IPWEAQ

Glenda Kirk (Branch President)

Director Infrastructure Services

Mareeba Shire Council

Natasha Murray (Vice-President)

Manager, Infrastructure

Douglas Shire Council

Joshua Flanders (Ambassador)

Project Engineer

St George Project Services

Seren McKenzie

Director Infrastructure and Operations

Townsville City Council

Neil Allen

Director

Endgame Projects

Hari Boppudi

CEO

Flinders Shire Council

Justin Fischer

Manager Asset Engineering

Cassowary Coast Regional Council

Danny Lynch

Director Infrastructure and Operations

Townsville City Council

Victor Mills

Director Works & Building Services

Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council

Nicola Daaboul

Principal Asset Management Consultant

Assetic Pty Ltd

Graham O'Brynne

Senior Executive Consultant 

Burke Shire Council

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Townsville 16-18 June for the reconvened NQ Branch conference after COVID-19 cancelled last year’s event. Unfortunately, June can be a challenging month for councils in our region with the pressures of budgeting and deadlines for the delivery for funded projects. Fortunately, IPWEAQ members who were not able to attend the conference can access the presentations including the audio visuals, the PowerPoint presentations and papers submitted by authors. Access NQ Branch Conference Proceedings and see conference highlights on pages 89-91.

In just a few weeks, we’ll have another opportunity to get together for the Annual Conference in Cairns, 12-14 October. These gatherings are critical for our sector as we make the most of the opportunity to network with colleagues dealing with and resolving similar engineering and community issues across our state and the Northern Territory.

In the north, we are used to flash flooding from weather events and actively engineer solutions that reduce risks to our communities. And at this year’s Annual Conference in Cairns, we’ll have an opportunity to hear Dr Richard Harris (Harry) SC OAM, 2019 Australian of the Year talk about his involvement in the 2018 rescue of 12 young boys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave in Thailand when monsoon rains hit. Dr Harry’s unique combination of interests and career (diving and anaesthetist) catapulted him into the global spotlight in a high risk, apparently doomed operation which was certainly unprecedented. It’s an extraordinary story and I hope you will join us 9am Wednesday 13 October for this presentation.

Be sure also to register for presentations being delivered by our colleagues in the north including: 

• Paul Ransom and Samantha Guy - Torres Strait Island Regional Council - Mer Island Water Supply 

• Tom Ryzak, E2G Joint Venture - Tropical surprises and infrastructure success on the E2G project 

• Nicholas Wellwood, Burdekin Shire Council - The Reinvention of the Ayr Drinking Water Supply to meet water quality and resiliency benchmarks 

• Justin Fischer, Cassowary Coast Regional Council - Tully Grandstand Project - A different way of delivering (NQ Branch conference Best Paper winner)