Robyn Grey-Gardner

1. Water Safety Conference 2010 Robyn Grey-Gardner The Community Water Planner Field Guide A wave of change in water management in Australia

2. Introduction Background Development Product Adoption The Clarence River (NSW) is a drinking water source for three Indigenous communities Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

3. What is the Field Guide? • The Community Water Planner Field Guide is a resource package that: • Supplements existing Guidelines and tools in Australia (the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and the Community Water Planner) • Provides a resource to support improved water supply management in small Indigenous remote communities who generally have unregulated and typically self managed supplies. • Has been developed specifically for communities with low literacy and numeracy skills and little technical training in water management Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

4. Australian context: • There are 1187 discrete Indigenous communities in Australia • Larger Indigenous communities rely on the planning and accountability of service providers and water utilities • 865 Indigenous communities have a population of less than 50 people. • Medium to small Indigenous communities have fragmented services and limited accountability Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

5. Development of the Field Guide • a ‘flexible and adaptable approach’ recognising the diversity of Indigenous communities in Australia – governance and water supply • Engagement of multiple stakeholders was key to ensure different governance structures into the trial process and involve stakeholders at all levels: • local, regional and national scales • Indigenous organisations • Universities • Water utilities • Health agencies Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

6. Development of the Field Guide Mandangala: Population: 80 people Source: untreated ground water Management: self managed Buru: Population: 20 people Source: untreated river water Management: self managed Malabugilmah: Population: 50 people Source: untreated river water Management: Shire Council Yuelamu: Population: 300 people Source: treated dam water Management: Water utility Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) Community Housing and Infrastructure Needs Survey Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

7. Development of the Field Guide • Residents in small Indigenous communities usually have good knowledge of operational procedures but risk assessment and asset management are usually poorly understood. • The field guide addresses this with: • practical workshop activities • posters and pictorial materials • a facilitated process Terry from Malabugilmah ready to flush the pipes Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

8. Development of the Field Guide To assess the field guide materials, we surveyed residents in the four trial sites regarding: • their community • their knowledge of water supply management • how the materials could be improved. Community residents at Buru map their water supply Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

9. Development of the Field Guide Samantha chlorinates her rainwater tank during a workshop activity at Malabugilmah Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

10. Development of the Field Guide Helen (CAT) facilitates a community water supply mapping activity at Mandangala Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

11. Product STEP 1 - Community Map of water supply Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

12. Product STEP 2 - Water supply risk assessment Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

13. Product STEP 3 - Regular maintenance requirements for assets and longterm asset replacement planning Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

14. Product STEP 4 - Roles and responsibilities activity sheet for water services and support for all regions Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

15. Adoption The National Water Commission has funded adoption of the product. Uptake is being organised though state health agencies, water utilities and Indigenous organisations. A one day ‘train-the-trainer’ workshop will be run in regional and rural centres to build the capacity of people to use the product and manage water supplies in remote Indigenous communities. Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

16. Adoption • Effective program adoption requires: • Programs that span more than 12 months • Annual review • Shared management • Site selection based on strengths • Step-wise improvement strategy • A formal evaluation of the field sites and adoption of the package will be conducted via stakeholders across Australia Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

17. Acknowledgements The Field Guide is available on the WQRA website:http://www.wqra.com.au/cwplanner/CWPlanner.htm Water Safety Conference November 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia