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Rocky rocks! Thank you to our hosts, Rockhampton Regional Council for providing an exceptional venue – the Heritage Village – for our 2019 CQ Branch Conference. 165 delegates – a record for a CQ Branch conference – joined us for a memorable program. Thank you also to our conference sponsor, AECOM!

The Best Paper award was won by Dan Toon, Livingstone Shire Council who delivered a presentation on the Scenic Highway, Statue Bay – Cyclone Marcia Reconstruction Project. Other papers in the running for the award included: Colin Strydom (design+architecture) for the Mt Archer Elevated Boardwalk and a presentation on the South Rockhampton Flood Levee by Andrew Collins (Rockhampton Regional Council) and Ben McMaster (AECOM).

These exceptional projects along with several others presented should feature in the 2019 IPWEAQ Excellence Awards and we encourage the teams to make a submission by 5 July.

A finalist for the 2018 Futures Challenge, Lindsay Stafford, who is now employed with AECOM delivered a presentation on her reflections as a graduate engineer. Lindsay’s presentation and similar presentations delivered at other branch conferences will soon be accessible in a new Community in the IPWEAQ Knowledge Centre specifically for our younger professionals.

The conference social program was also exceptional commencing with barefoot bowls at the Rockhampton Bowls Club on Wednesday night. However the highlight was the Cardno-sponsored pre-dinner drinks at the Great Western Hotel – a typical, historical old Rockhampton pub – followed by a Dinner Rodeo sponsored by Dileigh Consulting Engineers. This is a night we will well remember. Thank you Cardno and Dileigh!

We also hosted the inaugural Alumni dinner – a dinner for our retired and Emeritus members and their wives and partners. The Alumni then joined us for the rodeo.

Our Tech Tour this year was quite unique with a tour of the Rockhampton Heritage Village, a township museum showcasing the rich, colourful history of the Rockhampton distract from 1850- 1950.

And golf returned with 12 players teeing off Friday afternoon at the Yeppoon Golf Club. WINNER

Thank you also to our other event sponsors: GHD, McMurtrie, Premise and Shepherd: asset management solutions (formerly Shepherd Services). Your support is much appreciated!

Next year’s conference will be held in Maryborough with hosts, Fraser Coast Regional Council, 30 April – 1 May. A Call for Papers will be issued early 2020 however Craig Moss is happy to receive these from you at any time.

We have a QUDM (Queensland Urban Drainage Manual Workshop) coming up in Rockhampton 19 June so please be sure to register early as these courses are frequently over-subscribed. 7 CPD hours on offer.

Celisa Faulkner

CQ Branch President