Customer and Community Reference Group​

The functions of the CCRG are to work collectively with us to:

• provide direct feedback on existing customer experience and emerging customer issues, and make recommendations
• act as a critical friend to shape, strengthen and co-develop our customer and community engagement plans and activities (including approach, structure, methodology, tools and materials)
• observe inputs and provide feedback that customers and the community are being engaged broadly and effectively, and that their preferences are understood and reflected in the decision-making processes
• assist us to identify and engage hard-to-reach customer groups
• provide strategic input into our strategy, enterprise plan and regulatory submissions, projects and campaigns, and engage with the Sydney Water Executive and senior leaders on these issues
• provide an assessment of the quality and the extent of customer engagement, and the degree to which this has been reflected in our strategic plans and regulatory submissions
• assist with evaluating our performance against customer-facing performance targets.

The CCRG is not a decision-making committee. It is an advisory group. Key topics for discussion will include our price proposal, strategic planning and customer engagement.​

It doesn't replace our extensive research and engagement with customers, including the Our Water, Our Voice program.

Committee roles and responsibilities

The Sydney Water Act 1994 and Sydney Water's Operating Licence 2024–28 require Sydney Water to consult with a 'customer and community reference group'. The Customer and Community Reference Group Charter outlines the roles and responsibilities of the CCRG. ​

Meeting agendas, minutes and actions

CCRG Independent Chair Annual Reports

You can find out more about the CCRG through the Independent Chair Annual Reports:

• November 2023 – November 2024

• November 2022 – November 2023

CCRG membership

The CCRG is chaired independently by Abigail Goldberg. Abigail is an experienced Independent Chair, Non-executive director and CEO with experience across the private and government sectors.​

CCRG Members bring broad customer and community perspectives from:​

• First Nations​

• culturally and linguistically diverse communities​

• aged/youth​

• disability​

• social advocacy​

• customer/consumer advocacy​

• financial hardship​

• regional (Illawarra, Western Sydney)​

• environment​

• local government​

• business ​

• developers.

Abigail Goldberg
Independent Chair, Sydney Water CCRG

M Business Administration (Executive), M Urban Design, BSc Urban and Regional Planning (Hons) FAICD FPIA MRTPI

Abigail Goldberg is a Chair, Non-executive Director, Commissioner and CEO who works across the private and government sectors. She specialises in the infrastructure, property, transport, resources (including water), tourism and planning sectors.

Abigail chairs the Advisory Board for Water Infrastructure NSW as well as the Sydney Central City Planning Panel and the City of Sydney Local Planning Panel. She also chairs a number of Community Consultative Committees, and Audit and Risk Committees, and is a Non-executive Director of several companies. Abigail is a senior Gateway Reviewer for NSW Treasury, Infrastructure NSW, Schools Infrastructure NSW and the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA). She completed the maximum term as a Member of the independent NSW Planning Assessment Commission in 2012.

Abigail's career features numerous senior private and public sector roles, including as Chief Executive Officer of Metro Transport Sydney and General Manager of South Sydney Development Corporation. She was also Assistant Director of the Urban Design Advisory Service, a business unit within the Department of Planning, NSW.

Abigail is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Planning Institute of Australia. She's been a Mentor for the 'Next Generation of Corporate Female Leaders' program (Women on Boards) as well as for the Planning Institute of Australia, and herself received the Women's Scholarship (Australian Graduate School of Business, UNSW) in 1999 while studying part-time for the MBA.

Anna Bacik
Community Representative

BA, MPASR, MCouns

Anna is an experienced executive with over 20 years of experience in social policy and leadership in the government and non-government sectors. Her experience includes working for regulatory and statutory bodies, central agencies, human services, health organisations and for community services and organisations in Southern NSW.

Anna has previously served on a range of committees and advisory groups. Her recent representation for Community Industry Group included the Coordinare Community Advisory Committee, the BlueScope Community Consultative and a number of local bodies in the southern region.

Mario Ferreira Compart
Community Representative

Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Applied Finance (in progress, Macquarie University)

Mario brings diverse experience across finance, policy and community engagement, combining a solid academic foundation with practical skills. With roles in both the finance and legal industry, he has provided strategic insights and research to support decision-making processes. As a dedicated volunteer in a Federal MP's office, Mario conducts policy analysis to address constituent concerns.

Mario brings a broad and inclusive customer perspective to the CCRG, representing the interests of Western Sydney and advocating for youth engagement in public discourse. His leadership roles in community-focused initiatives, such as President of the Fowler Youth Advisory Committee and member of the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue, underscore his commitment to advancing regional growth and inclusivity.

As a Co-Founder and Vice-President of External Affairs for the Macquarie University Applied Finance Society, Mario has facilitated professional development opportunities and fostered collaboration between students, academics and industry experts. His contributions to the CCRG are further strengthened by his multilingual capabilities (English and Portuguese) and a passion for financial literacy, policy development and sustainable community outcomes.

Mary Karras
Representative for Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW

Mary Karras is a passionate believer in the principles of multiculturalism. Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in ensuring that multicultural policies, programs and services are respected and valued in culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse communities across Sydney and the broader NSW State.

In her current role as Chief Executive Officer of the Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW, Mary works closely with the Board of Management and the Members Forum to strengthen its mission and vision through her strategic thinking, executive leadership and operational management.

Both professionally and personally, Mary brings a wealth of learnings and experiences in her work with diverse communities that encompass energy, aged care reforms, disability inclusion, health literacy, education, domestic and family violence, environment sustainability, and housing and tenancies to name a few.

As a statewide peak body, the Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW advocates and provides a consultative role to various government and non-government bodies. These include Ausgrid, EWON NSW, Jemena Gas, Western Sydney Parklands, Energy Council of Australia, Western Sydney International Airport – socio-economic impacts, Greater Sydney Commission – Social Planning, NSW Department of Planning & Industry on Energy & Climate, and numerous other collaborations and representations.

Mary serves on several Boards, Advisory Panels and Committees, and hopes to provide a multicultural community voice to the CCRG.

Leigh Martin
Representative for the Total Environment Centre

BSc (Hons), PhD

Leigh is an environmental scientist who has been an academic at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) for over 10 years. His research interests include invasive species, urban ecology, and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.

Leigh brings a wealth of experience in environmental management, and joins the CCRG as a representative of the environmental NGO Total Environment Centre (TEC), of which he is a current Management Committee member and former employee.

Prior to joining UTS, Leigh worked for over 15 years as an environmental campaigner at TEC. As part of this role, he worked extensively on urban and rural water management, including pricing and regulation.

Bruce McClelland
Representative for Business Western Sydney

Bruce has been with Business Western Sydney for 8 years, following extensive commercial experience developing both transactional and long-term multi-year projects with private enterprise clients, state and local government agencies, across the finance sector, professional services, IT and telecommunications, servicing some of Australia’s largest commercial and government clients. He is focused on delivering opportunity and value to Business Western Sydney's members' regional engagement activities.

Douglas McCloskey
Representative for Justice and Equity Centre

Douglas has been part of the Energy and Water team at the Justice and Equity Centre (JEC), formerly the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, since May 2018, leading it as Program Director since March 2022. He has expertise across policy, regulation and community engagement in energy and water, and has a particular focus on issues impacting vulnerable NSW households, fair and affordable access to energy and water, access to sustainable technology and services, and advocating for measures to make essential service delivery more equitable and affordable.
 
Douglas has more than 15 years of experience across policy, government, and community and social service advocacy, and has worked and volunteered in hospitality, sustainable agriculture and youth development both in Australia and across Europe.

Between 2015 and 2018, he was a Policy Officer for the NSW Council of Social Service, with responsibility for policy and advocacy across the housing, disability, planning, essential services and transport.

He also served as the Policy, Events and Professional Development Manager for the NSW Institute of Architects between 2003 and 2007, developing the Institute's policy on Professional Development, and the education and events program to support the Institute's members.

Douglas has a Master's in Public Policy, with High Distinction, from the University of Sydney, where he also obtained a Bachelor of Economics (Social Sciences) majoring in Political Economy, and Government & Public Administration.

A keen amateur photographer and artist, Douglas has had his work exhibited and sold in several Sydney artist-run spaces.

Stephen McMahon
Representative for NSW Urban Development Institute of Australia

MA FPIA

Stephen is a recognised, accomplished planning and urban development professional with 30 years broad-ranging experience and expertise in the establishment and management of development projects and teams from planning, acquisition, design, marketing through to sales and delivery.

Stephen has recently returned to providing development advisory services following 9 years as the General Manager of Development for 2 land development companies in Western Sydney, where he undertook a range of land development projects in Western Sydney and regional NSW. Earlier experience includes the London Docklands Development Corporation and NSW Olympic Coordination Authority. Stephen also teaches development feasibility part-time at the University of NSW.

Stephen is an active contributor to and advocate for the development industry, particularly the creation of landmark environmentally, socially and financially sustainable development projects that provide value for clients, shareholders, buyers/​tenants and institutional stakeholders. He has been a member of the NSW Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) for over 20 years, and in 2010 was elected Councillor and has been a member of Council Executive, Treasurer and Vice President. Between 2020 and 2022, Stephen was President of the Institute.

Graham Turner
Representative for Council on the Ageing NSW

BSc (Hons I) AppSci UNSW, MEnvStud UNSW

Graham has extensive experience as an applied geographer and environmental scientist. After teaching physical and economic geography at the University of NSW, he spent over 25 years in NSW planning and environmental agencies, fulfilling professional roles in town planning, environmental planning, protection and management, and climate change. He also has a comprehensive understanding of and experience in the application of technologies, including remote sensing and GIS.

Graham represents COTA (Council on the Ageing NSW). He advocates for older Australians, and is particularly keen to ensure the contemporary and emerging issues and concerns of socially or economically disadvantaged seniors in the community are considered and addressed.

Graham's career as a professional geographer provides a sound knowledge base to launch a strategic voice to the life challenges evolving within the urban fabric of Greater Sydney, especially among the senior demographic.

Clr Ross Williams
Representative for Local Government NSW

BAppSc, MSc Qual (Biotech), GAICD, FAICD, RegPM CPPD, MAIPM, Emeritus Mayor

Ross is an executive professional with 38 years of experience in government, including sustainability, natural resource management and environmental protection. Ross has also worked in the private sector, driving initiatives in the waste management sector and as a consultant specialising in compliance, project and environmental management.

Ross brings experience as a non-executive director serving on a number of Australian not-for-profit boards, councils and advisory committees.

Ross represents the Local Government NSW (LGNSW). This allows LGNSW to engage on emerging policies and challenges, as they affect community-based programs and operational outcomes at a local community level.

Other key abilities include extensive experience in working with and leading stakeholder/​​community engagement, participation and interaction. This is underpinned by years as an elected member of local government and working in delivering customer/​community outcomes for NSW public sector organisations. Ross's voluntary community service and leadership continue.