eFlash #627

eFlash #627 New

Date: 19-Jun-2025

In this edition: Annual Forum Registrations Now Open | Essentials Webinar: Cyber Security for Water Businesses | Ron Moore Asset Maintenance Excellence Training | Napranum wins FNQ Best Tasting Tap Water Competition | Request for Nominations WIOA Advisory Committee | GBR Urban Technology and Innovation Fund | Fire Ant Biosecurity Zone Changes | National Guide for Asbestos Surveys | ACCU Method Sunsetting Review

New / Hot Topics

Annual Forum Registrations Now Open

Registrations are now open for the qldwater 2025 Annual Forum to be held on 20 – 21 August at the IPWEA-QNT Training Rooms, Eagle Farm, Brisbane.

Water is a risky business – and the challenges are growing. Join us at the qldwater 2025 Annual Forum as we confront the complex risks facing Queensland’s urban water sector, from climate whiplash and skills shortages to emerging contaminants and regulatory pressures.

This year’s theme, Courage and Compassion for a Resilient Urban Water Sector, builds on last year’s conversations and dives deeper into four systemic risks threatening the sustainability and safety of our services. Through thought-provoking presentations and hands-on collaboration, we’ll explore scalable solutions and how to bring everyone on the journey.

What to Expect:

Insightful sessions and strategic discussions
Site tours and networking opportunities
The Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test
Award Dinner celebration
Opportunities to connect with peers, regulators, and industry leaders

Download the Sponsorship Prospectus

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW

For sponsorship enquiries, contact gdavis@qldwater.com.au or call 0450 296 240.

Essentials Webinar: Cyber Security for Water Businesses

Thursday 3 July, 10–11 am

Join us for an essential webinar on cyber-resilience in water networks, with a focus on Operational Technology (OT) including SCADA and control systems. Learn about:

OT cyber security fundamentals
Common threats and sector-specific risks
Impacts of the SOCI legislation
Practical insights from industry expert Sean Murdoch, Head of OT Risk at Secolve

This session is vital for all water businesses navigating evolving cyber threats and regulatory landscapes.

More information and register here.

Ron Moore Asset Maintenance Excellence Training

Save the date: 13 – 14 October

The dates have been confirmed for Asset Maintenance Excellence Training with world-renowned asset management expert Ron Moore to be held at the IPWEA-QNT Training Rooms at 6 Eagleview Place, Eagle Farm.

Keep an eye out for updates in our eFlashes or email enquiry@qldwater.com.au to register your interest.

Napranum wins FNQ Best Tasting Tap Water Competition

Congratulations to the team at Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council, on being awarded the Far North Queensland IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water Competition Winner held at the Indigenous Councils Drinking Water Symposium this week.

The win is a testament to the great work delivered by the water treatment team.

Team Napranum will now enter the winning sample in the Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test which will take place at the Awards Dinner as part of the qldwater Annual Forum on 20 August. We look forward to tasting this winning drop then!

Request for Nominations - WIOA Queensland Advisory Committee

WIOA currently have vacancies on the Queensland Advisory Committee and are looking for additional committee members to form part of Team WIOA.

The WIOA State / Territory Advisory Committee members consist of dedicated industry volunteers who play a crucial role in enabling members to actively shape the direction of WIOA within their state and foster deeper engagement with the association.

They are looking for active and motivated Advisory Committee Members to help shape the WIOA activities within Queensland.

Nominate via the Advisory Committee Nomination Form. Applications close Friday 11th July 2025

View the 2025 June WIOA State-Territory Advisory Committee Terms of Reference to find out more, or contact WIOA at info@wioa.org.au

Urban Technology and Innovation Fund to protect Great Barrier Reef

The Australian and Queensland Governments have launched a $24 million Great Barrier Reef Urban Technology and Innovation Fund to drive cutting-edge solutions for improving water quality in the Great Barrier Reef.

The Reef Urban Technology and Innovation Fund will tackle urban water pollution from stormwater, wastewater, and industrial runoff. Urban areas cover less than one per cent of the Great Barrier Reef catchment, but their impact is still locally significant.

The Fund will build on previous investments and existing initiatives, as well as support the development of new management approaches and technologies, or technologies applied at scale elsewhere but not tested within the Reef catchment.

The joint Queensland-Commonwealth Fund will be comprised of $12 million Commonwealth funding and $12 million Queensland Government funding, with co-investment from project proponents, and will be overseen by the Queensland Government’s Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

More information available here.

Fire Ant Biosecurity Zone Changes

The fire ant biosecurity zoneshave been updated to reduce the risk of fire ants spreading through human-assisted movement. If you live or work near a fire ant outlier detection and handle or transport materials that can carry fire ants, these changes may affect you.

Full and partial suburbs and increased suburb coverage have been added to zone 2 to reflect recent detections.

Fire ant biosecurity zones

Brisbane City Council
- Full suburbs: Saint Helena Island and Green Island
Scenic Rim Regional
- Full suburb: Nindooinbah
- Partial suburb: Kerry
Sunshine Coast Regional
- Full suburbs: Bells Creek, Caloundra West, Forest Glen, Kiels Mountain and Mons
- Partial suburb: Chevallum, Diddillibah, Kuluin, Kunda Park, Nambour, Palmwoods, Rosemount, West Woombye, and Woombye.

National Guide for Asbestos Surveys (audits and inspections) released by ASSEA

In an effort to standardise the process for conducting asbestos surveys (also known as inspections or audits) in buildings and structures across Australia, the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (ASSEA) has published the National Guide for Asbestos Surveys

The guide describes the steps that asbestos surveyors should follow in identifying and recording the presence and location of asbestos containing materials (ACMs), and assessing the risk that the ACM presents. It incorporates the risk assessment model and ACM Risk Calculator, enabling consistent and objective results to inform asbestos management and removal plans Australia-wide.

Current Consultations

ACCU method sunsetting review – consultation

The Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee (ERAC) is undertaking reviews of four sunsetting Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU) scheme methodologies, including the Source separate organic waste method.

As part of these reviews - and building on the submissions sent to the department in early 2025 - the ERAC would like to hear from scheme participants and experts in the operation of the methods. A public consultation document will be released shortly and the ERAC is hosting half-day workshops in Brisbane on the 8th and 9th of July 2025 covering beef cattle herd management, reforestation and afforestation, land and sea transport and source separate organic waste (register from the link below).

Source separate organic waste

Consultation Workshop: Sunsetting Review of the SSOW Method Tickets, UQ Brisbane City, Brisbane City | TryBooking Australia

9 July 2025, 1.30 pm – 4 pm

UQ Brisbane city, 308 Queen St and online