Edward Smith will be in charge of the Werribee Irrigation District.
By XAVIER SMERDON
THE man who changed the way water is traded and managed in Victoria has been named the new manager for the Werribee Irrigation District.
Southern Rural Water announced last week that Edward Smith would be appointed the role of Manager Water Supply West after spending five years with the company in other positions.
Mr Smith managed the water corporation’s project to change to unbundled licences, and later worked in strategy and performance.
“Unbundling water rights was a very complex project which changed the way water is managed and traded,” Mr Smith said.
“It gave many more choices to farmers, but hand-in-hand with that is the added complexity of the system. Helping our customers to understand the changes and the implications was a big task, which is still ongoing.”
Mr Smith formerly worked in England with the railway industry but was attracted to the water industry in Victoria because of challenges such as drought and water reform.
“In my time at Southern Rural Water I have worked closely with our staff and customers in our western irrigation districts,” he said.
“It’s given me a good grasp of how the system works, but also the significant challenges that face us in the medium to long term.”
For more information call Southern Rural Water on 1300 139 510.
