BAS was formed in 2017 as part of a major strategic shift by Barwon Water, the Victorian water authority responsible for harvesting, treating, and distributing water across the Barwon region, as well as collecting and treating wastewater. Like many utilities, Barwon Water’s maintenance model had evolved, moving from internal delivery to outsourced maintenance, then back again. According to BAS General Manager Anna Murray, the decision to insource maintenance was driven by the practical question of cost. Could the work be done more efficiently without high external overheads, while remaining community-based?. Barwon Water’s vision is regional prosperity, and that includes creating local opportunity, retaining skilled talent in the region, and supporting a thriving community where people can afford their bills and see a future for their families. The key nuance is how Barwon Water chose to do it. Instead of building insourced maintenance department as just another internal department, BAS was established to serve the maintenance needs of Barwon Water, while also having the ability to generate revenue externally. At inception, BAS had 55 employees, with two women, both in administrative roles. Today, it has grown to approximately 160 employees, with women representing about 23% of the workforce in all areas of the business, a significant shift in a predominantly field-based, trade-heavy environment. WHY THE SUBSIDIARY MODEL MATTERS: REVENUE THAT PROTECTS CUSTOMERS The financial reality for Australian water authorities is straightforward: they don’t operate like typical government-funded departments. Revenue comes primarily from customers paying water and sewer charges, and pricing is shaped through long-term regulatory planning. Every five years, Barwon Water must balance what it can collect through rates with what it must spend to maintain and renew an aging and expanding asset base, while also maintaining customer affordability. That’s where BAS plays a uniquely strategic role. As a separate entity, BAS can pursue external work and generate additional revenue streams. Those returns can then help Barwon Water offset pressure on customer bills, supporting affordability while still enabling investment in essential infrastructure. The BAS model isn’t just about delivering maintenance differently. It is about creating a mechanism that helps a regional utility keep costs down without cutting capability. CORE CAPABILITIES: CIVIL, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL—AND INCREASINGLY DIGITAL At its foundation, BAS delivers the work most people associate with a water authority: keeping essential services running. That includes reactive civil works 25 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 08, ISSUE 02 BARWON ASSET SOLUTIONS
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