Sutton tapped to chair Water Corp

Andrea Sutton, the former head of Rio Tinto’s majority-owned uranium unit, has been revealed as the new chair of the state-owned Water Corporation.

Ms Sutton will replace outgoing chair Ross Love, who stepped down in October to take up an overseas role, and will chair the board as the organisation progresses with plans for a $2.8 billion desalination plant at Alkimos.

Ms Sutton was previously chief executive and managing director at Energy Resources of Australia, which owns the now-shuttered Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory and is 86 per cent owned by Rio, following a 19-year career at Rio Tinto which included a stint as general manager of infrastructure in the iron ore division.

She currently sits on several boards, including the boards of Iluka Resources, Perenti and Red 5, and was previously a board member at government advisory body Infrastructure WA.

“Ms Sutton’s diverse experience will complement and extend the board’s existing skillset in addition to increasing the representation of women on government boards,” Water Minister Simone McGurk said.

“She is a welcome and valuable addition to Water Corporation’s board, bringing extensive professional experience that will help ensure sound decisions continue to be made in the interests of the people of WA.

“Water Corporation is focused on ensuring a diversity of talent at all levels of the organisation, and I am very pleased we are able to demonstrate that commitment at board level.”

Ms Sutton will be joined as a new face on the board by David Smith, who will chair the Water Corp’s audit and risk committee.

Interim chair David Lock and fellow board member Carla Boehl will step down from their roles at the end of the year.

The appointment comes on the same day Business News revealed ACCIONA had been advised it was the preferred proponent to build the $2.8 billion desalination plant project, which is scheduled for delivery in 2028.