From the Murray to managing Coliban – leading water with purpose

Damian Wells (right) with Rodney Carter, previous CEO of Dja Dja Wurrung.

Damian Wells’ journey throughout the Australian water sector is rooted in the environment and a deep connection to community. Growing up in Merbein on the banks of the Murray River – one of the first state-owned pumped irrigation settlements in Victoria – his earliest memories involve walking behind his father, shovel in hand, through grapevines irrigated by furrows, catching yabbies in channels, and soaking in a life connected to water.

This childhood formed the foundation of a career defined by bold leadership, complex infrastructure challenges and an unwavering commitment to serving community.

In his role as Managing Director at Coliban Water, based in Bendigo, a region he has lived in for over 20 years, Wells leads one of central Victoria’s most vital utilities with a distinct sense of purpose.

“There’s no greater privilege than serving the community you live in,” he said. It’s a privilege grounded in face-to-face accountability – on the street, at the supermarket, even on the sidelines of his kids’ soccer games.

“You’re always accountable and I take that personally. It is personal not only to me, but to our executive team. We want our community to get the water services that they deserve. And that's why we're tackling some really big projects.”

Transforming legacy into opportunity

With more than two decades of experience – including roles at the Mallee and North Central Catchment Management Authorities, Goulburn-Murray Water during the Millennium Drought, and Executive Director at the Environment Protection Authority – Wells brings a deeply informed, systems-level perspective to water leadership.

Now, he is spearheading some of the most ambitious projects in Coliban Water’s history, as the organisation sits at a pivotal point – managing the pressures of aging infrastructure, climate change and accelerating population growth in one of Victoria’s fastest-growing regions.

Many of Coliban Water’s core assets are either at the end of their lifecycle or already operating at capacity. The region’s historical legacy only adds to the complexity.

“A lot of the big settlements in Central Victoria are there because of the gold rush, not because of access to reliable water. That creates enormous pressure on water security today,” Wells said.

To meet these challenges, Coliban Water has adopted what Wells describes as a “dynamic portfolio approach” – a rolling strategy that constantly assesses projects through a risk lens to determine what must be tackled now versus what can be staged for later.

“You’ve got to run at the big issues. These projects – reclamation plant upgrades, water treatment expansions – they take years. Seven to 10 years in some cases. So, we can’t afford to wait for the perfect moment.”

Among the most urgent priorities are significant upgrades to the Bendigo and Castlemaine water reclamation plants. The current pricing submission includes hundreds of millions of dollars for these upgrades, alongside critical investment in drinking water and sewer networks. And that’s just the start. From 2028 onward, even more capital will be needed to upgrade treatment facilities and expand capacity in rapidly growing towns.

Yet it's not just urban growth that demands attention. One of Coliban Water’s most transformational projects lies in its little-known rural system – a vestige of gold rush-era infrastructure that currently loses up to 80% of water released from storage.

“The system we have now is unacceptable in the modern age, and we’re determined to change it,” Wells said. “We’re developing a business case to replace it with a piped system. It’s going to dramatically improve customer service, water security, support environmental restoration, and return water to Traditional Owners.”

The rural modernisation project also aims to remove outdated infrastructure from national parks, eliminating environmental impacts and cultural disruption. “This is a project where everyone wins – it’s about justice, efficiency, and sustainability,” Wells said.

Leadership with clarity and courage

For Wells, effective leadership in the water sector – particularly in regional Australia – is about clarity, courage, and consistency.

“You’ve got to get super clear on the mission,” he said. “What are the key matters that have to be addressed? What do you stand for in terms of your values? And how do you live those values consistently, so that everyone in the organisation understands the true north?”

At Coliban Water, that “true north” is unambiguous: serving customers. That commitment anchors everything from improving service delivery and modernising assets, to environmental stewardship and public health. Wells encourages a culture of operational excellence, continual learning, and digital innovation.

“We’ve got a thirst for knowledge,” he said. “And we’re leaning into digital for the benefit of our customers.”

Importantly, Wells believes that leadership must be honest and direct – especially in the public sector, where issues can too easily be dressed up in jargon.

“There’s a tendency to window dress and circle around issues. But when you’ve got someone’s attention, you must speak plainly, or you’ll lose them,” he said. “I sometimes get told I speak too straight. But I think clarity is critical – whether you’re talking to government, customers, staff or partners.”

Walking together with Traditional Owners

At the heart of Coliban Water’s strategy is a deep commitment to partnering with Traditional Owners across its service region. A journey spanning over a decade of conversations, listening and meaningful engagement.

“Like all relationships, if you want it to be great, you’ve got to put energy into it. You need to spend the time and seek to understand,” he said.

That commitment is embodied in Coliban Water’s partnership with DJARRA (Dja Dja Wurrung), and ongoing engagement with Taungurung, Yorta Yorta and Barapa Barapa Peoples.

Coliban Water has cultivated a strong relationship with DJARRA over a long time, and Wells has been instrumental in driving their landmark partnership agreement.

“It was a really involved process with brave conversations,” he said. “We needed to define what a genuine partnership looks like between a water corporation and a Traditional Owner group.”

That partnership is underpinned by a principle of mutual respect: Coliban Water respects Djaara’s rights, and Djaara respects Coliban’s responsibilities. “We have statutory obligations to deliver safe drinking water, but we also acknowledge that the systems we work in have historically excluded Aboriginal people,” Wells said.

Wells and his team are committed to changing that. While Aboriginal people are not formally recognised in Victoria’s Water Act, he sees opportunities ahead through the state’s treaty process and broader policy reforms.

“We want to support Traditional Owner participation in water leadership, land and water decision-making. The future has to look different,” he said.

That future is already taking shape. This is reflected in the co-naming of Coliban Water’s strategy: Delk Gatjin, Dhelk Balak – Healthy Water, Healthy People. “It’s a powerful gesture of trust, and it reflects the spirit of walking together,” Wells said.

Wells credits Rodney Carter, who recently stepped down from his role as CEO of Dja Dja Wurrung Group after nearly a decade, as pivotal to that journey. “Rodney is a force of nature. The leadership and clarity he brought have been incredible. We love our relationship with DJARRA, and we know it will keep growing,” he said.

Running towards the future

Outside work, Wells runs – literally. Three marathons in the past year have taught him as much about endurance and clarity as boardroom decisions have. “I do my best thinking when I run,” he said. “Sometimes the answers just come.”

As Coliban Water tackles population growth, climate pressures, and aging infrastructure, Wells remains grounded in the values that first brought him to water. “We can’t accept the system as it is,” he said. “We owe it to our community, and to ourselves, to keep pushing for better.”