An alliance of businesses in the business of water

Message from the Chair: WIA Constitution review

December 1, 2017

At the recent AGM the CEO, Rachel Barratt, and I announced a review of the Water Industry Alliance Constitution.

The constitution of the Water Industry Alliance has been through a number of amendments since the Alliance was established in 1998. The most recent review was in 2013.

While overall the current Constitution is considered to be a well-drafted document, the Board have identified a number of areas which may warrant amendment. Most of the potential changes identified relate to the Board governance and operations and not to the objectives or intent of the Constitution. The aim of the review is to enhance the operations of the organisation and re-confirm its purpose for the future.

Of particular note to the Board is that under the current Constitution, each year members vote on the make-up of the whole Board. While it is unlikely, this creates a situation where the whole Board could be replaced year to year, which presents a risk to the functioning and operations of the organisation if this was to occur. Therefore, the Board is of the view that there may be merit in having longer terms and staggering nominations to provide more consistent strategic oversight and business continuity while ensuring good governance.

In late February the Board will be releasing a position paper outlining recommended changes to the Constitution. As input to that position paper, we would like to invite all members to provide their thoughts, comments and feedback on all areas of the Constitution. These comments will be taken into account when drafting the recommended changes. A copy of the WIA Constitution can be found here.

Once the draft position paper is circulated members will have a further opportunity to provide feedback and to attend a Special Members meeting in March 2018 to comment and vote on the proposed changes.

Please send your comments directly to [email protected]. All comments must be received by 25th January 2018 to be considered in the review.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and wish you and your families a very happy and safe festive season.

Yours sincerely,

Robran Cock

Chair

Water Industry Alliance