eFlash #637

eFlash #637 New

Date: 24-Oct-2025

New / Hot Topics

National Water Week

Happy National Water Week to all our members, partners and supporters! The theme for NWW 2025 is to Bring Water Into Focus — a powerful call to action that asks us to see water not just as a resource, but as the invisible thread that connects every part of our lives. From our homes and schools to businesses and communities, water sustains, supports and shapes our future.

For qldwater, that means celebrating the water industry workers who bring water into focus every time we turn on a tap or flush a toilet. Here’s to all our members, partners and supporters without whom NWW would not be celebrated!

Updated Card Courses Now Live on watertraining.com.au

We’re excited to announce that updated versions of all our Card courses are now available on watertraining.com.au. These refreshed courses offer improved content and functionality to better support your teams working on water assets.

To ensure free access, learners must use their work email address associated with a qldwater member organisation. All system rules have been updated to automatically enrol eligible users into the new courses. Please remind your staff to use their work emails when registering.

If you encounter any issues with logging in or accessing the courses, contact us at skills@qldwater.com.au and we’ll be happy to assist.

Our Card courses are ideal for onboarding new starters and refreshing existing staff on their responsibilities. The updated series includes:

Aqua Card – Understand your role when working on or near water infrastructure.
Brown Card – Learn your responsibilities around wastewater and recycled water infrastructure.
Green Card – Discover how to minimise environmental harm when working near water, sewerage, and recycled water assets.
Grey Card – Gain essential knowledge on managing asbestos cement pipes safely.
Teal Card – Master water sampling techniques for accurate and reliable analysis.

Learners with expired certificates have been notified via email and provided with direct links to the new courses. We’ve also updated the homepage links to reflect the changes.

Essentials Webinar: Asset Criticality

Join us at 10am on Wednesday, 26 November for our next Essentials Webinar focused on Asset Criticality where Moira Zeilinga from Clear Idea will present practical tools and insights developed through a collaborative research project between qldwater and Mackay, Whitsunday, and Fraser Coast Regional Councils.

This initiative led to the creation of the Statewide Network Asset Criticality Guideline, a consistent and scalable framework designed to help Queensland Water Service Providers identify critical assets, assign criticality ratings, and improve risk management—especially beneficial for smaller and remote Councils.

Moira will share her extensive industry experience and lessons learned from applying the tools in real-world settings.

More information about the project is available here.

Carol Walczyk Talks PFAS Event

qldwater is delighted to offer our members an exclusive opportunity to attend a presentation and Q&A session with international expert in PFAS treatment, Carol Walczyk.

Carol is the Director of Municipal Water in Veolia‘s corporate Business Support & Performance group. She leads a team of senior technical experts supporting operations, driving innovation, spearheading growth initiatives, and facilitating business development for Veolia's global activities in drinking water, wastewater and reuse.

Carol will be presenting on two topics:

PFAS in the US - 100 new water treatment plants in 10 years - Lessons learnt
PFAS - How technologies are moving forward to treat biosolids.

This session is open exclusively to qldwater members. Registrations are available to attend in-person at our Eagle Farm offices or online.

qldwater End of Year Drinks

A reminder that qldwater’s End of Year Event is on Wednesday 19 November at Parliament House, Brisbane.

Please join us to celebrate the achievements of the sector this year and network with friends.

Minister Ann Leahy and Assistant Minister Sean Dillon have confirmed their attendance.

Please register here.

Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor (ISJA) Update

In September an update was provided on our Analysis of Industry and Occupational codes and their impact on Queensland’s water sector (found here). The final document has since been provided to Jobs and Skills Australia and BuildSkills Australia to validate findings and progress opportunities to refine sectoral data.

Cass has commenced outreach with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to advocate for change to Skill Levels, broadening talent pools for the sector across skilled and studying migrants and separately, is working with the Department of Trade, Employment and Training here in Queensland to identify state-level opportunities through Migration Queensland - more on that soon!

The Queensland Water Industry Reference Group will invite Expressions of Interest from new sectoral stakeholders to inform on water sector skills and workforce needs in 2026. Keep an eye out next month for more information or to express early interest, reach out to Cass at (07) 3632 6855.

OTHER NEWS

WIOA QLD Conference

The countdown is on for the Water Industry Operations Conference & Exhibition on 29-30 October at the Bundaberg Multiplex. This is your FINAL CHANCE to register!

qldwater Water Skills Partnership Manager Sarah Henry will deliver workforce insights and announce the winners of the Young Operator of the Year and Operator of the Year (Civil / Allrounder). Hope to see you there!

Water Supply Regulation Workshops

The Water Supply Regulation team will conduct workshops on Thursday, 13 November 2025, in both Julia Creek and Mackay.

These workshops will feature a range of presentations from Water Supply Regulation and Service Providers. A final agenda will be sent to attendees closer to the workshop date.

Please register by COB 28 October for either the Mackay or Julia Creek workshop under the relevant heading below.

Julia Creek: Thursday 13 November from 9am to 2pm at 56 Burke St, Julia Creek (behind the Library)

Mackay: Thursday 13 November from 9am to 3pm at the Resources Centre of Excellence, 65 Crichtons Rd, Paget

For more information, please email drinkingwater.reporting@rdmw.qld.gov.au.

Sustainable Pumping Course

Join the pipe whisperer, Rob Welke, for a final delivery of the Sustainable Pumping course before he retires. The course will be held at the Pullman Cairns International on 6-7 November 2025.

QWD members get a 10% discount - use code WP10OFF when registering.

Clean Energy Regulator Webinar - Source separated organic waste method

Join the CER for this Be ACCUrate webinar to learn about the Source separated organic waste (SSOW) method under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme. This session will cover key method requirements and deadlines for submitting an application for project registration before the method expires on 31 March 2026.

During this webinar you’ll learn about:

the meaning and implications of the method expiring
the activities covered by the SSOW method
key timeframes for submitting an application
information that must be included in an application.

The webinar will finish with a 30-minute Q&A session where you can ask the CER team any questions on topics covered in the webinar. Please register on the Clean Energy Regulator website.

CURRENT CONSULTATIONS

New End of Waste Codes

The Queensland Government invites submissions about whether there is any particular waste for which an End of Waste (EOW) code should be prepared under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011.Submissions are invited to ensure that resources are targeted towards the development of EOW codes for which there is strong industry demand.

If a waste is approved as a resource under the EOW framework, it is no longer considered a waste under section 8AA of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011. More information on the EOW framework and a list of approved EOW codes is available at End of waste codes | Business Queensland.

An example of an approved EOW code is the Biosolids EOW code, which states when biosolid waste generated from sewage treatment plants becomes a resource in accordance with the requirements and conditions of the EOW code.

To make a submission, complete the Submission for proposed end of waste code form. The submission form includes details of the information to be provided when making a submission. However, if more information on making a submission is required contact RRS.Consultation@detsi.qld.gov.au with 'EOW codes' in the email subject heading.

All submissions received during the submission period will be considered prior to deciding which draft EOW codes are to be developed. The development of EOW codes is at the discretion of the Queensland Government and submissions received will help inform the development of future EOW codes where there is strong industry demand. If a draft EOW code is developed, it will be subject to a public consultation process prior to being finalised.

Submissions close 5pm Friday 30 January 2026.

Have Your Say on the New Reef 2050 Strategy

Queensland and Commonwealth Governments are seeking feedback on the draft Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy, now open for public consultation until 19 November 2025.

Built on the latest science, including the 2022 Scientific Consensus Statement, the strategy highlights the critical role of water quality in reef catchment areas for the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef. It aims to support recovery from coral bleaching and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, while strengthening the connection between healthy landscapes and a thriving reef ecosystem.

The draft outlines a renewed approach to creating productive, resilient landscapes that benefit Queensland’s environment, economy, and people.

QWD members are encouraged to contribute to shaping this important strategy. Have your say before 19 November 2025

Release of draft Water Plan (Gold Coast) 2025

The Minister for Local Government and Water and Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers has released the draft Water Plan (Gold Coast) 2025 (draft water plan) for public consultation. It is supported by a draft Gold Coast Water Management Protocol and a draft Gold Coast Water Entitlement Notice, released by the chief executive for the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers.

The Department now invites feedback on the draft water plan and supporting documents in the form of a written submission – please go to the Business Queensland website. Submissions close on 30 November 2025

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