Apply to be a Customer Assessment Panel member in 2025!
Are you passionate about shaping the future of water services and sharing your views on our performance? We encourage you to submit an expression of interest to join the Customer Assessment Panel (the Panel).
Each year, the Panel rates Westernport Water’s performance and provides commentary, published in the Annual Watermark sent to all customers.
Panel members will be required to watch a pre-recorded 1-hour orientation webinar, (optional for returning panel members) and participate in a 3-hour on-line feedback session on Tuesday July 22 from 6pm-9pm.
You’ll be renumerated for your attendance and active participation with a $250 sitting fee to be paid as a bill credit.
Expressions of interest close Friday 27 June.
About the Customer Assessment Panel
Our commitment to customers
As part of our promise to customers, we committed to delivering the outcomes and performance that customers sought as part of the 2023 Price Review process.
We report back to customers through our Annual Watermark which will include a customer-led performance assessment on how we performed against the following customer outcomes:
- Provide me with high quality drinking water
- Keep my essential services affordable
- Resolve sewer blockages quickly
- Keep water interruptions to a minimum
- Reduce your environmental impact and adapt to climate change
- Be there when I need you.
Customer Assessment Panel membership
The Panel will comprise 16 to 20 members and consist of diverse representatives from the community, ensuring a wide range of perspectives. Members may include:
- residential customers
- permanent or non-permanent customers
- business and commercial customers.
Customer Assessment Panel Selection
The selection process aims to create a Panel that reflects the broader customer base and can provide valuable insights into various perspectives. Panel members will be selected by a panel of Westernport Water employees who will consider each applicant’s qualities and attributes to ensure a diverse and representative group.
Some of the key criteria considerations include:
- Customer type
- Demographic diversity
- Communications skills
- Availability and Commitment
- Community involvement
- Awareness and understanding of the CAP’s purpose.
Q&A
Why do you need an Assessment Panel?
We value the insights and perspectives of our customers. Your experiences and opinions matter to us, and we are committed to creating ways for you to participate in shaping the future services.
We committed to establishing a customer panel to review our performance and provide commentary on our performance annually against a new set of outcome commitments.
What’s the main purpose of the Panel?
The primary objective of the Customer Assessment Panel is to:
- foster open communication between Westernport Water and its customers
- provide commentary on Westernport Water’s performance against the Outcomes Framework
- enhance transparency and accountability in delivering on commitments to customers.
What does the Customer Assessment Panel do?
The Panel will be empowered to rate Westernport Water’s performance each year to provide commentary on Westernport Water’s performance to accompany the Annual Watermark.
Customer assessments of our performance will ensure that customer voices contribute directly to the evaluation and enhancement of our services.
The role of the Customer Assessment Panel is to assess and provide honest feedback to Westernport Water by:
- reviewing its performance against Price Submission customer outcomes
- rating its performance against a set of key metrics reported to customers each year in the Annual Watermark
- recommending amendments or changes to the outputs and/or output targets for consideration.
What’s the time requirement for Panel members?
The Panel will be required to watch a pre-recorded 1-hour orientation webinar at a time of their choosing, (optional for returning panel members) and then participate in a 3-hour on-line feedback session via Microsoft Teams.
What’s the responsibility of the Customer Assessment Panel?
- Attend two scheduled meetings annually, to discuss Westernport Water’s performance.
- Review and provide feedback on performance against customer commitments.
- Disclose relevant interests and take reasonable steps to avoid actual and perceived conflicts of interest.
- Protect and preserve the confidentiality of any information provided or discussed at meetings identified explicitly as being commercial-in-confidence or confidential.
- Abide by Westernport Water’s Customer Engagement Code of Conduct, which includes an obligation to treat members of the Panel and Westernport Water staff respectfully and courteously.
Will Customer Assessment Panel Members be remunerated for their time and expenses?
Customer Assessment Panel members will be renumerated for their attendance and active participation with a $250 sitting fee to be paid as a bill credit.
To qualify for remuneration, Panel members must watch the orientation webinar (optional for returning panel members) and attend the 3-hour on-line feedback session.
Apply now!
Westernport Water is committed to inclusive and transparent engagement, ensuring decisions reflect what customers need, want, and value. Active customer involvement helps us continuously improve our services to meet the community’s evolving expectations.
If you’re passionate about shaping the future of water services and sharing your views on our performance, we encourage you to complete and submit the electronic form below.
Panel members will be required to watch a pre-recorded 1-hour orientation webinar, (optional for returning panel members) and participate in a 3-hour on-line feedback session on Tuesday July 22 from 6pm-9pm.
You’ll be renumerated for your attendance and active participation with a $250 sitting fee to be paid as a bill credit.
Expressions of interest close Friday 27 June.
Customer Assessment Panel - Expression of interest form 2025
If you are interested in joining Westernport Water's Customer Assessment Panel in 2025 to provide feedback on our performance and your experience dealing with us, please fill out the form below.
Customer Assessment Panel – Terms of Reference
The Terms of Reference (pdf. download) serves as a guide for members by defining roles and responsibilities and shared understanding of aims and expectations.
Customer Assessment Panel – Code of Conduct
This Code of Conduct outlines the expectations for the behaviour and ethical conduct of all members participating in the Panel to ensure a positive and constructive atmosphere. The Code of Conduct is the key tool to ensure that all members of the Panel act honestly and ethically, and that all members have a fair chance to be heard.
2024 Customer Assessment Panel – Customer commentary summary report
In 2024 we established a Customer Assessment Panel to review our performance and provide commentary on our performance over the 2023-24 period against the following six customer commitments:
- Provide me with high-quality drinking water:
- Keep my essential services affordable
- Resolve sewer blockages quickly
- Keep water interruptions to a minimum
- Reduce your environmental impact and adapt to climate change
- Be there when I need you.
The following report is commentary provided by the Customer Assessment Panel, and summarises the feedback:
2024 Customer Assessment Panel – Customer commentary summary report
Annual Watermark
Take a look at our Annual Watermark brochure 2024 and learn about how we performed in the first year of our five-year plan (2023-28).
Page updated 5 June 2025