June 2014 Queensland Branch Newsletter
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
June 2014 Queensland Branch Newsletter Presidents Report By Col Lewis Branch News successful event, even given the quiet times we are experiencing in the Water sector. This event was My two-year term as Branch President finishes at the another wonderful opportunity to foster and share end June 2014 and on reflection I wonder where the knowledge as well as to catch up with other water two years has gone. professional from around Australia and Overseas that I would like to take this opportunity to firstly thank our you do not get to see at other times. Branch Manager, Sharon Ible, for all her assistance throughout my term and certainly without her efforts Industry our branch would not have been as successful as it has been, she certainly keeps the committee in order. As an Association we recently had the opportunity to provide feedback on the State Governments draft Also I have been fortunate over the two years to have a WATERQ, a 30-year Strategy for Queensland’s water wonderful committee to work with everybody being sector, which is due for release soon. involved and committed. Their support and hard work has made my role so much easier and I count it as a Some sectors of the Water industry are still very privilege to have had the opportunity to lead such a subdued and a lot of companies are feeling the pain of great team over the last two years. lack of projects where as others are going well. Unfortunately all levels of Government are looking at Would be remiss of me not to acknowledge those who deferring investment in capital works and this is led the branch before and their excellent work that we certainly not helping the situation. I believe there is still have been able to build on over the last two years and I a role for State & Federal Governments to take a role have no doubt that Matt Dawson, incoming President in developing projects to ensure that economic and the new committee will only build on the previous development is not stalled. The challenge for the successes. Industry is how to encourage increased private investment and this was discussed at the Water On reflection I look back at what we set out to achieve Leaders Forum at Ozwater14 and considered over my term and one of the major goals was to again superannuation funds as an alternative source of engage with the State Government and to ensure as capital. In Queensland the real issue with encouraging an Association we had the opportunity to be involved more private investment into the water sector is in the and lead the conversation on water issues to ensure regions where projects are of smaller value which are that we achieve a sustainable water future. To this end not as attractive to private investment. I believe we have achieved the goal with our regular meetings with the Minister and his staff and should An important part of this process is to ensure that we acknowledge Minister Mc Ardle and his willingness and have consistent economic regulation across different openness to engage with us at many events over the jurisdictions. past two years. I have enjoyed my two years serving as President and Also we set out to engage with the CSG/Mining working with everybody I have come across over that industry in a meaningful way and as part of this we time and look forward to supporting Matt Dawson over held an exciting event in June this year – the CSG the next two years as immediate Past President. Technical Workshop and Water in Mining and Energy Regulation Briefing, which has had great support from It has been a great journey made all the more the industry in developing the workshop as well as enjoyable being able to work with a wonderful group of participation in the event. people. Since the last issue of WaterTalk we have had Look forward to catching up at our future events. OZwater14 held in Brisbane which was another 2 Colin Lewis Branch President AWA Central Queensland Technical Seminar, Gladstone On 12 June AWA hosted a technical seminar in Gladstone. The event was organised to complement Qld Water Directorate’s Central Queensland Mini Conference on the 13 June. Delegates were treated to three excellent presentations, which drew out relevant aspects for Central Queensland: Water Infrastructure: Contingency Planning for Flood Emergencies, presented by Dr Haydn Betts from KBR (left below). Upgrade of the Glenmore High Lift Water Pump Station, presented by Dr Jason Plumb from Fitzroy Jenifer Simpson Awarded River Water (Centre below). Mt Isa Sewerage Upgrades, presented by Peter the Order of Australia Baker and Mark Thomas from Harrison Grierson. (Right below) (General Division) Gladstone Regional Council also organised a “site tour” for Long time AWA member and supporter, Jenifer delegates, which consisted of a harbour tour viewing a Simpson has been awarded a Medal of the Order number of the important and impressive projects going on of Australia (General Division) in the Queen’s in and around Gladstone. This culminated with a “sail Birthday Honours List for being a conservation past” of the three LNG plant sites under construction on champion. The Courier Mail noted that if Jenifer Curtis Island which are an awe inspiring sight from close Simpson was a super hero she would be called up. The context for water professionals was set by a “Water Women”. Jenifer’s career in the water discussion from Gladstone Regional Council on the water industry started in 1992 when she decided to put on and sewerage servicing strategy for Curtis Island. a forum to better inform people on the Sunshine Coast about how water is managed. The title for Many thanks must go to our host, Phil Boschoff from the forum was “Are we going up the spout and Gladstone Regional Council and his team. Thanks also to down the drain”. She has been working to improve the team at Qld Water Directorate for the continued water education ever since and has written a cooperation in running joint regional events and their number of books to help people understand what is efforts for this event in particular. Our thanks also to Trility in water and how we take it out. for organizing the lunch on the harbour tour. 3 Matt Dawson Branch President Elect Matt Dawson is the new Queensland Branch A few of Matt’s key priorities, as President of the President-elect. He will officially take-up office on 1 Queensland Branch will be to continue the push for July 2014, following on from the great work of Col AWA to: Lewis. Matt is a civil engineer graduating from the University of Auckland in the late nineties [Matt Become more relevant to regional members. notes though that he is Australian and is strictly still He sees opportunities to spread events eligible to play in the State of Origin series!]. He has across the state, work closely with the worked in the water industry for his whole career Queensland Water Directorate, encourage a and has “water in the blood”. His first job was with series of local AWA champions in different MWH working in network planning and asset regions and make better use of technology to management. With opportunities emerging in engage with regional members Australia during the height of the millennium drought Continue to engage with current and potential Matt took the opportunity to transfer to the MWH’s AWA members working in the CSG sector. Brisbane Office. He was appointed as study leader Increase its involvement in representing for a variety of Queensland and Local Government members on key strategic and policy issues water demand studies particularly focused on and continuing to build the relationship with demand management, drought response and post the Queensland Government and senior drought scenarios. He found this period of his executives from water utilities. career to be highly rewarding. In 2011 an opportunity came up to move to TRILITY People who know Matt will also know of his keen as Strategy and Development Manager. What interest in fostering the Regional Conferences at attracted Matt to this new role was the greater various centres around the State and he expects a diversity of skills required (including operations, focus on continually enhancing these events. construction and financing) which built on his consulting background. Since joining TRILITY he Matt lives on the Sunshine Coast. He and his wife, has worked on a variety of interesting opportunities Trina, who he met in Auckland have two children, one including low energy regional wastewater treatment eleven and one twelve. When not spending time with plants, a range of municipal water treatment plants, the family Matt likes nothing more than to surf, go large and complex O&M contracts and a variety of mountain bike riding or play a round of golf. interesting CSG sector opportunities. He finds that the diverse geographic spread around Queensland and the work across multiple sectors complements his AWA role very well. 4 Jeff Ballard Chair of the 2014 NQ Water Conference Jeff has been on the Organising Committee for the amalgamations in 2008 saw Jeff’s role being NQ Water Conference for nine years. This year he is transformed into a senior engineering role within the Chairman. He is again hoping for a bumper newly formed Townsville Water. Conference attracting well over 100 delegates. His original interest in AWA stemmed from his attendance Jeff then decided to set up his own company, at an AWA Technical Meeting and Dinner at Grafton Northern Water Management that has kept him quite in Northern NSW in 1998.