Opportunities to get involved in the Queensland water industry

It seems like only yesterday that I was writing my first President’s column for Queensland Source but now, more than a year into my presidency, I find myself energised by the prospect of a second half of the year that is filled to the brim with everything that makes our branch the best in the nation. 

The second half of the calendar year in Queensland plays host to a plethora of Association experiences, from NQ Water (held in Townsville this year on 14-15 August), to our annual Gala Dinner and Awards Night (13 September) and QWater (20-21 November).

These are complemented by our technical sessions and young water professionals (YWP) event program to ensure a diversity of professional development and social activities that provide something for everyone, member and non-member alike. 

Something I was excited to hear was a breakfast session at NQ Water where we invited prominent regional employers, universities and YWPs to discuss how we can better support young people in the industry in regional areas. I was recently one of the judges for the YWP of the Year award, where we were faced with the daunting prospect of choosing just one person from eight fantastic nominations. With this depth of talent in our industry, I am always surprised to see how few of our young water professionals take part in our three major branch events each year. 

On this basis, I may sound like a broken record, but with the Gala Dinner and Awards night almost upon us, I am going to again remind you about last year’s event where we set the challenge for you to consider your table invites through a different lens and showcase the diversity of the industry. I hope that when you are looking around your tables this year, you will be able to stand proud knowing that you have addressed both the visible and, just as importantly, invisible elements to help make ours a truly inclusive industry. 

This is meant to be a quick column and I regularly go on far too long, so I will leave it here for today and look forward to catching many of you across our “Big 3” in the coming months. Don’t be a stranger! 

Cheers,
Justin