but are unable to finance or repair their plumbing.

In approved circumstances, we help these customers to rectify their plumbing problems. In 2005–06 we assisted three customers through our Special Needs Program and paid approximately $1,792 towards internal property plumbing works.

Where we are headed:
We will continually review this program and in 2006-07 we will be looking to integrate our community assistance program with our large household’s assistance program, where appropriate, to assist our customers to save water and money on their account.

 

Education Strategy

Where we would like to be:
In our Education Strategy we aim to educate students and the wider community about water conservation, water recycling, salt reduction and our wider services to meet the Victorian Government’s water consumption per person reduction targets.

Where we are:

Education programs implemented	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
Successfully implemented	n/a	n/a	ü	ü
No. of programs implemented	n/a	n/a	7	9

Results:
City West Water’s Education Strategy aims to raise student and community awareness not only about the importance of water and water conservation but also about other topics like our sewerage system and recycled water.

This year, we adapted our pre-established programs to reflect the new state education framework, the Victorian Essential Learning Standards, so we continue to meet the needs of our schools.

One of our successes has included the implementation of Water-Learn It! Live It!, a Victoria Government program aimed at raising students’ awareness of water, water consumption, treatment and reuse.

Each Metropolitan Melbourne water retailer had a target to commit 10 schools to the program by 30 June 2006. At City West Water we had an overwhelming response with over 30 schools committed. Our strategy also extended to providing free school visits, competitions and events for students and teachers.

Where we are headed:
We set monthly targets for managing our education programs and will do more work on integrating our activities in the coming year. Next year, we will be extending our strategy to include new stakeholders into our program like pre-school children, community groups and local councils.

 

Social Strategy

Where we would like to be:
In our Social Strategy we aim to provide social initiatives and programs that suit our customers’ needs and deliver a business benefit.

Where we are:

Community Contributions before tax	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
Actual	n/a	n/a	n/a	1.87%
Target	n/a	n/a	n/a	1%

Results:
This year, we formalised our social strategy which recognises our long-term interest in fostering a healthy community and the consequent benefits to our business. We invested $1.1 million in over 30 programs in 2005-06.  The programs that make up our social strategy are being implemented across the business. Some of these programs include; Abercare partnership, Community Liaison Committee, Community Support Sponsorships, Council Festivals and Hardship Grants.

One example of a program that sits within this strategy is our partnerships with non-profit organisations.  In June we sponsored a number of representatives in these non-profit organisations to attend the ‘Communities in Control’ conference which provided them with an opportunity to learn, network and challenge the status quo as well as to listen to speakers including Bryce Courtney.

Where we are headed: 
We review our social strategy annually, with input from the Environment and Social Sustainability Committee (previously Environmental Audit Committee).We continue to look for activities which match our social strategy and policy, providing both a community and business benefit.

 

Complaints to the Energy and Water Ombudsman of Victoria (EWOV)

Where we would like to be:
To reduce the number of complaints to EWOV by resolving them when our customers first contact us.

Where we are:

EWOV complaints (per 1000 customers)	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
Actual	0.19	0.21	0.28	0.39
Target	n/a	n/a	0.44	0.41

Results:
We proactively manage our customer complaints as business improvement opportunities and have achieved our annual target.  Importantly, this takes cooperation at all levels of the business, with EWOV and with our customers.

Where we are headed:
We work closely with our customers to manage their complaints. We are reviewing our processes to ensure customers receive timely resolution of their concerns and we will investigate further training to increase call closure and resolution in the first instance.