field technician

tradesman

civil technician

SA Water

Honest, committed, and hard working folks at the "coal face". Work there for a short time only for the money and experience.

But... the higher up a person worked for in Business Services, and away from where the day to day work takes place, the more problematic they became to work for. I tried to tell myself that these Managers were just egotistical but eventually realised some are bullies, psychotic, and narcissists. I had a hard time working there because some Managers I believe deliberately tried to make my working there harder than it should have been in an ideal workplace. I suspect that it was because I am a member of a different accounting body than the "accepted" accounting body, or that they might be ageist. Or that they just disliked me.

It was unfortunate that I was on fixed term contracts and I would have to ask my Manager next removed if they were or weren't going to renew my contract. They liked to make me sweat a little by letting me know a couple of days before contract end that they would renew my contract. Gradually, though the length of the contract was getting reduced from 6 months to just two weeks! I was told in a Group Finance Department meeting that my Finance Officer role was being made redundant before being told in person - rude. Another time in a finance team meeting I was told that I was leaving SA Water Business Services shortly, and that I was going to be training a new Accountant - before thay told me beforehand. How rude was that!

I managed to move from Finance Officer to Management Accountant (MA) but unfortunately the nice guy Finance Manager who recruited me suddenly left SA Water to work intrastate. It was from here that the next two Finance Managers that I had to report to were terrible. They deliberately were rude to me, excessively critical, showed no interest in training, and presented a culture of blame by communicating to me it was my fault the team was disfunctional. I also had the belief they utilised SA Water's "Performance Improvement Plan" process or PIP as a weapon against me to try to make me burn out and make me resign by setting unrealistic targets and deadlines.It wasn't so much a plan as a very demanding "checklist of tasks".  As they weren't the Manager that recruited me into the MA role they really had no interest in maintaining my tenure at SA Water. Eventually, strung out by this culture, I walked from SA Water... 

Due to the regularly recurring restructures that occur at SA Water, whilst an MA, I reported to no less that three new Finance Managers in just the 3 short years! During my time at SA Water I saw many good Finance people leave - usually not by choice, and I now often think did they do to them what they did to me?

The finance IS technology was old and did not integrate well with the other systems creating excessive complexity working with it, inaccuracies.as well as conflicting information. There was no procedures or work instructions to work with to train you in your role so expect to be thrown in the deep end as you're expected to sink or swim..

Obviously, I would not recommend working there in Business Services at SA Water for a medium to long term tenure. Very sad.

The fancy building on Vic Square and the impressive budgets are just window dressing.

I will try to make it short:
- Pay increases well under inflation level and cost if living, as time passes you earn less than you started with.
- Work load makes the job unattainable and highly stressful, if you have a good boss you will be told to do less, but then you will not achieve targets.
- Tens of different systems to manage aspects of the work, sometimes two or three to perform the same function (for instance documents and drawings management, financial tracking and procurement) and you will not have training on how to use them you will find thrown in the deep end without any preparation or support, read next.
- No support, vast majority of the time you will not get good support when you need it, you get the run around of being told to contact someone else until the last person tells you that you have to resolve the issue yourself
- Higher management does not listen or take on board your feedback, they might seem to do it but after a few days is like you have never told them anything, do not challenge the status quo.
- The enjoyable part of the job is the flexibility to work from home.


A typical day was demanding, satisfying but enjoyable.   It would be fair to say that before my appointment the existing personnel were staid, satisfied with a 'near enough' attitude and went about their work with a 'it's a job mentality' and they suffered from insufficient resources.

Within a reasonable period I had introduced a culture of teamwork, never being satisfied, having fun at work, wearing an (introduced) uniform with pride and an increase in their self esteem within the emergency management / business continuity community by being recognised as the best.

Do not recommend working at this organisation managers and upper management continuously let you down, not enough workers to share work load poor training department. Wages are low considering what you have to know and learn with minimal training, strenuous work. 
On call work is hard to swap and arrange someone to cover as there is a huge staffing issue. Wage is okay if you bust your backside and do extra on call. 

There a some positives not many at all some good workers on ground level.

No trust for managers they ignore you and don’t care.

Avoid applying if you are decent bloke be aware of corrupt company have fun plunging sewer and getting covered in it.


Over nine years I had to apply for my role and position over five times due to management and organisational structure changes.  While my direct management was wonderful and our department kicked some major goals and led massive improvement, the constant change made maintaining continuity in work very difficult.
Maybe they will settle down soon!

While the pay was great and the workmates were fantastic there is too many managers being forced to cut jobs to save money. Sadly they do this with unsavory tactics and has seen many people be put into positions to take packages or pay cuts.

Won't surprise me if the company goes private in the next 5 years.

i love the office environment, it is easy to work in and people are easy to get along with, it is very laid back flowie not overly fast-paced but working with the school kids and running tours down at the Adelaide Desalination Plant would be my favourite part of my job.

happy valley treatment plant was very clickey, in the country most clients plus staff very obliging with help plus knowledge. murry bridge control centre very full on, a great place to work plus interesting with good people to work with and for.

Some great hard working people at the front line doing their best to maintain old infrastructure. Unfortunately, they are let down by ineffective middle and senior management who appear to be wasting time blaming others for their failed change management programs.

With the exception of operations the overall company was slow in its processes and unfortunately did not rerward excellence for extra effort.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Field technician 5 salaries reported	$67,084 per year
Tradesman 4 salaries reported	$65,060 per year
Civil technician 2 salaries reported	$67,084 per year

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