The Australian experience: managing a non‐metropolitan urban water utility ‐ paradigm shifting towards a new mindset

Abstract

This paper examines the operating environment of non‐metropolitan urban water authorities in Victoria, Australia. It analyses the policy framework within which the industry operates and demonstrates that this framework generates inconsistencies between central agency driven economic outcomes and local politician driven social efficacy outcomes. The paper poses a solution based in a new leadership mindset of entrepreneurially driven core business centres providing co‐ordination rather than direct services and the adoption of an approach recognising discontinuous change rather than the parameters founding “new managerialism” driven by Australian public sector reform agencies. The author asserts that these businesses will be required to paradigm shift ‐ to move from service providers to service managers, to develop networks and strategic alliances with service providers and to embrace mindsets beyond the structured “new managerialism” of the 1980s. The paper draws on studies concerning network organisations, loosely coupled clusters and quality, customer focused solutions. It analyses the need for the implementation of the mindset underpinning these organisations into the sector.

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