eFlash #629

eFlash #629 New

Date: 16-Jul-2025

New / Hot Topics

Registrations Now Open – qldwater 2025 Annual Forum

Join us for the qldwater 2025 Annual Forum: Courage and Compassion for a Resilient Urban Water Sector, taking place on Wednesday 20 & Thursday 21 August at the IPWEA-QNT Training Rooms, Eagle Farm, Brisbane.

This year’s theme highlights the courage and compassion needed to navigate the growing risks and opportunities facing Queensland’s urban water sector. From climate whiplash and emerging contaminants to skills shortages and psychosocial risks, the forum will explore how we can drive scalable change and build resilience together.

The program features:

•Thought-provoking sessions on systemic risks and regulatory challenges

•Hands-on collaboration to explore practical solutions

•Networking opportunities with industry professionals and key stakeholders

•Site tours, the Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test, and a Gala Awards Dinner

Don’t miss our signature event of the year designed specifically for water service providers. Be part of the conversation shaping the future of Queensland’s water industry.

We still have a couple of sponsorship opportunities available – please contact Georgina for more information.

Emerging Leaders Sponsorship – qldwater Annual Forum

Thanks to the generous support of ARUP, two sponsorships are available for emerging leaders from regional or remote Queensland Water Service Providers to attend the qldwater Annual Forum, 20–21 August at Eagle Farm.

Each sponsorship (valued up to $2,500) covers travel, transfers, accommodation, and forum registration. Eligible applicants must be under 35 (as of 1 July 2025) and employed by a regional or remote urban water provider.

Applications close 5pm, 24 July 2025.

Recipients will be announced by COB 25 July.

To apply, complete the form and email it to gdavis@qldwater.com.au.

Essentials Webinar: Understanding the Updated PFAS Values in Australia’s Drinking Water Guidelines

Join us on Thursday 31 July from 10:00–11:00am for an Essentials Webinar featuring insights from the Drinking Water Regulator on the latest updates to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG).

Following the release of the final PFAS guideline values on 25 June 2025 by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), this webinar will walk through:

The revised health-based values for PFAS chemicals in drinking water
The compliance expectations for water service providers ahead of their next Drinking Water Quality Management Plan (DWQMP) review

This session is essential for anyone involved in water safety and management, and the development and delivery of Drinking Water Management Plans.

The new guideline values reflect a comprehensive review of global and national evidence to protect Australians over a lifetime of exposure.

Secure your spot to understand the regulators expectations for incorporating the amendments into DWQMPs.

More information and register here.

Essentials Webinar: Cyber Security

A recording of the Essentials Webinar on Cyber Security is now available on our website.

In this webinar, Sean Murdoch from Secolve explores the critical importance of operational technology (OT) cybersecurity for water businesses. With increasing digitisation of water infrastructure, Sean outlines common threats, sector-specific risks, and the implications of the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act. Drawing on decades of experience, he highlights real-world incidents, including insider threats and state-sponsored cyberattacks, and offers practical strategies for building OT cyber resilience. Emphasising the need for awareness, risk management, and secure system design, the session provides valuable insights for utilities of all sizes navigating the evolving cybersecurity landscape.

New IChEMS scheduling commenced 1 July

From 1 July 2025, industrial use of the three PFAS congeners – PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) and PFHxS (perfluorohexane sulfonic acid) and their precursors is prohibited under the new chemical scheduling as part of Australia’s Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS). The three PFAS chemicals are now banned from future import, export and manufacture, and new limits have been set for disposal. This is in addition to several other high-risk chemicals that are listed in international conventions such as the Stockholm Convention or designated as the highest risk rating by the Commonwealth.

States will now implement these IChEMS rules in their own jurisdictions. qldwater has written to Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation to find out more about their implementation of the IChEMS rules.

In the meantime, qldwater has developed a Fact Sheet and Manufacturers Declaration template for its members. These items have been designed to send to suppliers of chemicals to our water businesses and are to support compliance with legislative requirements under the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS) and environmental obligations (specifically General Environmental Duty) outlined in the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld).

More information and a link to download the factsheet is available on the updated PFAS page on our website.

Safe Work Australia Airborne Contaminants Hub

Work processes in industries like mining, foundry, manufacturing and agriculture can release dusts, gases, fumes, vapours, or mists into the air. These are known as airborne contaminants, and they cannot always be smelled or seen.

Safe Work Australia’s new airborne contaminants hub provides practical information to help employers and workers:

recognise what airborne contaminants are and how they can impact health
understand their WHS duties and how to manage risks from airborne contaminants, and
learn about workplace exposure limits and what they need to do to prepare for the changes on 1 December 2026.

Visit the new hub for easy-to-use resources, including downloadable infographics, information on what you should be doing in your workplace, and a comparative table of changescoming to workplace exposure limits.

WIOA Charity Bowls Day

The WIOA Queensland Chairty Bowls Day is back for 2025! Hosted at Yandina Bowls Club on 1 August, the event will have an operational focus in the morning followed by lunch and charity bowls in the afternoon.

IPWEA-QNT News

The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia – Qld and NT invite you to submit an awards nomination for the upcoming 2025 IPWEA-QNT Excellence Awards, taking place on Thursday 9th October in Brisbane, at the Royal International Convention Centre (Royal ICC).

If you have a case study, innovation or research that contributes to the advancement of public works, we encourage you to be part of the program. Share your knowledge and help shape the future of the sector by entering via the online awards system.

Please contact James Breene via email at awards@ipweaq.com or phone at (07) 3632 6890. Award nominations close on Monday, 28 July.

The team is also after abstracts for the upcoming 2025 IPWEA-QNT Annual Conference, taking place on 8-10 October at the Royal International Convention Centre (Royal ICC), Brisbane.

This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your work, share your expertise, and contribute to industry knowledge among public works professionals. Whether you have a project, case study, or innovative solution to present, we encourage you to take part.

To submit your abstract, please use the Presentation Portal and follow the submission guidelines. The deadline for submissions is 21 July 2025.

If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the IPWEA-QNT Events Team at events@ipweaq.com or 07 3632 6802.

Job Vacancies at Cairns

There are a number of vacancies at Cairns Regional Council including:

Engineer – Stormwater and Waterways

Provide expert engineering and technical advice on a wide range of stormwater and waterway management issues working alongside a dedicated team to develop forward-thinking strategies and help deliver high-quality infrastructure that supports the growing region and protects our natural assets.

Working under the guidance of the Senior Engineer – Stormwater & Waterways, your role will involve both planning and implementation, ranging from policy development and infrastructure modelling to the design and delivery of nature-based and traditional water management solutions. Applications close 27 July 2025.

Ganger – Wastewater Services (2 positions available)

Operate as directed by supervisory staff in maintaining all aspects of the sewer reticulation system, ensuring customer complaints are actioned within service standards, and keeping the relevant team leader informed of required maintenance/improvements necessary to maintain reticulation assets.

Water Reticulation Plumbers

Play a vital role in maintaining and improving the Cairns water network. You'll work closely with experienced Team Leaders to install, repair, and upgrade essential infrastructure that keeps Cairns running smoothly. (Permanent / Temporary Roles Available)

Smart Water Meter Plumbers

Help roll out advanced smart meters to homes and businesses, empowering residents to detect leaks early, reduce water waste, and better manage their usage. (Permanent Role Available)

For more information, please contact the recruitment team on (07) 4044 3310 or jobs@cairns.qld.gov.au. To apply please visit the Employment at Council website.