Central Coast Council wins 2024 Statewide Mutual Risk Management Excellence Awards in partnership with GHD

GHD’s landmark end-to-end application of the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act’s obligations to Central Coast Council operations sets the benchmark for security and resilience that goes well beyond compliance.

Central Coast Council’s (CCC’s) water supply system serves the region’s population of more than 345,000 people, delivering water to more than 135,000 homes and businesses. The system includes three dams, three weirs, three water treatment plants, over 50 reservoirs, and more than 2,200 kilometres of pipelines. Under the Australian federal government’s Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act, CCC self-declared as a ‘Critical Water Utility’ on the basis that Council provides water and sewer services to more than 100,000 customers.

This means that CCC manages critical infrastructure assets; or, specifically, critical water assets. CCC must therefore have a Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program (CIRMP) and comply with that program. To build this CIRMP, CCC needed to achieve profound cultural and operational change within its organisation, placing security and resilience at the core of its people’s efforts to uphold the provision of its essential services.

Through CCC’s partnership with GHD, they have been able to comply with the SOCI Act, while also measuring a radical improvement in the frequency and quality of internal reporting on matters related to security. CCC has also developed internal and community initiatives to better align works to asset criticality, and to better inform community use of water and sewer assets to better protect and strengthen the functioning of those assets.

Through a series of workshops, reporting, analysis and inspections, we were able to develop and follow a methodology to capture the highly complex and interdependent nature of CCC’s asset criticality and the competing hazards comprising its threat environment. With our specialist guidance, CCC met its legislative obligations while building trust in its team and community.

At the 2024 Statewide Mutual Risk Management Excellence Awards, GHD's collaboration with Central Coast Council earned two prestigious awards in the ‘large regional/metro council’ category. Their project ‘Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program – Beyond Compliance,’ won in the ‘Strategic Risk’ category and was also recognised as the joint ‘Overall Winner’ alongside Canterbury Bankstown Council.

In sharing news of the award, Krystie Bryant, Business Performance and Asset Security and Resilience lead at the CCC stated “I am really proud of this work. It has resulted in a more open and trust-based organisational culture, increased internal reporting, and enhanced operational resilience. It has set the tone for an approach beyond compliance, laying the groundwork for collaboration with other critical infrastructure owners and agencies, working together to safeguard the economic and social liveability of our community. Thank you to Andrew Harris and Jason Shepherd for your guidance throughout (and for always matching my energy!).”

About GHD

GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 11,000+ professionals are connected across 160 offices located on five continents.