The Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria) has been nationally recognised as the top performer for alternative dispute resolution (ADR), in terms of leadership and excellence for a modern ombudsman scheme.
EWOV was presented with the award at the 2026 Australian ADR Awards on Friday 27 March 2026, by the Australian Disputes Centre. This award program recognises the significant contribution of Australia-based ADR practitioners to community cohesion, access to justice and commercial success.
We stood out because we use our deep understanding of real-world case data to drive industry-wide improvements. We influence outcomes that benefit not only individual complainants and providers, but the wider Victorian community and energy and water market.
Through our public submissions, our stakeholder engagement and our systemic issue investigations, we help to prevent issues from occurring or recurring while shaping policy and regulations.
We’re committed to delivering an effective and efficient service for our members and Victorian consumers. That’s why, every five years, we invite an independent reviewer to assess where our service can improve – and then we act on it. This helped us identify and develop our new case-handling model, which makes the process clearer and smoother for everyone involved.
This success for EWOV is underpinned by that first conversation someone has with us. That opportunity to reach out for another person to help you sort out a problem – someone who takes no sides but listens and strives to do the right thing.
Pictured: EWOV Ombudsman and CEO Catherine Wolthuizen accepting the award last Friday for the ‘Ombudsmen and Commissions ADR Group of the Year 2026’ at the Australian Disputes Centre’s 40th anniversary event.