Environmental mapping tool makes a splash at water awards

South East Water has been recognised for its innovative environmental sensitivity map, making the finals in the Organisational Excellence category at the Australian Water Association Awards in Melbourne last month. The water utility created the map to identify and protect sensitive environments within Melbourne’s south-east, providing insights into 26 sensitivity categories across waterways, terrestrial and marine environments.

South East Water environment compliance manager Cody Narlock said the map provided an important baseline of understanding for areas of environmental significance within the south-east.  “Our environmental sensitivity map is helping us to protect the biodiverse range of natural habitats and ecosystems right across our service area, which includes Ramsar-listed wetlands, inland and coastal waterways and flora and fauna that rely on these habitats to survive,” Mr Narlock said.

“The map has proved to be an important tool for us to better understand how our network of assets interact with the surrounding environment. A sensitivity ranking system pinpoints locations of endangered and threatened species, helping us plan an operational response that preserves and protects these sensitive environments.”

South East Water’s acting general manager of service delivery, Andrew Forster-Knight, said the map was also pushing boundaries beyond incident response for proactive care of the natural environment.  “We have a duty of care to protect the natural environment in which we operate to minimise the risk of harm,” Mr Forster-Knight said.  “I’m excited to see the map being used strategically in our environmental planning and assessments, helping guide the design of water and sewer assets to support proactive biodiversity improvements in our capital works projects.”