The awards were held at the Fullerton Hotel in Sydney. In a message from the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese congratulated the winners.
“In Australia, people trust in the quality of their services. The teams and individuals honoured by these awards are a big part of the reason why. In a time of crisis, when there’s a problem, or a response to a simple query, excellent customer service is the cornerstone of effective service delivery,” he said.
This year the awards were a double celebration of both service excellence and CSIA’s 25th anniversary.
Managing Director Pat McCafferty said the award is a testament to Yarra Valley Water’s commitment to continually transform around its customers.
“We strongly believe the customer is at the centre of everything we do, and our customer service team is critical to providing a good customer experience.
“A huge thank you to everyone in the team for your commitment and dedication to our customers every day. You’ve made a real difference to the lives of Australians,” Mr McCafferty said.
As Melbourne's largest retail water utility, Yarra Valley Water is responsible for providing essential water and sanitation services to more than 2 million people.
Despite COVID and severe weather events, the water utility’s customer satisfaction scores have remained consistently high, with a rating of 87 per cent.
“I’m extremely proud of the entire team who manage to keep kicking goals during some of the toughest years the industry has faced,” Mr McCafferty said. “To be recognised at a national level for our customer service is a real honour.”
Nina Braid named 2022 Water Professional of the Year
Yarra Valley Water also announced that Aboriginal Partnerships Manager Nina Braid has been named 2022 Water Professional of the Year by the Australian Water Association (AWA). and was recognised for “leading and transforming how the water industry works with Traditional Custodians.”
The awards, which were held at Melbourne Town Hall, celebrated the outstanding contribution individuals have made over the last five years to the water industry. and Nina Braid was recognised for “leading and transforming how the water industry works with Traditional Custodians.”
Yarra Valley Water notes that the judges said: “Nina is a relationship builder, influencer, enabler and change-maker. Her impact continues to ripple through Yarra Valley Water and beyond, building respect, trust, curiosity, learning, confidence, unity and goodwill - adding that "as manager of Aboriginal Partnerships at Yarra Valley Water, Ms Braid has helped lead the company’s work in reconciliation since joining in 2018.
"During this time, she has continued to challenge industry norms with actions like “reverse marketing” for Aboriginal job seekers, campaigning on sorry business leave and cultural leave and reshaping how the water sector works with Traditional Owners."
For the full list of winners in the Service Excellence Awards head to the CSIA website.
For more information email media@yvw.com.au or phone +61 466 852 203
About Yarra Valley Water
Yarra Valley Water is one of Australia’s largest water utilities, with a service area covering 4,000 square kilometres. Every day, more than 2 million people and nearly 60,000 businesses rely on its water and sanitation services.
The corporation manages over $5 billion worth of infrastructure, including a network of around 20,000 kilometres of water and sewer mains. Yarra Valley Water’s purpose is to support the health and wellbeing of its customers and create a brighter future for communities and the natural environment.
