COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT OF SERVICES › hdp.au... · EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 This summary outlines the key findings from a quantitative survey designed to gain insight into the community’s

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT OF SERVICESQuantitative Research Report

for Melbourne Water

21 August 2019

REPORT PREPARED FOR REPORT PREPARED BY

DISCLAIMER

Jasmine Hoye

Partner

[email protected]

Benjamin Wegener

Data Scientist

[email protected]

Kate Toner

Research Executive

[email protected]

In preparing this report we have presented and interpreted information that we believe to be relevant for completing the agreed task in a professional manner. It is important to

understand that we have sought to ensure the accuracy of all the information incorporated into this report.

Where we have made assumptions as a part of interpreting the data in this report, we have sought to make those assumptions clear. Similarly, we have sought to make clear

where we are expressing our professional opinion rather than reporting findings. Please ensure that you take these assumptions into account when using this report as the basis for

any decision-making.

The qualitative research findings included throughout this report should not be considered statistically representative and cannot be extrapolated to the general population.

For the quantitative research results, the base (number and type of respondents asked each question) and the actual survey questions are shown at the bottom of each page.

Results may not always total 100% due to rounding.

This project was conducted in accordance with AS: ISO20252:2012 guidelines, to which Newgate Research is accredited.

Project reference number: NGR 1905015

This document is commercial-in-confidence; the recipient agrees to hold all information presented within as confidential and agrees not to use or disclose, or allow the use or

disclosure of the said information to unauthorised parties, directly or indirectly, without prior written consent. Our methodology is copyright to Newgate Research, 2018.

Doug Helms

Manager Social Research, Customer & Strategy

2

mailto:[email protected]



CONTENTS

Executive Summary 4

Introduction 8

Background and Objectives 9

Research Methodology 10

Findings 11

Context 12

Exploring Engagement with Water Services 16

Segmentation 21

Knowledge of the Water Companies 25

Values and Perceptions of Melbourne Water’s Services 30

Further Service Explorations 47

Appendix 52

3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

5

This summary outlines the key findings from a quantitative

survey designed to gain insight into the community’s

perceptions of Melbourne Water’s services, the value the

community derives from these services, and how views may

differ among different groups within the community.

The research built on learnings from a qualitative study in

2018 and involved an online survey with a broadly

representative mix of the community: n=1,200 residents of

greater Melbourne, using panel sample. The findings will help

inform a range of initiatives, including Melbourne Water’s next

price review.

Knowledge and overall perceptions of services

As found in the qualitative research, the large majority

knew little more about Melbourne Water than its name;

the average rating survey participants gave for their

knowledge about the organisation was just 4.4 out of 10.

When asked to say (unprompted) what they think it does,

the top response theme was ensuring Melbourne has

enough water (43%).

However, other responsibilities were mentioned by far

fewer people – at the next level down was maintaining the

water network (13%), then supplying clean drinking water

(8%) and looking after the waterways (8%).

Some confusion was also evident – e.g. some assumed

it is just responsible for the CBD area (7% – akin to the

water retailers, as heard in recent qualitative research on

the Waterways & Drainage Charge), and a few thought

that it sends water bills (3%).

The low knowledge levels were further illustrated by responses

to a series of short services videos, much of which was news to

participants. We also saw a mild level of engagement overall,

with the majority (59%) saying they think about water issues just

a few times a year or less. However, most saw value in

learning about what Melbourne Water does, not least so that

they are more accepting of their water bills, but also because it

builds appreciation, reassurance and among some, a greater

sense of responsibility to play their part and ‘do the right thing’.

Personal values were explored to better understand the lenses

through which the community evaluates Melbourne Water’s

services. The most common values were health, family,

happiness, financial security, freedom and honesty.

Melburnians also have a distinct environmental leaning, with two

thirds (66%) saying they would prioritise protecting the

environment, even if it costs money, compared to just one third

saying it is more important to keep costs down, even if it impacts

the environment to some extent (34%).

With these personal values in mind, participants reported a

high level of value in Melbourne Water’s services, even if

they don’t necessarily know who delivers them. They were

asked to rate how important ten aspects of its services were to

them personally, with all having high average ratings of 7 or

more out of 10 (with 10 being ‘extremely important’).

The most valued services were: ‘providing safe, pleasant tasting

water’ (8.7), ‘providing a reliable, uninterrupted supply of water’

(8.6), and long-term security of supply (8.3).

Least valued were: ‘providing information and education about

flood risk’ (7.0) and ‘public amenities and access to

areas around waterways’ (7.3).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CONT’D

6

Mebourne’s water companies in general were also thought

to be providing quite good service levels, with average

performance ratings on the same 10 service aspects

ranging from 6.3 to 8.1, with a similar rank order as per

importance ratings.

When considering both importance and performance,

Melbourne Water’s core services of water supply and

sewerage services were the most valued and well regarded

of its services, suggesting its service priorities are quite

well aligned with community values.

The biggest gaps between importance and performance

ratings were between ‘managing water capture, storage and

long-term security of supply’, ‘waterway services to help

keep creeks, rivers, wetlands healthy’, and ‘innovative

solutions to water related problems’, suggesting these are

distinct areas Melbourne Water should give more

attention. Indeed, this was clear from a subsequent in-

principle service investment question.

Mixed views were evident on the water outlook, with a

range of concerns – mostly about population growth, mixed

views on the infrastructure, and a lack of awareness about

water security issues and plans.

After watching a series of four short service category

videos, participants were also asked how important they

thought each service was for them personally, for the

community and for the environment. All were highly valued,

and notably, the the services were all more valued (rated

higher) for their benefits to the broader community and

the health of the natural environment than to participants

themselves, likely indicating a recognition of the greater

good these services bring to Melbourne.

Services investment

While this was not a ‘willingness to pay’ survey, and no dollar

amounts were considered, participants were asked whether

they thought Melbourne Water should increase, decrease or

not change its spending in each of the same 10 aspects of its

services, to understand changes they might like prioritised.

Highlighting perceptions of there being room for improvement,

the majority supported increased investment in many of these

areas, with the top three being those identified above with the

biggest importance / performance gaps.

However, to gain a more informed view, participants were

asked the same question after viewing the four service videos,

which had quite an impact on perceptions. This time the

majority (at least 60%) said they wanted increased investment

in all bar two of these areas: flood risk education (44% nett

more investment) and waterways amenities and access (49%).

Further, the biggest change pre and post information was for

investment in some of the least visible services: sewerage (a

17 percentage point gain to 61% ‘net more investment’),

followed by waterways amenities and access (up 14 points to

49%) and stormwater and drainage to minimise flooding (up 13

points to 60%). These results suggest that community value

perceptions can quite quickly be increased via education

about its services (as suggested by the earlier qualitative

research), and would help with any efforts to build support for

changes in its investments, if this was desired.

When considering the relative value of services at a more

granular level, participants again placed the most value in

water supply services.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CONT’D

7

In allocating 100 points across 22 sub-services, water

transfer and supply, and water quality and treatment stood

out with the highest points (9.7 and 9.6 on average), while

there was a good distribution across the remaining

services, with average points of 3.0 to 6.2 each.

Alternative water

Preferences on desalination were touched on, with the jury

out on whether the Minister for Water should decide each

year whether to place an order for desalinated water (35%)

or whether the plant should be in continuous operation

(39%), with one in five (19%) unsure and 7% ‘don’t care’.

These results suggest this is a complex decision that

would require more community education and debate.

Reflecting the qualitative sentiment, very strong support for

alternative water sources is evident within the community:

The large majority of those without a recycled water

connection to their property (i.e. most Melburnians)

indicated they would like one if they could afford it (69%).

Almost eight in 10 support more recycled water being

produced for non-drinking purposes (net 78%, 57%

strongly) and more stormwater being collected and treated

for non-drinking purposes (net 78%, 52% strongly).

Community segments

To better understand the value of Melbourne Water’s

services to the community, segmentation analysis revealed

five distinct groups, which sit across a broad spectrum of

engagement with water, environment vs cost saving

leanings, and views on Melbourne Water.

Key characteristics of the five segments:

‘Don’t care, don’t want to pay’ (12%): younger, male leaning,

not interested in water, career and cost savings are key, so they

prefer investment in services to stay the same if not be lowered

‘Cost conscious retirees’ (22%): oldest segment, don’t use

waterways, quite disengaged, lowest income, majority don’t

support increased investment in Melbourne Water services

‘Young mortgagees, open-minded’ (25%): male leaning, most

likely to have a mortgage, not very engaged but value education

and are open-minded, quite optimistic about the water outlook

‘Concerned older families’ (25%): female leaning, adult

children, most pessimistic water outlook, strong health and

environmental values, most inherent value in Melbourne Water

‘Young families, green & pleased’ (16%): youngest segment,

most likely married, very strong environmental leaning, most

optimistic, highest service performance ratings yet also highly

supportive of increased investment in Melbourne Water services

Melbourne Water could use these segments in its ongoing

communications and engagement endeavours, as well as in

targeting initiatives and making potential investment decisions.

Closing thoughts

Many participants took the opportunity to express an appreciation

for the survey in their final comments, often saying that it was a

good way to not only provide feedback on important issues, but

also to learn about Melbourne Water. Some also felt the short

service videos should be widely promoted to help educate the

community about its services and good work.

INTRODUCTIONBackground, Objectives & Research Methodology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

9

BACKGROUND

As Melbourne Water continues to work on embedding

customer centricity into its thinking, planning and

activities, and in its preparations for developing its pricing

proposal for submission to the ESC in 2021, it is

essential that it understands, measures and monitors the

community’s knowledge, wishes, support and perceived

value from the services it provides.

Some of the issues it is facing centre around low

awareness and understanding within the community

about what Melbourne Water does – particularly for

emerging services; and the lack of an existing, clearly

stated value proposition.

As a natural follow-on from a qualitative research phase

completed in 2018, Melbourne Water commissioned

Newgate Research to undertake a quantitative study with

a representative sample of the Melbourne population.

OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the research were to:

Gain a solid understanding of the community’s knowledge

and perceptions of Melbourne Water’s services, and the

values these provide;

Identify any unmet needs or potential future service

offerings;

Understand preferences around desalination orders,

recycled water and stormwater harvesting;

Identify customer segments and their respective values; and

Help Melbourne Water to articulate its services and

approaches.

More specifically, we sought to measure the community’s

knowledge and perceptions of Melbourne Water’s services

and sub-services:

Water supply

Sewerage & recycled water

Waterways

Stormwater & drainage

We also looked at the impact of information provision about its

services on perceptions of value and whether Melbourne

Water should invest more in any particular areas.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

10

This comprehensive online survey was fielded by Newgate’s

ISO-accredited partner for the project, PureProfile, between 8th

– 23rd July 2019. The sample frame and questionnaire were

designed by Newgate Research, with input and approval from

Melbourne Water.

The sample was residents of greater Melbourne as defined as

the areas served by the three metro water retailers (CWW,

YVW and SEW) and the Western Water area. It is worth noting

that there were no standout differences in responses between

customers of the four retailers.

Median 28-minute online

panel survey

Representative sample of n=1,200 residents

of Greater Melbourne

Age x

Gender

Male Female Total

% n % n n

18-34 15 184 18 221 405

35-54 17 201 21 246 447

55+ 16 195 13 153 348

Total 48 580 52 620 1200

Sampled

Actual customer

distribution (%)% n

City West Water 23 23 276

South East Water 35 35 421

Yarra Valley Water 38 37 449

Western Water 3 5 54

Participants were drawn from an online research panel, with

quotas set by gender, age and water retailer. The final sample of

n=1,200 yielded a best-practice maximum error margin of +/-2.8%

at the 95% confidence level. The participant profile is provided in

the Appendix.

To adjust for any bias in sampling, final survey results were

weighted by ABS Census definitions for age and gender, as well

as actual customer distributions across Melbourne’s four water

retailers (as tabled below). All survey data presented throughout

this report are weighted, unless otherwise specified.

NB: Throughout this report, single response questions may not add to 100%, and

nets may not total the sum of the component percentages, due to rounding.

FINDINGS

CONTEXTPersonal values

PERSONAL VALUES – UNPROMPTED

13Q1. Aside from family and friends, what are the things you value most in life? Base: All participants (n=1,200)

NB: Verbatim responses manually coded to measure response theme incidence.

When participants were asked to think about what they valued most in life (besides friends

and family), the standout unprompted value was their personal health – a fundamentally

important value that Melbourne Water should look to deliver on

55+ years more likely to

mention health (48%)

Females were more likely to

mention health (38%)

Females more likely to

mention happiness (14%)

18-34 year olds more likely to

mention career (14%)

Parents more likely to mention

health (38%)

Females more likely to

mention pets (14%)

Those who are studying are

more likely to mention

education (13%)

Those studying were more

likely to mention love (10%)

5

6

7

9

9

9

9

10

11

33

A healthy environment

House / home

Comfort / relaxation

Job / career

Animals / pets

Personal freedom

Travel / exploring

Happiness

Financial security

Health

Top 10 unprompted personal values - coded (%)

In the 2018 qualitative study family was the most

cited value by far, followed by respect, health,

happiness, kindness, compassion, trust and love, as

per the word cloud below from that study. Given the

prevalence of family being mentioned, we asked

people in the quantitative survey to name other

values (shown on the previous page).

By comparison, the prompted question in the quantitative study

confirmed health as the number one value, followed by family,

happiness and financial security. We later explore differences

within the community.

PERSONAL VALUES – PROMPTED

14

Q2. Here’s a list of things other people have said they value in life. Please select the top five that are most important to you at this

time in your life. Base: All participants (n=1,200). * NB: Values lists were not identical between the 2018 and 2019 studies. The

2019 list was a selection of the 40 most common values from the qualitative study.

14

16

17

19

23

24

33

42

47

57

Security

Healthy environment

Kindness

Respect

Honesty

Personal freedom

Financial security

Happiness

Family

Health

Top 10 prompted values (%)

Similar to the 2018 qualitative study, participants were asked to select their top five values from an

extensive list*. Health was the most common value, followed by family, happiness and financial

security. Freedom and honesty were also popular values. These are key lenses through which

the community will evaluate Melbourne Water’s services overall.

2018 Qualitative Study Values

Which is more important to you… ? (%)

28

57

15

Protecting theenvironment

Both equallyimportant

Keeping costsdown

66%NETT Environment

15

CONTEXTUAL VALUES – ENVIRONMENT VS COSTS

To further contextualise the findings on the personal values of

Melburnians, participants were asked what was more important to

them: protecting the environment or keeping costs down.

At the outset, the majority (57%) said both were equally important,

with just under a third (28%) prioritising the environment – but

when pressed to make a choice, the majority (66%) preferenced

the environment. This environmental leaning within the community

should be kept in mind when interpreting the main survey findings.

Before being forced to make a choice, two key demographics

differences were observed:

• Younger participants (18-34 year olds) were significantly more

likely than older participants to think protecting the environment

was more important than keeping costs down (34% vs 25%

respectively); and

• Conversely, males were more likely than females to want to

keep costs down even if it has environmental impacts (19% vs

11%).

Notably, looking at the final forced choice result, the only

significant difference in demographics was by age, where younger

participants were more likely to prioritise the environment: 71% of

those under 35 vs 63% of those aged 35+.

Q3. And which of these is more important to you? Protecting the environment, even if it costs money, or keeping costs down, even if it impacts the environment to some

extent. Base: All participants (n=1,200) / Q4. If you had to choose only one of these, which would you say is more important to you? Base: Participants who responded ‘both

are equally important’ (n=683)

34%NETT Costs

$

When asked to make a choice, the majority of Melburnians see environmental protection as more

important than keeping costs down (especially younger people) – though a third place more value

on cost saving, even if it impacts the environment

EXPLORING ENGAGEMENT WITH WATER SERVICESKnowledge, awareness and engagement

with water & associated services

8 8 32 37 15

Level of interest in the topic of water and related services and issues (%)

0 - 2 (Not interested at all) 3 - 4 5 - 6 7 - 8 9 - 10 (Extremely interested)

While the majority of people don’t often think about Melbourne’s specific water issues or related

services (59% just a few times a year or less), there was broad interest in the topic

ENGAGEMENT WITH WATER: FAIRLY MILD

17

12 13 34 17 15 9

Frequency of thinking about Greater Melbourne’s water issues and related services (%)

Never Less than once a year A few times a year At least once a month At least weekly At least daily

A few times a

year or less

Once a month

or more

59 41

NETT (%)

Q5. How often do you actively think about things to do with water and related services and issues in the greater Melbourne area?

Q6. And how often do you actively think about things to do with water and related services and issues in your area?

Q8. How interested would you say you are in the topic of water and related services and issues?

Base: All participants (n=1,200), City West Water (n=276), South East Water (n=421), Yarra Valley Water (n=449), Western Water (n=54)

Most likely to be uninterested:

• Those who care about cost saving

more than the environment (26%)

• Those who aren’t a parent (20%)

Most likely to be interested:

• Aged 55+ (59%)

• Parents (57%)

• Speak a language other than English (60%)

• Those who care about protecting the environment

more than cost saving (59%)

• Those with a special building overlay (79%)

Average interest

6.3 / 10

Nett Interested (7-10) = 52%Nett No/Low interest (0-4) = 16%

When they do think about water, people’s front of mind thoughts are dominated by saving water

and wise usage, water quality and costs – wastage and pollution are also notable concerns

WATER ISSUES PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT

18

18

18

16

14

12

10

6

5

5

Water conservation/storage/save water

Water quality: clean, pure, safe

Water usage (how much)/use wisely

Cost of water/water bills

Wastage of water

Water pollution, affecting rivers and bay

Drought

Availability of water

Water shortage/lack of water

Top things people are thinking about when it comes to water and related issues and services - coded (5%+)

Q7. And when you do think about water and related issues and services, what sorts of things are you actually thinking about?

Green or red indicate significantly higher or lower respectively. Base: Participants that think about water more than ‘Never’

(n=1,051). NB: Verbatim responses manually coded to measure response theme incidence.

vs

6% 20%

15% 18%

15% 17%

25% 10%

10% 13%

5% 11%

12% 6%

8% 5%

3% 6%

Generally more to do with droughts and

their impact on farmers rather than metro

water issues.

Water, a precious commodity, being

squandered by irresponsible individuals,

and irresponsible industrial and agricultural

entities. Water is the quintessence of life

and must be used wisely.

Wondering what the impact of wasting

water is and whether I alone taking a

shorter shower is going to make any

difference.

“ “Perhaps reflecting the

community’s strongest value

of health, appreciating water

is essential to survival, water

usage and conservation

featured most prominently in

people’s minds when

thinking about water (a net

of 32%). Also related to

health were mentions

around water quality related,

at a relatively high 18%.

A fair few (14%) said they

think about the cost of water,

and this was the number

one consideration for the

small proportion who aren’t

really interested in water (at

25%).

11 22 33 16 10 7

Sentiment towards the outlook for water supplies in greater Melbourne (%)

0-2 (Very worried) 3-4 5-6 7 8 9-10 (Very relaxed)

There were a broad range of views around the outlook for Melbourne’s water supplies, with comments

suggesting a range of concerns (mostly about population growth), mixed views on the adequacy of the

infrastructure, and a lack of awareness of the city’s water security challenges and plans

OUTLOOK FOR WATER: MIXED VIEWS

19Q9 . How do you feel about the outlook for water supplies for the greater Melbourne area, in terms of there being enough to meet

the needs of the growing population? / Q10. And what makes you feel that way? Base: All participants (n=1,200)

Average

5.3

44

24

17

13

12

9

9

Growing population & immigration pressures

Not enough (clean) water supply for the demand

Lack of infrastructure, planning needed bygovernment

Overuse and daily wastage of water

More dams and catchments needed

Prevalence and impact of droughts

Limited rainfall

Reasons for worried outlook (0-2 out of 10)

19

13

8

6

5

4

3

We have enough (clean) water supply to meetdemands

Desalination plant is available and can be used

People need to be informed to understand theissue responsibly

Generally positive sentiment (NFI)

There is enough rain

We have good infrastructure & management

I trust the government

Reasons for relaxed outlook (8-10 out of 10)

Notably, those who were the most interested in water related issues also tended to be the most relaxed. For example, 44% who said

they were highly interested were also quite relaxed (giving ratings of 7 or more for both questions), compared with just 21% of other

respondents (i.e. with interest levels at 6 or below) being relaxed about the water security outlook. Further, those who rated their

knowledge of Melbourne Water highly (at 7 or more out of 10) also tended to be even more relaxed (52% of whom gave a 7 or more on

the outlook scale). This suggests there would be benefits in seeking to increase the community’s knowledge about Melbourne

Water’s efforts in water security, in terms of community sentiment and confidence.

In their own words…

OUTLOOK FOR WATER

20

Q10. And what makes you feel that way about the outlook for water supplies for the greater Melbourne area?

Base: All participants (n=1,200)

Big increase in Victorian

population over past few

years has put a stress on

environment, urban

infrastructure and natural

resources.

It is a fact that rainfall has

changed to the worse, so

our reservoirs are being put

under enormous pressure to

keep up the supply to our

over-populated city and

suburbs. We must accept

that water; clean, fresh,

refreshing, sweet

Melbourne water, cannot be

taken for granted. Water in

Victoria always was the best

in Australia, now I'm not as

sure as l once was.

Melbourne is the fastest growing city

in the country. Couple that with

climate change and it does create a

small concern that we'll run out of

water in the catchments. Of course,

we could turn on the desal plant.

“ “

I hadn’t really thought about water

storage needing to get bigger to

support the bigger population, but

I guess we’ve had a decent

amount of rain lately?

I feel like a lot of water is

wasted that could easily be

recycled; stormwater, showers,

sinks and laundries that used

greywater safe products. More

in-ground, deep drains for

these types of waters would

help the land rather than waste

it. It could even be stored and

used to help fight fires, rather

than be processed with sewage

or goes out to sea like

stormwater. It would be great if

things like solar powered

houses had incentives to

reroute their showers and

washing machine to water their

gardens, rather than us.

I believe we have been going okay

in terms of rainfall plus there is the

desalination plant that can help if

we are in water trouble. I am more

concerned about the cost of water

for farmers and households.

We need to ensure our

supplies of water keep up

with population growth,

climate change effects and

how we all use water

efficiently.

We have a far better source

of water, and more reliable

rain than other parts of the

country.

SEGMENTATIONHow personal values resonate with

Melbourne Water’s services and reveal

different groups within the community

22

One of the key research objectives was to conduct a formal

segmentation analysis to understand the different groups within

the community in terms of their distinctive characteristics and

values relative to Melbourne Water’s services. The aim was to

provide insights for targeting communications and engagement, as

well as for potential future services.

WHAT IS A SEGMENTATION AND HOW WAS IT DONE?

Latent Class Analysis (LCA) is a powerful and industry-standard

segmentation technique that was implemented to identify the

segments. It is able to identify distinct diagnostic categories given

the presence / absence of several characteristics, types of

attitudes, and demographic and behavioural factors.

LCA is used to better understand the impact of exposure to

patterns of multiple risks, as well as complex behaviours, so that

services and interventions can be tailored to target the subgroups

that will most benefit.

The process was iterative, in that the analysis was run several

times and with different sets of questions from the survey.

Each time we looked at the optimal number of segments

indicated by the software, and whether collapsing or expanding

the number of segments led to a more statistically sound model.

We sought to identify solutions that provided a sound

understanding of engagement with water, and actionability.

The final segmentation used the following survey variables,

which incorporated a mix of existing behaviours and attitudes to

water, and preferences to spending:

Which is more important to you, keeping costs down or

protecting the environment? (Q3/Q4)

Actively thinking about water issues (Q5)

Interest towards water and related issues (Q8)

Outlook on Melbourne’s future water supplies (Q9

Knowledge of Melbourne’s water companies (Q12)

Importance of Melbourne Water services (Q14)

Support for increased spending towards services (Q16)

Personal usage of creeks, rivers or wetlands (Q29)

Home ownership status (D6)

Our 2018 qualitative research phase suggested there were six

segments that sit along a spectrum of inward, individualised

focus, through to a more outward, wholistic worldview.

Through the iterative process described above, results from the

quantitative survey analysis have identified five clear and

dominant segments that most effectively describe the diversity

of interests, views and needs of customers and the community.

The following pages describe these segment profiles, with a full

exploration available in the Appendix of this report.

MELBOURNE WATER’S COMMUNITY SEGMENTATIONIn analysing participants’ personal values and service views, five segments were identified within the

community, sitting broadly along a spectrum of engagement with Melbourne Water’s issues and services

Melbourne’s community is segmented along a spectrum of engagement with water and related issues,

that also ranges from cost saving prioritisation to caring more about water and the environment.

Those who are the most engaged are also the most concerned about helping the environment,

while those who aren’t engaged are more concerned about keeping their bills down.

Key characteristics of the segments are summarised over the page, with insights explored throughout the report and in the Appendix.

INTRODUCING THE SEGMENTS

23

12

2225 25

16

Segment 5 Segment 4 Segment 3 Segment 2 Segment 1

Segment sizes (%)

WATER ENGAGEMENT

Don’t care,

don’t want to pay

Cost conscious

retirees

Young mortgagees,

open-minded

Concerned older

families

Young families,

green & pleased

24

COMMUNITY SEGMENTATION OVERVIEW

Segment 12%

Don’t care,

don’t want to

pay

22%Cost conscious

retirees25%

Young

mortgagees,

open-minded

25%Concerned older

families16%

Young families,

green & pleased

Engagement

with water

• Most unengaged

• Might not use

waterways

• Prioritise cost saving

over the environment

• Ambivalent outlook

• Values: balance,

affordability, risk

management

• 2nd least engaged

and interested

• Don’t use waterways

• Second most cost

conscious

• Fairly relaxed about

the water outlook

• Not very engaged

• Second highest

waterways users

• Enviro leaning

• Education is a

standout value

• Second most

optimistic outlook

• Second most engaged

• Use waterways mainly

for walking

• Health and

environment are

strong values

• Most pessimistic /

least optimistic

• Most engaged

• Active waterways

users – notably: duck

feeding

• Very strong

environmental views

• Most optimistic

Melbourne

Water

• Least knowledge

• Don’t really value the

services

• Lowest performance

ratings

• Least supportive of

increased spending

• Low knowledge

• Services valued

• Mid-level service

performance ratings

• Fairly supportive of

increased spending

• Low knowledge

• Mainly value water

supply and security

• Second lowest

performance ratings

• Quite supportive of

increased spending

• Some knowledge –

most aware of

waterways services

• Services most

strongly valued –

especially post-info

• Second highest

service ratings

• Mixed support for

increased spend

• Highest claimed

knowledge

• Services very strongly

valued

• Highest service

ratings

• Highest support for

increased spending

Standout

Demographics

• Male leaning (62%)

• Younger (under 55)

• Single, not married

• Employed full time

• Oldest (48% 55+)

• Live alone/with

partner

• Low employment,

lowest income (22%

<$40K)

• Own home outright

• Male leaning (54%)

• Mid-aged 35-54 (41%)

• Mortgage holders

(42%)

• Couple / married

• Female leaning (62%)

• Older (42% aged 55+)

• Married with adult

children

• Retired (23%) / not full

time

• Youngest (40% <35s)

• Most likely married

• Most likely to have

kids at home

• Most likely to have a

building overlay,

and/or a purple pipe

KNOWLEDGE OF THE WATER COMPANIESKnowledge and why it matters

Yarra Valley Water South East Water City West Water Western Water

84% 90% 73% 79%

CLAIMED KNOWLEDGE OF THE WATER COMPANIES

26

Customers generally knew which water retailer sent them their water bill, but felt they had quite low

levels of understanding went it came to both the retailers and Melbourne Water

36

24

16

10

10

18

15

15

12

15

14

15

13

14

18

21

27

26

31

36

7

15

24

27

17

2

4

6

6

4

Western Water

City West Water

South East Water

Yarra Valley Water

Melbourne Water

Stated knowledge levels of Melbourne’s water companies (%)

0 (Never heard of them) 1 - 2 3 - 4 5 - 6 7 - 8 9 - 10 (Expert)

Q11. Who sends you your water bill? Or if you don’t receive a water bill, who is your local water company?

Q12. And, how would you rate your knowledge about each of these companies

Base: All participants (n=1,200). * Customers of each water company.

Correct customer understanding of who sends their water bill for each water retailer*

Average

overall

Average of

customers*

4.4 4.4

4.9 6.5

4.5 6.6

3.7 5.9

2.7 5.8

It is worth noting that we found no standout differences in the survey results by customers of each water retailer.

“It’s a Victorian government owned

statutory authority that controls much

of the water system, including the

reservoirs, and the sewerage &

drainage system that services the city”

“Manages the reservoirs,

catchments, desalination

plant usage, supply of water

and the main pipelines”

“Supply water to a region in

greater Melbourne area and

maintain infrastructure regarding

water supply in that region”

WHAT DOES MELBOURNE WATER DO?

27

There is a general assumption that Melbourne Water is responsible for ensuring the city’s water supply,

but little awareness of other areas under its remit – engaged segments are more knowledgeable though

Q13. And what do you think Melbourne Water does? If you’ve never heard of it that’s OK, but what do you think it might do?

Base: All participants (n=1,200). Green or red indicate significantly higher or lower respectively. NB: Verbatim responses

manually coded to measure response theme incidence.

12

3

4

4

4

5

7

8

8

13

43

Don’t know/Not sure/Never heard of it

Send out bills

Controls Melbourne's water supply

It's the central hub that oversees all waterissues

Looks after the dams/catchments

Looks after the park and gardens

Looks after the CBD (business) area

Looks after the waterways

Supplies clean / quality (drinking) water

Maintenance of water network (pipes,drains, sewerage)

Ensures adequate water supply / looks afterthe water supply for Melbourne

What do you think Melbourne Water does? (Unprompted %)

38 47 45 47 35

5 11 11 18 14

3 6 7 8 15

2 7 3 14 10

7 7 6 9 4

2 9 2 4 5

3 4 4 5 4

3 3 3 4 5

1 5 4 4 3

3 5 3 3 3

26 13 12 8 9

“I honestly

don’t know or

care!”

“Provide water for Greater

Melbourne residents, parks

and public gardens”

= may be

most likely to

think the

Parks Charge

goes to

Melbourne

Water

WHAT’S THE USE OF KNOWING MORE?

28

I found it very interesting and

enjoyed watching these videos. It

was especially good to know how

good Melbourne’s drinking water is.

I haven't taken any notice so far.

They have a job to do so I expect

they do the best thing for us.

Apart from having water when I

turn on the tap, how it is done in

the most effective way is of little

interest.

At this point I feel it does a good

job and therefore doesn't affect me.

If it did a poor job it would affect me

and so it would matter.

Q27. Would you say it actually matters to you or makes a difference to know about the sorts of things Melbourne Water does?

Q28. What makes you feel that way? Base: All participants (n=1,200)

7417

10

Yes, it matters

No, don’t really need to know

Don’t know

Does it matter to know about what

Melbourne Water does? (%)

There's a lot of other things to

worry about in life. I like to trust

others to do the right thing with

important stuff like water!

I have a better understanding of the

efforts that Melbourne Water puts

in for everyone’s future and a better

understanding of what our money

is paying for.

I do worry about good quality and

constant water supply to

Melbourne/Australia and knowing

how much is already being done to

ensure continued water supply is

very reassuring to me.

It makes me feel proud and lucky to

live in a city that does things well. I

believe that transparency is

important too.

Reflecting on the information provided in the survey, the majority thought it matters to know about what

Melbourne Water does, and many were positive about its services and the importance of education

29

We should all know

and understand what

happens to our water

and how and where

our money is spent.

When something has

gone wrong, we

should be notified,

and when

improvements are

made, we should be

notified.

Water is so critical

to our survival and

way of life that

how could we not

all benefit from

knowing more

about how it’s

managed?

They do a great

job, and by

knowing this you

can pass on the

message.

Regardless of

what I think, you

would do what you

want and make us

pay for it.

Q27. Would you say it actually matters to you or makes a difference to know about the sorts of things Melbourne Water does?

Q28. What makes you feel that way? Base: All participants (n=1,200)

Gives one an

appreciation of

what and how

much is done

behind the scenes

and a justification

of where our

money goes.

Knowing more

about Melbourne

Water working

hard to maintain

good water supply

to us will make me

not waste any

precious water

and save as much

as I can.

Happy for them to

keep working

away in the

background.

Waterways are

important to me,

and seeing them

well maintained.

It's good to know

because it will

inspire us to be

more water

conscious.

Extremely

important to know

how safe the water

is that you are

consuming and

where it’s actually

coming from.

Good to know how

our rates are also

helping the

environment.

While most think it is important to know about Melbourne Water’s work, some key differences were

evident by segment when justifying this response. These ranged from reassurance that rates are

being spent in the right way, to the role education has in encouraging and support water conservation.

IN THEIR WORDS: BY SEGMENT

VALUES AND PERCEPTIONS OF MELBOURNE WATER’S SERVICESImportance and perceived performance

of Melbourne Water’s services

Although most participants began from a position of little knowledge or understanding of Melbourne

Water, its services have a high degree of intrinsic value to the community and relatively high

performance perceptions. Many thought that Melbourne Water could invest more in its services

(knowing that ultimately the community funds the services), and this along with value perceptions often

increased with education about the services.

SUMMARY OF SERVICE VALUES FINDINGS

31

What we did

To understand intrinsic service values, participants

were asked to evaluate the importance of key services

under Melbourne Water’s remit, and the performance

of Melbourne’s water companies in general in

delivering them (i.e. without linking them to any

specific company). The 10 distinct services were

developed in light of the qualitative findings and in

consultation with Melbourne Water, covering:

Water supply

Sewerage

Drainage and flood management

Waterways

For the same 10 service categories, they were also

asked whether they thought Melbourne Water should

increase, decrease or not change its spending – in-

principle, without considering potential dollar amounts.

After providing these preliminary assessments, each

participant then viewed four videos that outlined the

four broad service areas in greater detail. Then they

were asked to reflect on how much they knew of the

information, how important the services were, and

again about their in-principle investment preferences –

where they could of course feel the same way.

What we found

The supply of safe, pleasant water and a reliable supply were the most

important services, and these were also rated the highest of all the

services, suggesting Melbourne Water’s highest priorities are aligned

with those of the community.

Although the management of water storages for long-term security and

waterways were also considered highly important, there was less

positivity around performance in these areas.

The services rated least important were flood risk education, public

access to areas around waterways and the production of recycled water.

When it came to investment prioritisation, the majority of participants

supported more investment in many of the 10 service areas, and this

increased after exposure to the videos. These results suggest that

community value perceptions can quite quickly be increased via

education about its services.

Post videos, the majority (at least 60%) said they wanted increased

investment in all bar two of these areas: flood risk education (44%

nett more investment) and waterways amenities and access (49%).

The videos with the biggest positive impact covered sewerage

management, waterways amenities and access (even though the

majority didn’t support more investment in this, as noted above),

and stormwater and drainage services.

The engagement levels of each Segment often mirrored support for

increased spending, with Segment 5 having very low

levels and Segment 1 having very high support.

Providing safe, pleasant tasting water

Providing a reliable, uninterrupted supply

of water

Managing water capture, storage and

long-term security of supply

Sewerage (wastewater) management and

treatment services

Waterway services to help keep creeks,

rivers, wetlands healthy11

3

10

3

13

3

5

2

5

3

8

5

5

5

8

4

4

3

4

3

23

13

17

12

21

10

12

8

11

8

20

17

17

13

22

12

14

9

12

9

30

35

37

34

28

35

39

33

42

31

8

28

13

34

9

36

26

44

26

46

Performance

Importance

Performance

Importance

Performance

Importance

Performance

Importance

Performance

Importance

Stated importance and performance ratings of services (%)(Top 5 services according to importance)

Don’t know 0 - 4 (Low ratings) 5 - 6 7 8 - 9 10 (Highest)

Melbourne Water’s supply of safe, pleasant water and a reliable supply are seen as its most important

and highly rated services, while its management of water storages for long-term security and waterways

are important, but exhibited lower performance scores

IMPORTANCE VS PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES

32

Average

8.7

8.1

8.6

8.1

8.3

7.0

8.2

7.5

8.0

6.9

Q14. The following services are provided by the water companies in the greater Melbourne area / [if Western Water:] and your

area. How important are each of these to you personally? (0 = Not important at all, 10 = Extremely important) / Q15. And how

would you rate the performance of the water companies in in delivering each of the following services? (0 = Very poor, 10 =

Excellent). Base: All participants (n=1,200)

Stormwater and drainage services

(to minimise flooding)

Innovative solutions to water related

problems

Producing recycled water

Public amenities and access to areas

around waterways

Providing information and education

about flood risk15

3

10

3

23

4

17

4

11

3

14

10

6

6

11

7

10

4

8

4

27

24

20

20

23

20

24

17

22

14

15

20

22

21

16

18

20

15

19

16

21

26

33

33

20

32

23

36

31

35

6

16

8

16

7

19

6

24

9

27

Performance

Importance

Performance

Importance

Performance

Importance

Performance

Importance

Performance

Importance

Stated importance and performance ratings of services (%)(Bottom 5 services according to importance)

Don’t know 0 - 4 (Low ratings) 5 - 6 7 8 - 9 10 (Highest)

The services rated least important were flood risk education, public access to areas around waterways

and the production of recycled water, with lower performance ratings as well

IMPORTANCE VS PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES CONT’D

33

Average

7.9

7.1

7.8

6.7

7.4

6.6

7.3

7.1

7.0

6.3

Q14. The following services are provided by the water companies in the greater Melbourne area / [if Western Water:] and your

area. How important are each of these to you personally? (0 = Not important at all, 10 = Extremely important) / Q15. And how

would you rate the performance of the water companies in in delivering each of the following services? (0 = Very poor, 10 =

Excellent). Base: All participants (n=1,200)

Segment profiles show distinct differences when it comes to perceptions of Melbourne Water’s services,

both in terms of their importance (value to customers) and performance in service delivery

IMPORTANCE VS PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES CONT’D

34

Q14. The following services are provided by the water companies in the greater Melbourne area. How important are each of these

to you personally? (0 = Not important at all, 10 = Extremely important) / Q15. And how would you rate the performance of the

water companies in in delivering each of the following services? (0 = Very poor, 10 = Excellent). Base: All participants (n=1,200).

Red/green indicates significantly lower/higher than all other segments.

Providing safe, pleasant tasting

water

Imp. 5.7 9.3 8.1 9.6 9.3

Perf. 6.0 8.5 7.7 8.8 8.4

Providing a reliable, uninterrupted

supply of water

Imp. 5.8 9.1 8.0 9.6 9.3

Perf. 5.9 8.5 7.5 8.9 8.6

Managing water capture, storage

and long-term security of supply

Imp. 5.0 8.8 7.6 9.5 9.1

Perf. 5.3 7.2 6.6 7.5 7.9

Sewerage (wastewater)

management and treatment services

Imp. 4.9 8.6 7.4 9.5 9.1

Perf. 5.5 7.8 6.9 8.4 8.2

Waterway services to help keep

creeks, rivers, wetlands healthy

Imp. 4.6 8.3 7.3 9.3 9.0

Perf. 5.4 7.2 6.6 7.2 7.8

Stormwater and drainage services

(to minimise flooding)

Imp. 4.9 8.5 7.0 9.1 9.0

Perf. 5.3 7.3 6.5 7.6 7.9


problems

Imp. 4.6 8.2 7.1 8.9 9.0

Perf. 5.2 6.9 6.3 7.0 7.7

Producing recycled waterImp. 4.4 7.6 6.6 8.4 8.7

Perf. 5.1 6.7 6.3 6.8 7.6

Public amenities and access to

areas around waterways

Imp. 4.4 7.4 6.8 8.3 8.6

Perf. 5.3 7.3 6.7 7.6 8.0

Providing information and education

about flood risk

Imp. 4.4 7.1 6.1 8.0 8.7

Perf. 5.0 6.4 5.9 6.5 7.6

Average ratings by Segment Don’t care,

don’t want to pay

Cost conscious

retirees

Young mortgagees,

open-minded

Concerned older

families

Young families,

green & pleased

Melbourne Water’s core services of water supply and sewerage services were the most valued and well

regarded of its services, suggesting services are fairly well prioritised and aligned with community values

IMPORTANCE VS PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES

35

Providing safe, pleasant tasting

water

Providing a reliable, uninterrupted supply of

water

Sewerage (wastewater) management and treatment services

Stormwater and drainage services (to minimise

flooding)Public amenities and

access to areas around waterways

Innovative solutions to

water related problems

Providing information and education about

flood risk

Producing recycled waterWaterway services

to help keep creeks, rivers,

wetlands healthy

Managing water capture, storage and long term

security of supply

0

10

20

30

40

50

20 30 40 50 60 70

Performance (% rated 9-10)

Imp

ort

an

ce

(%

ra

ted

9-1

0)

Q14. The following services are provided by the water companies in… How important are each of these to you personally?

Q15. And how would you rate the performance of the water companies in in delivering each of the following services?

Base: All participants (n=1,200)

The biggest gaps between importance and

performance ratings are seen for ‘managing water

capture, storage and long-term security of supply’,

‘waterway services to help keep creeks, rivers,

wetlands healthy’, and ‘innovative solutions to

water related problems’, suggesting these are areas

Melbourne Water should give more attention.

UNPROMPTED SERVICE INVESTMENT PREFERENCES

36

6

7

7

6

4

5

8

5

7

5

4

3

1

2

1

1

2

2

1

1

11

8

4

5

2

3

6

6

5

3

45

47

44

40

42

38

30

32

30

24

25

27

34

35

31

32

34

38

37

38

9

9

11

12

20

20

21

18

20

28

Providing information and education about flood risk

Public amenities and access to areas around waterways


Stormwater and drainage services (to minimise flooding)


Providing a reliable, uninterrupted supply of water


Waterway services to help keep creeks, rivers, wetlands healthy

Innovative solutions to water related problems

Managing water capture, storage and long term security of supply

Preferred level of investment in Melbourne Water services

Don’t know Much less investment Slightly less investment No change Slightly more investment Much more investment

Q16. You may be aware that all water and sewerage related activities are funded by water bill payers. Would you

support an increase or decreased level of spending on each of the following? Base: All participants (n=1,200)

Net more

(%)

66

57

56

55

53

50

47

44

36

34

Matching concerns around long-term water security, the majority of participants would support more

investment in this area, along with investment in innovation, healthy waterways and recycled water

UNPROMPTED SERVICE INVESTMENT PREFERENCES

37

Q16. You may be aware that all water and sewerage related activities are funded by water bill payers. Would you support an

increase or decreased level of spending on each of the following? Base: All participants (n=1,200).

Red/green indicates significantly lower/higher than all other segments combined.

Managing water capture, storage and long-

term security of supply39 62 64 69 89


problems29 49 53 59 90


rivers, wetlands healthy26 43 55 62 89

Producing recycled water 31 45 52 57 87


water35 46 51 48 86

Providing safe, pleasant tasting water 35 43 51 42 84

Stormwater and drainage services (to

minimise flooding)19 42 43 46 84


treatment services25 38 47 35 82

Public amenities and access to areas around

waterways22 23 37 27 78


flood risk18 24 29 26 78

Support for more spending

by Segment (NET More %)Don’t care,

don’t want to pay

Cost conscious

retirees

Young mortgagees,

open-minded

Concerned older

families

Young families,

green & pleased

The broad engagement of each segment often indicates initial support for increased spending, with

Segment 5 having very low levels of support across the board and Segment 1 having very high support

Information was provided to participants about what Melbourne Water is, what it does and why, to

further understand how its services are valued

MORE INFORMED PERCEPTIONS OF SERVICES

38

Participants were provided with information about Melbourne Water to enable them to give feedback and understand more

specifically what (if anything) they value about its services.

This included professional 1-2 minute videos explaining each of the four core service categories.

Each video covered an overview of what the service is, reasons for Melbourne Water doing its work in this area and

examples of outcomes that are produced (the opening screenshot of each video is presented below). The videos can

be found here: https://yoursay.melbournewater.com.au/price-submission.

After watching each video, participants were asked how much they knew of Melbourne Water’s work in that area and how

important its work is in that area in relation to themselves personally, the community in general, and the broader health of

the natural environment.

Overall, the opinion profiles of participants matched closely with their Segment, with the less engaged individuals

knowing and caring little about each service area, and knowledge and importance increasing up the Segment spectrum.

Notably, the personal importance rating of each service were generally lower than the ratings for the broader community

and the natural environment benefits, likely indicating a recognition of the greater good these services bring to Melbourne.

https://yoursay.melbournewater.com.au/price-submission

While most people know little about Melbourne Water’s work in this core service, the majority agreed

that water supply services were highly important

PROMPTED VALUE OF WATER SUPPLY SERVICES

39

The majority of participants (68%) reported knowing just a

little or nothing of the information in the water supply

services video.

Meanwhile a third (32%) thought they knew at least a fair

bit of it, and this was higher among:

The ‘Young families, green & pleased’ segment (48%)

Those aged 55+ (42%)

Males (38%)

21 47 21 10 1

Stated knowledge of information in water supply services video (%)

Didn’t know any of it A little bit A fair bit Quite a lot Knew all of it

Q17. Based on that video, roughly how much would you say you already knew about Melbourne Water’s work in water supply

services? / Q18. How would you rate the importance of the water supply services Melbourne Water provides to each of the

following? Base: All participants (n=1,200) indicates significant differences

Water supply services were very highly valued, especially

for their importance to the community in general (8.6 on

average out of 10, where 10 was extremely important).

By segment, those who placed the most value on water

supply services when it came to the wider community were:

Concerned older families (9.3 average)

Young families, green & pleased (9.2)

Cost conscious retirees (8.9)

3

3

3

1

1

3

9

8

11

12

11

12

37

38

37

37

39

35

To the health of the natural environment

To the community in general

To you personally

Importance of water supply services (%)

Don't know 0 - 4 (Not important) 5 - 6 7 8 - 9 10 (Extremely important)

Average

8.4

8.6

8.5

Participants see a necessity in reliable sewerage services, particularly for the broader community,

although few had any real knowledge on the work involved

PROMPTED VALUE OF SEWERAGE SERVICES

40

30 44 18 7 1

Stated knowledge of information in sewerage services video (%)

Didn't know any of it A little bit A fair bit Quite a lot Knew all of it

People knew even less about sewerage services, with

almost three quarters (74%) saying they knew just a little

or nothing of the information in the video. Meanwhile

around a quarter (26%) thought they knew at least a fair bit

of it. This was highest among:


Males (30% vs 21% of females)

Those with a special building overlay (73% vs 25%

without an overlay)

Despite the lack of knowledge, sewerage services were very

highly valued, especially for their importance to both the

community in general and the health of the environment (8.7

and 8.6 out of 10 respectively). Sewerage services in both of

these areas were most valued by:

Concerned older families (9.4 for both community and

environment)

Young families, green & pleased (9.2 for both)

Cost conscious retirees (8.9 for both)

3

3

4

2

2

3

8

7

11

10

11

14

37

37

35

40

41

34



To you personally

Importance of sewerage services (%)


Average

8.3

8.7

8.6

Q19. Based on that video, roughly how much would you say you already knew about Melbourne Water’s work in sewerage

services? / Q20. How would you rate the importance of the sewerage services Melbourne Water provides to each of the following?

Base: All participants (n=1,200) indicates significant differences

There was broad recognition of the importance of Melbourne Water’s waterways services -

especially in ensuring a healthy natural environment

PROMPTED VALUE OF WATERWAYS SERVICES

41

23 47 21 9 1

Stated knowledge of information in waterways services video (%)

Didn't know any of it A little bit A fair bit Quite a lot Knew all of it

Similar to the other services measured, few had any real

knowledge on Melbourne Water’s activities in regards to

waterways services (69% knew just a little or nothing of

the information in the video). Of those who did know at

least a fair bit (31% overall), they typically were:


Aged 55+ (39% vs 27% who were younger)

Home owners (outright) (38%)

Despite lack of the lack of knowledge, once participants

learnt more they felt water supply services were very

important, especially for the health of the natural

environment (8.5 on average out of 10).

The segments that placed the most value on water

supply services to the environment were the

‘Concerned older families’ (9.3) and ‘Young families,

green & pleased’ (9.1). In comparison those in the

‘Don’t care, don’t want to pay’ segment rated it 6.4.

3

4

4

2

2

3

8

8

15

11

14

16

40

42

38

35

29

24



To you personally

Importance of waterways services (%)


Average

7.9

8.3

8.5

Q21. Based on that video, roughly how much would you say you already knew about Melbourne Water’s work in waterways

services? / Q22. How would you rate the importance of the waterways services Melbourne Water provides to each of the following?

Base: All participants (n=1,200) indicates significant differences

Most of the information in the video was news to the large majority of participants, with drainage and

flood management services being the least valued to participants themselves, but still valued in general

PROMPTED VALUE OF DRAINAGE SERVICES

42

27 48 18 6 2

Stated knowledge of information in drainage & flood management services video (%)

Didn't really know any of it A little bit A fair bit Quite a lot Knew all of it

Three quarters of participants (74%) reported knowing just

a little or nothing of the information in the drainage and

flood management services video. A quarter (26%)

thought they knew at least a fair bit of it. Those more

knowledgeable were most likely to be:


Retirees (36%)

Drainage and flood management services were broadly

recognised as important (though less so than water supply

and sewerage services), especially for the wider community

and the natural environment (both at 8.4 on average). Those

who placed the most value on drainage and flood

management services were:

‘Young Families, green & pleased’ & ‘Concerned older

families’ (both averaging 9.2 and 9.1 for the natural

environment and community, respectively)

Females (8.6 vs 8.1 for males)

Those aged 55+ (8.8 vs 8.2 for under 55s)

3

4

4

2

2

5

11

10

15

13

14

17

39

38

35

33

33

24



To you personally

Importance of drainage & flood management services (%)


Average

7.8

8.4

8.4

Q23. Based on that video, roughly how much would you say you already knew about Melbourne Water’s work in drainage & flood

management services? / Q24. How would you rate the importance of the drainage & flood management services Melbourne Water

provides to each of the following? Base: All participants (n=1,200) indicates significant differences

4

5

5

7

3

4

4

5

4

6

3

5

4

8

3

6

4

7

4

7

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

2

2

4

1

1

1

2

1

2

1

3

1

1

3

3

3

5

2

2

4

6

7

11

2

3

4

6

4

5

5

8

3

4

20

24

26

30

34

42

26

32

42

45

30

38

24

30

32

40

40

47

31

44

42

38

41

37

36

31

42

38

32

25

38

32

41

34

41

35

35

27

41

34

31

28

24

20

23

20

23

18

12

9

25

20

26

21

18

12

15

9

20

11

Post

Pre

Post

Pre

Post

Pre

Post

Pre

Post

Pre

Post

Pre

Post

Pre

Post

Pre

Post

Pre

Post

Pre

Investment preferences pre and post information (%)

Don’t know Much less investment Slightly less investment No change Slightly more investment Much more investment

The videos with the biggest impact on people’s views around Melbourne Water’s spending were those

covering sewerage management, waterways amenities and access, and stormwater and drainage

services, where we saw the strongest increases in support for more investment

CONSIDERED INVESTMENT PREFERENCES: ALL UP

43

‘More investment’

post videos…

Impact Net

+17 61%

+14 49%

+13 60%

+12 67%

+10 63%

+10 44%

+9 64%

+9 60%

+8 65%

+6 72%

Q16. Would you support an increased or decreased level of spending on each of the following? / Q25 - Reflecting on the information in

the videos, would you support an increased or decreased level of spending on each of the following? Base: All participants (n=1,200)


Public amenities and access to areas around waterways

Stormwater and drainage services (to minimise flooding)


Providing a reliable, uninterrupted supply of water

Providing information and education about flood risk

Waterway services to help keep creeks, rivers, wetlands healthy


Innovative solutions to water related problems

Managing water capture, storage and long-term security of supply

The segments signifying mid-tier levels of engagement exhibited the highest shifts in sentiment towards

increased spending on services (appreciating the most engaged segment was already very supportive)

CONSIDERED INVESTMENT PREFERENCES

44

Q16. Would you support an increased or decreased level of spending on each of the following? / Q25 - Reflecting on the information in

the videos, would you support an increased or decreased level of spending on each of the following? Base: All participants (n=1,200)


treatment services+8 +16 +13 +29 +9 +17


waterways+11 +14 +12 +20 +5 +14

Stormwater and drainage services (to

minimise flooding)+14 +10 +16 +17 +3 +13

Producing recycled water +8 +13 +15 +16 +3 +12


water+7 +9 +14 +16 0 +10


flood risk+12 +8 +16 +10 +5 +10


rivers, wetlands healthy+11 +8 +12 +9 0 +9

Providing safe, pleasant tasting water +5 +12 +9 +12 +4 +9


problems+11 +7 +12 +12 0 +8

Managing water capture, storage and long-

term security of supply+7 +5 +9 +7 +2 +6

Average change across all services +9 +10 +13 +15 +3 +11

Support for more spending by Segment

(NET ‘More investment’ change) Don’t care,

don’t want to pay

Cost conscious

retirees

Young mortgagees,

open-minded

Concerned

older families

Young families,

green & pleasedTOTAL

Participants’ most valued subservices belonged primarily to the core Water Supply service area,

particularly with regard to ensuring a reliable, safe supply of high quality water

VALUE RANKINGS OF SUBSERVICES

45Q26. What services do you value most? Using a ‘budget’ of 100 points to allocate across 22 services, give the most points to the

services you value the most, and use all 100 points. Base: All participants (n=1,200)

Reflecting on the various services and information

provided, and to further understand the relative value

of Melbourne Water’s services, participants were

invited to allocate 100 points across a list of 22 specific

subservices associated with the four main services

they had learnt about through the video exercise (as

well as two that fell into an ‘Other’ category covering

education and recreational land use). The more points

they gave a sub-service, the more important it was to

them.

The subservices relating to water supply were typically

ranked as the most valued, particularly when it came

to the primary Melbourne Water functions of providing

and maintaining safe and reliable drinking water (see

over the page for the full list of subservice point

allocations).

The ‘Don’t care, don’t want to pay’ segment appeared

to give this question the least amount of consideration,

often allocating a large number of points to a select

few subservices, rather than dispersing them more

evenly across the 22 available.

The full breakdown of point allocations is provided on

the next slide.

35.2

12.427.2

18.9

6.3

Average total points allocated to each service area

Water Supply

Sewerage

Waterways

Drainage & flooding

Other

PREFERRED ALLOCATION RANKINGS (CONT’D)

46

Service

categorySub-service

Average points

allocatedTotal

Supply

A reliable, uninterrupted supply of water 9.7

35.2

Safe and pleasant tasting water 9.6

Water capture and storage (managing and protecting our catchments) 6.2

Provision of recycled water from sewage wastewater for non-drinking purposes (e.g. toilet flushing, fire fighting) 5.1

Availability of desalinated water (as a back-up when supplies are low) 4.7

Sewerage

Sewage transfer and treatment (including maintaining the sewerage pipes and treatment plants) 5.2

12.4Generating energy from sewage treatment ('biogas', to power the treatment plants) 4.0

Biosolids production (a byproduct of sewage treatment, can be used for things like fertiliser rather than just stockpiling it) 3.3

Waterways

Water quality in waterways (management and monitoring for creeks, rivers, wetlands, estuaries) 4.4

27.2

Removing litter and weeds from waterways (creeks, rivers, wetlands, estuaries) 4.4

‘Environmental flows’ (releasing extra water into rivers and creeks when needed to help keep them healthy) 4.0

Planting vegetation around waterways (e.g. to stabilise riverbanks, reduce pollution, provide urban cooling) 4.0

Waterway 'naturalisation' (restoring concrete drainage channels - often previously creeks - to a more natural state) 3.7

Maintaining biodiversity around waterways (including surveying waterways to understand wildlife populations) 3.7

Providing community amenities around waterways (e.g. bike paths, seating, viewing platforms) 3.1

Drainage

Stormwater harvesting (collecting and treating stormwater for use by local councils e.g. for watering parks, or industrial use) 4.2

18.9

Reducing flood risk through maintaining stormwater drains 4.0

Emergency flood response (providing warnings and notifications to communities about flooding) 3.6

Reducing flood risk via controls on the building and development industry 3.5

Reducing flood risk through managing waterways, wetlands and retarding basins 3.5

OtherOpening Melbourne Water land for public recreation (e.g. walking trails, birdwatching in wetlands and parks) 3.3

6.3Community education (e.g. about water resources, conservation, innovations and planning) 3.0

Q26. What services do you value most? Using a ‘budget’ of 100 points to allocate across 22 services, give the most points to the

services you value the most, and use all 100 points. Base: All participants (n=1,200)

FURTHER SERVICE EXPLORATIONSViews on desalination, stormwater and

recycled water, and closing reflections

PREFERENCES ON DESAL OPERATIONS: JURY’S OUT

48Q30. Given this information, do you think the current approach should be maintained, where the Minister for Water decides each year

whether to place an order for desalinated water (and how much)? Base: All participants (n=1,200)

35 39 7 19

Opinion on operation of desalination plant (%)

The Minister for Water should decide each year whether to place an order for desalinated water

The desalination plant should just be in continuous operation

Don't really care

Don't know

22

31 33

41 42

29

39 40 42 44

206 8

3 3

2924

1914 10

Opinion on desalination by segment (%)

Opinions were divided

among each segment, but

especially within the most

engaged segments, further

highlighting the complexity

of the issue and need for

more education and debate

around such a decision.

In keeping with their profile,

the ‘Don’t care, don’t want to

pay’ segment was the least

engaged with the question,

where around half were

unsure or said they don’t

care.

Though there is a slight leaning towards having the desalination plant running continuously rather

than the Minister deciding each year, the jury is largely out, pointing to the complexity of the issue

RECYCLED WATER CONNECTION? YES PLEASE

49

8

17

75

% who have a recycled water connection

Yes, have apurple tap/pipe

Not sure

No

69

20

11

% that would get a recycled water connection

Yes, would get a recycledwater connection

Not sure

No, not interested

Q32 - Does your property have a recycled water connection, with a purple pipe and tap outside (separate from the mains drinking water

connection)? Base: All participants (n=1,200). Q33. If you could have a recycled water connection installed at your property for uses like

garden watering, toilet flushing and/or laundry water, and it was affordable for you, would you do so? Base: All participants (n=1,103)

% have a purple

tap/pipe

% would get a recycled

water connection

9% 34%

3% 60%

9% 72%

6% 81%

15% 79%

Most Melburnians do not have a recycled water connection, with 8% of respondents

saying they have a connection to a purple pipe or tap. This was highest for the most

engaged segment (15% for the ‘Young families, green & pleased’).

Almost one-fifth of all respondents (17%) weren’t sure if they had a connection, with

the ‘Don’t care, don’t want to pay’ segment being even more unlikely to know (21%

vs 16% of all other segments). Such a high proportion indicates a likely gap in

knowledge in the public about their own household infrastructure and water

systems.

The large majority of those without a recycled water connection thought they would

get one if they could afford it (69%), while one in five were unsure (20%). However

it is important to note that costs were not included in this ‘in-principle’ question.

Few participants had a recycled water connection, but seven in ten say they would get one if they

could afford it, illustrating a potential significant opportunity for Melbourne’s water companies

Further illustrating the community’s values around alternative water sources, most participants

supported increased production of recycled water and stormwater use, though the ‘Don’t care,

don’t want to pay’ segment wasn’t so convinced

ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCES: A NO-BRAINER

50

1

1

1

2

11

10

26

22

52

57

Increased uses of alternative water for non-drinking purposes (%)

Stronglyoppose

Somewhatoppose

Neither supportnor oppose

Somewhatsupport

Stronglysupport

Q31. Given the above information, would you support or oppose more recycled water being produced for non-drinking purposes?

Q34. Given the above information, would you support or oppose more stormwater being collected and treated for non-drinking

purposes? Base: All participants (n=1,200)

Net support

(%)

78

78

Recycled

water

Stormwater

Least likely to

support using more

recycled water

(50%)

Least likely to

support using more

storm water (48%)

Three quarters

(76%) were

supportive of more

recycled water

Least likely to

oppose using more

stormwater (0%)

Most (80%) were

supportive of more

recycled water

The same

proportion (80%)

supported the use

of more storm water

Most likely of all

segments to

support recycled

water (89%)

Equal most likely to

support using more

storm water (87%)

Most (83%) support

recycled water

Equal most likely to

support using more

storm water (87%)

FINAL FEEDBACKAlthough the survey was on the longer side, participants were widely positive about taking part in

this study, with highly positive comments around the service videos in particular

51

This has been a great learning / eye

opening experience.

I usually dislike advertisements or

something that spruiks for a

company but I found your animated

presentations excellent.

I would love to see the

videos from this

questionnaire shown

regularly on TV - I know a lot

of people who, like myself

previously, have no idea of

the extent of Melbourne

Water's responsibilities & are

constantly complaining about

having to pay for water. The

survey used excellent

English spelling & grammar.

I think Melbourne Water is doing a

great job in ensuring good quality

water supply and is innovative in

ensuring future supplies. I believe

the videos shown on this survey

should be on TV in order to educate

the wider community.

You should put those ads on

television. They are very informative

and interesting.

Keep up the good work but find a way to tell the

public more about what and how you do things. Can

purple taps/recycle /reclaimed water be retro fitted?

This was a great in-depth

survey. Loved the

information videos.

Thank you for taking part in this important study. Please feel free to leave any final comments about this survey here, or anything you

would like to see Melbourne Water do to ensure we have enough water for our growing population. Base: All participants (n=378)

The first thing I would do is to offer my

best wishes and regards to Melbourne

Water. This was a well presented and

worded survey that worked well and with

no interruptions.

APPENDIXSample and segmentation profiles

SAMPLE PROFILE

53

SPECIAL BUILDING OVERLAY Weighted % n

Yes 6 72

No 68 817

Not sure 25 311

Total 100 1200

EMPLOYMENT STATUS Weighted % n

Employed full-time (or equivalent hours) 45 549

Employed part-time (or equivalent hours) 14 173

Employed casually 5 64

Self-employed / business owner 5 64

Unemployed / looking for work 3 40

Home duties / homemaker 7 88

Studying 5 62

Retired 17 177

Other (please specify) 1 8

Total 100 1200

HOME OWNERSHIP Weighted % n

Own outright (no mortgage) 32 351

Own with a mortgage 34 425

Renting 32 394


Total 100 1200

PROPERTY TYPE Weighted % n

A larger property (e.g. with a yard, garden

and/or swimming pool)55 654

A smaller property (e.g. terraces, townhouses,

semi-detached)23 272

An apartment or unit` 22 267


Total 100 1200

NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HOUSEHOLD Weighted % n

1 16 181

2 37 427

3 21 255

4 19 237

5 7 83

6 or more 1 17

Total 100 1200

SPEAK ENGLISH AT HOME Weighted % n

English 93 1114

Other Languages 13 160

Total 100 1200

GENDER Unweighted % n

Male 49 580

Female 51 620

Total 100 1200

AGE Unweighted% n

18-34 32 405

35-49 34 447

55+ 34 348

Total 100 1200

WATER RETAILER Unweighted % n

City West Water 23 276

South East Water 35 421

Yarra Valley Water 37 449

Western Water 5 54

Total 100 1200

NB: Age, gender and water retailer are unweighted here because these were the weighting factors.

SAMPLE PROFILE CONT’D

54

PARENTAL STATUS Weighted % n

Yes 60 699

No 40 501

Total 100 1200

LIVE WITH CHILDREN Weighted % n

Yes 68 458

No 32 183

Total 100 641

MARITAL STATUS Weighted % n

Single, never married 20 246

In a couple relationship 10 127

Defacto 8 98

Married 50 594

Separated 3 32

Divorced 6 70


I’d prefer not to say 1 14

Total 100 1200

DIFFICULTY PAYING WATER BILL Weighted % n

Yes 12 146

No 82 948

Don’t know 3 37


Total 100 1168

MARITAL STATUS Weighted % n

No income 1 7

Under $40,000 16 177

$40,000 - $79,999 25 302

$80,000 - $119,999 20 239

$120,000 - $199,999 20 249

$200,000 or more 7 84


Total 100 1200

SEGMENTS Weighted % n

5. Don't care and don't want to pay 12 142

4. Cost conscious retirees 22 251

3. Young mortgagees, open-minded 25 314

2. Concerned, Older Families 25 302

1. Young Families, Green & Pleased 16 191

Total 100 1168

SEGMENT DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES

55

Key demographic characteristics by segment (%)5. Don't care and

don't want to pay

4. Cost conscious

retirees

3. Young

mortgagees, open-

minded

2. Concerned,

Older Families

1. Young Families,

Green & Pleased

GENDERMale 62 45 55 38 52

Female 38 55 45 62 48

AGE

18-34 years 36 23 38 26 40

35-54 years 38 28 41 32 31

55+ years 26 49 20 42 29

SPECIAL BUILDING

OVERLAY

Yes 6 0 7 3 17

No 68 72 68 72 60

Not sure 26 27 25 25 24

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Employed full-time (or equivalent hours) 59 35 51 36 49

Employed part-time (or equivalent hours) 15 18 21 20 17

Retired 13 23 8 23 17

Other 15 25 22 22 18

LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT

HOME

English 93 92 91 96 93

Other Languages 10 11 15 12 16

HOME OWNERSHIP

Own outright (no mortgage) 33 40 21 33 33

Own with a mortgage 36 24 42 32 35

Renting 29 32 34 32 31

Other (please specify) 1 3 4 2 1

TYPE OF PROPERTY

A larger property (e.g. with a yard, garden

and/or swimming pool)49 59 52 60 49

A smaller property (e.g. terraces, townhouses,

semi-detached)28 15 26 21 25

An apartment or unit 23 26 22 18 25


5 = Don’t Care and Don’t Want to Pay (n=142) 2 = Concerned, Older Families (n=302)

4 = Cost Conscious Retirees (n=251) 1 = Young Families, Green & Pleased (n=191)

3 = Young Mortgagees, Open Minded (n=314)


SEGMENT DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES CONT’D

56

Key demographic characteristics by segment (%)5. Don't care and

don't want to pay

4. Cost

conscious

retirees

3. Young

mortgagees,

open-minded

2. Concerned,

Older Families

1. Young

Families, Green

& Pleased

NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN

HOUSEHOLD

1 23 21 12 13 15

2 35 37 32 43 35

3 19 22 21 20 21

4 14 14 24 17 21

5 8 5 9 5 7

6 or more 1 1 2 1 2

PARENTAL STATUSYes 50 62 53 65 64

No 50 38 47 35 36

CHILDREN LIVING IN

HOUSEHOLD

Yes 77 56 77 62 78

No 23 44 23 38 22

MARITAL STATUS

Single, never married 28 22 22 15 15

In a couple relationship 11 5 16 12 5

Defacto 7 7 9 7 7

Married 37 48 46 54 62

Separated 1 5 1 4 3

Divorced 6 9 5 6 6


I’d prefer not to say 5 0 1 1 0

DIFFICULTY PAYING

WATER BILL

Yes 13 10 13 11 16

No 80 84 80 84 78

Don’t know 3 3 4 1 4


HOUSEHOLD INCOME

No income 1 0 0 1 1

Under $40,000 17 22 11 16 13

$40,000 - $79,999 17 26 22 28 30

$80,000 - $119,999 26 16 24 19 14

$120,000 - $199,999 19 14 25 22 20

$200,000 or more 6 7 8 5 9






SEGMENT RESULTS IN DETAIL

57

Q1. Aside from family and friends, what are

the things you value most in life (Top 5 by

Total %)

5 4 3 2 1

Health 30 32 29 39 34

Financial security 16 9 9 11 12

Happiness 8 10 11 11 9

Travel 6 6 14 10 9

Personal freedom 2 14 8 12 6

Q2. Here’s a list of things other people have

said they value in life (Top 5 by Total %)5 4 3 2 1

Health 50 59 54 66 51

Family 40 52 47 49 44

Happiness 35 44 46 41 36

Financial security 34 29 33 35 33

Personal freedom 23 26 25 26 16

Q3. And which of these is more important to

you? (%)5 4 3 2 1

Protecting the environment, even if it costs

money18 19 28 31 43

Keeping costs down, even if it impacts the

environment to some extent31 18 17 5 12

Both are equally important 51 63 55 63 45

Q4. If you had to choose only one of these,

which is more important to you? (%)5 4 3 2 1


money54 60 64 70 79



Q5. How often do you actively think about

things to do with water and related services

and issues in the greater Melbourne area? (%)

5 4 3 2 1

Never 36 20 7 6 5

Less than once a year 22 14 14 8 9

A few times a year 29 39 37 35 23

At least once a month 6 11 20 22 22

At least weekly 3 10 13 20 25

At least daily 4 5 9 9 16

Q6. And how often do you actively think about

things to do with water and related services

and issues in your area? (%)

5 4 3 2 1

Never 39 25 22 0 0

Less than once a year 13 30 18 0 15

A few times a year 25 31 60 0 44

At least once a month 0 15 0 56 33

At least weekly 24 0 0 44 7

At least daily 0 0 0 0 0

Q7. And when you do think about water and

related issues and services, what sorts of

things are you actually thinking about (Top 5

by Total %)

5 4 3 2 1

Clean water/ Purity of water/ Safe water + Quality

of water13 20 18 21 13

Water usage (How much water is being used)/

Use water wisely11 18 12 19 16

Water conservation/storage + Dam level 4 9 8 19 10

Wastage of water 10 14 10 13 13

Save the water 5 9 13 11 10




Segment Segment

NET Q3/Q4. Which is more important to you?

– All respondents (%)5 4 3 2 1


money46 57 63 76 79




SEGMENT RESULTS IN DETAIL CONT’D

58

Q11. Who sends you your water bill? Or if you

don’t receive a water bill, who is your local

water company? (%)

5 4 3 2 1

City West Water 17 19 17 18 22

South East Water 30 35 38 36 34

Western Water 8 4 3 1 9

Yarra Valley Water 31 34 34 39 29

Other (please specify): 0 1 0 0 0

Not sure 13 8 7 5 6

Q12. And, how would you rate your

knowledge about each of these companies?

(Average)

5 4 3 2 1

Western Water 4.4 4.3 4.8 4.7 6.4

City West Water 3.9 3.9 4.6 4.0 6.1

South East Water 3.0 2.0 2.8 1.5 5.0

Yarra Valley Water 3.7 3.1 3.8 2.8 5.7

Melbourne Water 3.5 3.9 4.3 4.0 6.2

Q13. And what do you think Melbourne Water

does? If you’ve never heard of it that’s OK,

but what do you think it might do (Top 5 by

Total %)

5 4 3 2 1

Ensures adequate water supply/ Looks after the

water supply for Melbourne38 47 45 47 35

Looks after waterways/dams/catchments 5 10 7 18 12

Maintenance of water network (pipes, drains,

sewerage)4 9 7 14 12

Supplies clean/quality (drinking) water 3 6 7 8 15

Looks after the CBD (business) area 7 7 6 9 4

Q10. And what makes you feel that way about

the outlook for water supplies for the greater

Melbourne area, in terms of there being

enough to meet the needs of the growing

population?

5 4 3 2 1

Growing population/immigrants 7 23 21 26 20

Not enough (clean) water supply for the demand 5 18 18 16 17

Don’t know/Not sure 23 13 10 5 7

We have enough(clean) water supply to meet

demands5 5 14 8 12

Desalination plant available/can be used 8 7 7 11 9

Q8. How interested would you say you are in

the topic of water and related services and

issues? (%)

5 4 3 2 1

Net interested 19 37 48 62 87

Net uninterested 40 22 16 9 4

Q9. How do you feel about the outlook for

water supplies for the greater Melbourne area,

in terms of there being enough to meet the

needs of the growing population? (%)

5 4 3 2 1

Net relaxed 19 37 48 62 87

Net worried 14 16 13 13 35




Segment Segment



59

Q16. You may be aware that all water and

sewerage related activities are funded by

water bill payers (net more %)

5 4 3 2 1


security of supply39 62 64 69 89

Innovative solutions to water related problems 29 49 53 59 90

Waterway services to help keep creeks, rivers,

wetlands healthy26 43 55 62 89


Providing a reliable, uninterrupted supply of water 35 46 51 48 86



flooding)19 42 43 46 84




waterways22 23 37 27 78

Providing information and education about flood

risk18 24 29 26 78

Q15. And how would you rate the

performance of the water companies in

delivering each of the following services

(Average)

5 4 3 2 1

Providing safe, pleasant tasting water 6.0 8.5 7.7 8.8 8.4

Providing a reliable, uninterrupted supply of water 5.9 8.5 7.5 8.9 8.6


security of supply5.3 7.2 6.6 7.5 7.9


treatment services5.5 7.8 6.9 8.4 8.2


wetlands healthy5.4 7.2 6.6 7.2 7.8


flooding)5.3 7.3 6.5 7.6 7.9

Innovative solutions to water related problems 5.2 6.9 6.3 7.0 7.7

Producing recycled water 5.1 6.7 6.3 6.8 7.6


waterways5.3 7.3 6.7 7.6 8.0


risk5.0 6.4 5.9 6.5 7.6




Q14. The following services are provided by

the water companies in . How important are

each of these to you personally (Average)

5 4 3 2 1

Providing safe, pleasant tasting water 5.7 9.3 8.1 9.6 9.3

Providing a reliable, uninterrupted supply of water 5.8 9.1 8.0 9.6 9.3


security of supply5.0 8.8 7.6 9.5 9.1


treatment services4.9 8.6 7.4 9.5 9.1


wetlands healthy4.6 8.3 7.3 9.3 9.0


flooding)4.9 8.5 7.0 9.1 9.0

Innovative solutions to water related problems 4.6 8.2 7.1 8.9 9.0

Producing recycled water 4.4 7.6 6.6 8.4 8.7


waterways4.4 7.4 6.8 8.3 8.6


risk4.4 7.1 6.1 8.0 8.7

Q17. Based on that video, roughly how much

would you say you already knew about

Melbourne Water’s work in water supply

services?

5 4 3 2 1

Knew at least a fair bit (net) 24 25 33 33 48

Q18. How would you rate the importance of

the water supply services Melbourne Water

provides to each of the following? (Average)

5 4 3 2 1

You personally 6.4 8.6 7.8 9.0 9.1

The community in general 6.8 8.9 8.1 9.3 9.2

The health of the natural environment 6.8 8.7 8.0 9.3 9.2

Segment Segment

Red/green indicates significantly lower/higher than all other

segments combined.


60



Melbourne Water’s work in sewerage

services?

5 4 3 2 1



the sewerage services Melbourne Water


5 4 3 2 1

You personally 6.4 8.6 7.7 9.0 9.0





Melbourne Water’s work in waterway

services?

5 4 3 2 1



the waterway services Melbourne Water


5 4 3 2 1

You personally 6.0 7.8 7.4 8.7 8.9





Melbourne Water’s work in drainage and flood

management services?

5 4 3 2 1



the drainage and flood management services

Melbourne Water provides to each of the

following? (Average)

5 4 3 2 1

You personally 6.1 7.9 7.2 8.4 8.8



Q25. Reflecting on the information in the

videos, would you support an increased or

decreased level of spending on each of the

following (net % more investment)

5 4 3 2 1


security of supply46 68 73 76 92

Innovative solutions to water related problems 40 56 65 71 90


wetlands healthy36 51 66 71 90


Providing a reliable, uninterrupted supply of water 43 54 65 63 85



flooding)33 51 59 63 87




waterways32 38 49 47 83


risk30 31 44 36 83




Segment Segment



61

Q30. Given this information, do you think the

current approach should be maintained,

where the Minister for Water decides each

year whether to place an order for desalinated

water

5 4 3 2 1

The Minister for Water should decide each year

whether to place an order for desalinated water22 31 33 41 42

The desalination plant should just be in

continuous operation (unless storages are full)29 39 40 42 44

Don’t really care 20 6 8 3 3

Don’t know 29 24 19 14 10

Q31. Given the above information, would you

support or oppose more recycled water being

produced for non-drinking purposes?

5 4 3 2 1

Net support (%) 50 76 80 89 83

Q32. Does your property have a recycled

water connection, with a purple pipe and tap

outside (separate from the mains drinking

water connection)? (%)

5 4 3 2 1

Yes, have a purple tap/pipe 9 3 9 6 15

Q33. If you could have a recycled water

connection installed at your property for uses

like garden watering, toilet flushing and/or

laundry water, and it was affordable for you,

would you do so?

5 4 3 2 1

Yes, would get a recycled water connection

(separate from the drinking water)34 60 72 81 79

Q34. Given the above information, would you

support or oppose more stormwater being

collected and treated for non-drinking

purposes?

5 4 3 2 1

Net support (%) 48 76 80 87 87




Q27. Would you say it actually matters to you

or makes a difference to know about the sorts

of things Melbourne Water does? (%)

5 4 3 2 1

Yes, it matters / makes a difference 42 61 77 87 90

No, don’t really need to know 36 26 13 9 7

Don’t know 22 13 10 4 3

Q29. In the last 12 months have you visited

any of the creeks, rivers, or wetlands in the

greater Melbourne area (Top 5 by Total %)

5 4 3 2 1

Walking 27 0 81 85 75

Never go to creeks, rivers or wetlands 46 97 0 0 4

Exercising 20 0 43 22 47

Dog walking 11 0 28 18 38

Picnicking 6 0 28 20 32

Segment Segment


NEWGATE RESEARCH

Sydney

+61 2 9232 9550

Level 18, 167 Macquarie Street

Sydney NSW 2000

Canberra

+61 2 9232 9500

John McEwen House

7 National Circuit

Barton ACT 2600

Perth

191 St Georges Terrace

Perth WA 6831

Melbourne

+61 3 9611 1850

Level 10, 120 Collins Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

Brisbane

+61 7 3009 9000

Level 13, 1 Eagle Street

Brisbane QLD 4000

NEWGATE AUSTRALIA

Documents

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT OF SERVICES › hdp.au... · EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 This summary outlines the key findings from a quantitative survey designed to gain insight into the community’s