WWT ROUND TABLE 2009
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water supply was counted in days. In fact, it
became very serious.
Bob Baty But not in advance of that: it is
when the reality hits home that people
respond. The challenge we face is trying to
get people engaged – picking up Ian’s point
– in advance, so that behaviour has a
positive impact on the downstream
consequences and we do not find
ourselves in those particular circumstances.
Dan McCarthy It is easier for the customer
to make that connection because Australia
is a rather dry continent, whereas the
perception in the UK, as you were saying, is
that it is a wet environment – even though
in per-person allocation it is much drier than
some of the Mediterranean countries. So it
is that learning process; realising that it has
been raining every day but it still does not
mean that we have an adequate water
supply.
Stephen Bird: Communicate the value Tony Conway I just wonder how well we
work together as an industry, to send
coping with population and climate change The one area of the world that is dealing consistent messages that reinforce key
pressures, while ensuring that the decisions with this in a similar fashion would be points. The Australian dilemmas are very
we make over the next decade or so are Australia. The long drought they have had well known and probably quite a few
ones that those who manage and supply there has now been converted into the people in the UK have heard about them,
water who come after us will have cause to thought that it is climate change, and that we but I would be surprised if there were very
be grateful to us for. In many ways we are need to deal with it and plan for it. The data many people in the UK who appreciate our
grateful to the Victorians for the investment seem to support the fact that the climate position in comparison to Mediterranean
and the planning they made because they has changed, at least to some extent, countries. I just wonder whether there is
thought about the future as much as about perhaps permanently. Longer range plans, something about looking at ourselves as an
the present. such as the 2050 plan that the Environment industry – all the various bodies, some
Agency has talked about here, are certainly regulator and customer champion
Bob Baty Those are very relevant issues something similar to other places. The US companies; have we got our act together in
that come back to the challenge of how to market is just now starting to think about it. establishing a consistent set of key
get those messages across to customers in Some places in the West have recognised messages that we are continuously sending
a way that they not only hear them, but also that they have to do something different: the to reinforce, and therefore start to change
understand them and respond in their Colorado river has been over-allocated and behaviours?
behaviour to them. Just to keep the platform they are now trying to figure out how to
wide, let me ask Dan for an overseas point augment those flows to get what they need Stephen Bird One of the other issues in
of view. You come to this as a semi-outsider. for that part of the country. Everywhere Australia is that the consumer’s experience
You know a great deal about the UK water varies, but the UK is certainly taking a has moved on from one of price to one of
industry but you also have experience leadership role at the moment. value. In other words, it isn’t all about price
elsewhere. What is your perception at in Australia but it is about the value of the
present about the UK vis á vis people’s Bob Baty Given the situation in Australia, service that you receive in the round,
approaches elsewhere in the world? do you think that customers there are fully whether it is environmental or whether it is
engaged in the challenge? interrupted supplies and so on.
Dan McCarthy It would seem to me that There is a great deal of communication
the UK is leading the developed countries Dan McCarthy The awareness of the that goes on about price, and also about the
with regard to the issue of climate change. It customer base crept up fairly quickly when need to control carbon and so on. However,
is not so much whether it is being there were situations when the length of the it is important to communicate the value of
recognised or not, but what does it propose
to do in the water industry? You have some
“It is important to communicate what we do and
great numbers here, but how do you
convert that into asset design so that you
how we protect the environment and the services
make the right decisions? You are dealing
with that pretty progressively.
we provide, in a way that customers can relate to”
June 2009 Round Table 7