WA Water Corporation expands Operational Technology team

Western Australia’s Water Corporation has brought a further 22 high-tech roles in-house, following the successful transfer of more than 400 employees from private alliance partnerships earlier this year. The expansion of the operational technology (OT) maintenance and support team has created 18 permanent positions at the Water Corporation that were previously outsourced, as well as four new positions.

Water Minister Dave Kelly said this is a great result for these 22 workers, as more and more essential services are brought back into public hands. Kelly noted that the previous OT maintenance structure relied on external contractors, which meant much of the knowledge and expertise sat outside the Water Corporation.

OT is a critical function that underpins the state’s water, wastewater, irrigation and drainage network across 2.6 million square kilometres. Its critical infrastructure and processes can be remotely monitored and controlled, supporting real-time, data-driven decision-making. Securing these essential skills provides a platform to build critical OT capability necessary for future service delivery enhancements and improved efficiencies. A predicted cost saving of $219,000 per annum will also be realised.

Earlier this year, more than 400 staff from two private alliances transitioned into the Water Corporation’s water and wastewater network operations group, 25 years after they were privatised by the then Liberal Government.

“The decision to bring OT control, skills, knowledge and intellectual property wholly in-house further strengthens the security and resilience of the Water Corporation’s critical infrastructure, while reducing costs for the state,” Kelly said.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/leowolfert