eFlash #644

eFlash #644 New

Date: 04-Feb-2026

Essentials Webinar: Human-Centred System Design

Join us at 10am on Thursday, 12 February for an important conversation about safety, trust and customer outcomes in the water sector.

Hosted in partnership with Thriving Communities Australia (TCA), this webinar will provide a high level overview of key risks water organisations need to understand, how systems can be unintentionally harmful or weaponised, evolving expectations across sectors and how human centred, preventative design can strengthen safety, trust and customer experiences.

If you work in the water sector, customer service, digital systems, billing, policy or community engagement, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

More info and register here.

QLD Industry Breakfast

Join us at the AWA QLD Industry Breakfast on Tuesday, 17 February where Water Skills Partnership Manager Sarah Henry will join panel members to discuss ways to align workforce development, ageing infrastructure, diverse water resources and economic sustainability.

Sarah will be joined by the Deputy-Director-General Water Resource Management, Jarrod Cowley-Grimmond, and Major Contractors Association CEO Andrew Chapman in a panel discussion facilitated by Mal Shepherd, Chief Development Officer Infrastructure Development and Delivery at Sunwater.

More info and register here.

qldwater Environment Forum

Rivers and wetlands are the lifeblood of our landscapes. They sustain biodiversity, support communities, buffer floods, improve water quality, and hold deep cultural and social value. Yet too often, their true worth is invisible in the decisions that shape investment, planning, and policy.

Join us at the Environment Forum on 26 February where Matt Bradbury, Director of Clear Ridge Consulting, and Dr. Adrian Volders, Director of AR Volders Environmental Services, will present: Valuing River Systems - Building the Case for Sustainable Investment.

This presentation will explore how natural capital and ecosystem service frameworks can be used to better capture the economic, social, and environmental values of rivers and wetlands, and how making this value visible can strengthen the case for long-term investment, support river restoration initiatives and improve flood resilience outcomes across Queensland.

More info and register here.

THMs in Queensland Drinking Water: Research Outcomes

Join us at 10am on Thursday, 5 March to hear the outcomes from a research project that explores how exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) in household drinking water may impact pregnancy outcomes in Queensland.

The research was conducted by University of Queensland’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course, in partnership with the University of Queensland, Queensland Health, and water utilities.

In this webinar, Professor Abdullah Mamun, Dr Edmund Kanmiki and Dr Md. Mehedi Hasan will summarise THM exceedance in Queensland drinking water, discuss management challenges and strategies, and examine associations between THM exposure and adverse birth outcomes.

Water Skills Forum

Registrations are now open for the 2026 Water Skills Forum. This year the event will take place at the qldwater offices in Eagle Farm, with drinks at Blackbirds Brisbane the evening before.

This year's theme, Training today, Sustaining tomorrow, reflects the momentum gathering across councils, RTOs, regulators and industry to strengthen the training pipeline. From expanding unit availability in the NWP and civil packages, to developing new micro-credentials and revising qualifications to better match operational reality, the sector is aligning behind a shared goal: ensuring water operators have the skills and recognition to safely and effectively deliver essential services to all Queensland communities.

More info and register here.

Latest Submissions

qldwater provided feedback to the NSW Environment Protection Authority on the proposed Landfill and Sewage Treatment Plant PFAS Monitoring Chemical Control Order 2025, acknowledging the heightened media, community and regulatory attention on PFAS contamination, but raising concerns that several elements of the proposed order risk unintended consequences including:

cost shifting to local governments,
treating landfills as PFAS-emitting industrial sources rather than essential community assets and passive receivers of PFAS, and
ambiguity and an uncertain endpoint for monitoring under the order.

qldwater supports coordinated, nationally consistent approaches to PFAS management that focus on source control, polluter responsibility, and risk-based regulation.

In our submission to the Department of Climate Change and Energy, Environment and Water Consultation Hub regarding the Draft National Environmental Standards for Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) and for Environmental Offsets, qldwater stated its support for the objectives, outcomes and the principles to achieve the objectives and outcomes of both Standards, but raising significant concerns that the draft policy appears to shift environmental risk and cost onto utilities despite their limited control over growth drivers; creates approval uncertainty where offsets are not feasible due to land availability constraints; and risks undermining the timely delivery of infrastructure needed to support state-mandated housing and population growth.

All qldwater reports and submissions are available on our website.

Trade Apprentices- QLD out of trade register

The Queensland Out of Trade Register is delivered by the Apprentice Employment Network in partnership with the Department of Trade, Employment and Training (DTET) to help employers reconnect with skilled apprentices who are ready to return to the workforce.

Many out of trade apprentices have already completed significant training but were displaced due to factors such as business closures or economic shifts. The register provides structured assessment, registration and support to help apprentices recommence their trade. There are currently out of trade apprentices available in the North Queensland region who are ready to connect with water sector employers.

More info here or follow Trade Apprentices on LinkedIn.

Waste Levy Service Exemptions

To support communities that have been impacted by recent severe weather events, DETSI’s Waste Levy Services team has granted exemptions for disaster-related waste under Section 27 of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011.

This initiative allows disaster waste to be disposed of at designated waste disposal sites without incurring the usual levy charges, significantly reducing financial and logistical barriers for affected communities.

DETSI has been working closely with councils in the impacted areas to ensure the smooth implementation of these exemptions. This measure applies to all types of waste generated as a direct result of the disaster, providing much-needed relief to residents and businesses as they begin the process of rebuilding and recovery.

The waste levy exemptions are part of the Queensland Government’s broader commitment to support communities in the aftermath of natural disasters. By expediting waste disposal and easing the burden on local councils and residents, the initiative aims to help affected areas return to normalcy as quickly as possible.

A Disaster Situation has been declared for the Rockhampton and Mackay Disaster Districts, covering the Central Highlands Regional Council, Rockhampton Regional Council, Livingstone Shire Council, Isaac Regional Council, Mackay Regional Council, Whitsunday Regional Council, and Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council.

DETSI will continue to work alongside local councils and communities to ensure recovery efforts are as effective and efficient as possible

CURRENT CONSULTATIONS

Determinants of Regional Airfares

The Productivity Commission (PC) has been asked to examine the determinants of regional airfares. The inquiry will consider how to support a competitive, reliable and affordable aviation network for passenger flights outside Australia’s major cities.

The call for submissions outlines the focus of the study and identifies a range of issues on which the PC seeks information and feedback. Submissions are due by Sunday, 15 March 2026.

Given the importance of airfares on our regional members, qldwater will be making a submission. If you would like to contribute to our submission, please contact Georgina.

More info here.

Consultation on draft Australian Recreational Water Quality Guidelines

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is inviting stakeholder feedback on the draft Australian Recreational Water Quality Guidelines.

These draft guidelines will replace the current Guidelines for Managing Risks in Recreational Water (2008) and Guidance on Per and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Recreational Water (2019) when they are finalised and published following public consultation. The Guidelines have been renamed to better reflect the scope of the guidance.

Details of the guidelines and supporting documents can be found on the NHMRC consultation page.

qldwater will be making a submission. If you are keen to share your thoughts, please contact Georgina Davis. The consultation closes on Friday 27 February 2026.