eFlash #662

eFlash #662 New

Date: 03-Jul-2026

Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor Announcement

We’re pleased to advise that Lee Anne Willis has joined qldwater as the Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor (ISJA), effective 6 July 2026. We wish to sincerely thank Keith Heavens for his stewardship of the role in the interim period and also for the handover he will undertake to ensure Lee-Anne can hit the ground running and continue this vital work.

Many of you will know Lee Anne through her work in the Water Industry Worker (WIW) program, leading LDPC activities. We thank both WIMWA and Mackay Council for their many years of leadership in supporting the coordination of accredited training across Queensland.

qldwater is committed to the continuation of this important program and is actively exploring options going forward. Updates will be provided as soon as possible.

This appointment reflects a continuation of that contribution at a broader, sector wide level. Lee Anne will utilise her knowledge and expertise gained through a strong connection to regional delivery while expanding her focus to support workforce intelligence and advice into DTET.

Through linkage with the Industry Reference Group, she can also help inform the sector’s position at both State and Federal levels through the Jobs and Skills Council, Build Skills Australia.

Importantly, this is about retaining and leveraging Lee Anne’s expertise for the benefit of the Queensland urban water industry, ensuring continuity of knowledge and strengthening how we represent sector capability and needs at the state and federal levels.

SWIM™ and swimlocal™ System Updates and Annual Reporting

Three major SWIM™ and swimlocal™ releases are now live!

Updated SWIM™ Annual Data Tool (ADT)
The Web ADT has been updated and is now open for your Annual Water and Sewerage mandatory reporting for 2025/26. All Annual Data is due by 5:00pm Thursday 1 October, as per regulatory/legislative requirements.
Updated Web Admin Tool
The Web Admin Tool has also been updated, it now has new notification groups management plus other key improvements. It effectively replaces the PC Admin Tool.
Updated PC swimlocal™ Admin Tool & Operations Tool
Both the PC Admin Tool and PC Operations Tool have new versions available. You will need to install the newest (30 June 2026) version. The new updates are not compatible with some older versions of swimlocal™.

We have sent out instructions on how to update to these new versions. If you haven't updated yet, or run into any issues, contact David or Jess for assistance.

4-monthly Water Security Reporting

4-monthly Water Security reporting is due by 6 July, 2026. Data needs to be entered for/on the date Tuesday 30 June 2026, and covers just the previous one month (i.e. June). qldwater strongly encourages you to complete the survey. We have sent out instructions on how to complete this.

SWIM™ Training Recording

A recording of the recent SWIM™ training session will be made available on the qldwater website soon, keep an eye out.

Need a Hand?

If you need any assistance with SWIM™ or swimlocal™ - updates, reporting, or anything else, please log a support ticket or reach out to David Scheltinga dscheltinga@qldwater.com.au or Jess Dean jdean@qldwater.com.au

Essentials Webinar: Asset Criticality at Toowoomba Regional Council

Missed yesterday’s Essentials Webinar? The recording is now available on the qldwater website.

In this session, Push Arachchi, Engineer – Water Infrastructure Services at Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC), shared how TRC has successfully applied the Asset Criticality Framework across its water and wastewater networks.

Push presented the outcomes of TRC’s asset criticality project, including the integration of criticality data into TechnologyOne, and provided practical insights into how the framework is supporting asset management and risk-based decision-making. The webinar concluded with a valuable discussion and Q&A session with participants.

Originally developed in 2020 through a collaboration between qldwater and Mackay, Whitsunday and Fraser Coast Regional Councils, the Asset Criticality Framework provides a practical and consistent approach to identifying critical assets, assigning criticality ratings and strengthening risk management. Importantly, it is flexible enough to be adapted to the needs, size and risk appetite of individual councils.

The resulting Asset Criticality Tool is available free to qldwater members and can be tailored to suit local circumstances. This webinar provides an excellent real-world example of how the framework can be implemented to support informed asset management decisions.

Watch the recording.

New Toolbox Topic: Asset Maintenance

The qldwater Water Workforce Toolbox continues to grow with a new topic added for Asset Maintenance. The page includes guidelines, plans and procedures to keep water services reliable and cost effective.

The guidelines are delivered in four parts, each separate but interrelated in a way that collectively provides a “roadmap” for Councils to manage and improve their maintenance capability.

The toolbox includes a range of draft procedures and asset class plans to support the maintenance function.

This work was the result of a QWRAP-funded Asset Maintenance project delivered for the Central Queensland Water and Sewerage Technical Group.

Access the Asset Maintenance Toolbox here (members only).

Wastewater Quality and Trade Waste: Out of Sight, Top of Mind

The program for the Wastewater Quality and Trade Waste Workshop to be held on 22-23 July 2026 at the qldwater Headquarters in Eagle Farm is now available.

Download the program here.

We have an excellent line-up of speakers who will explore:

The complexities of trade waste compliance for council owned utilities;
Where the contaminants in trade waste are coming from;
Water cremation as an emerging issue for trade waste managers;
Which suburb will be the unicorn to provide baseline data for sewage quality; and
Best practice case studies from Queensland and beyond.

The workshop also provides a fantastic opportunity to visit an operational landfill leachate treatment facility, incorporating PFAS treatment with the optional technical tour on 22 July.

Whether you’re an operator, trade waste officer, environmental professional, engineer or manager, you’ll gain practical insights, valuable connections, and ideas you can take back and implement in your organisation.

Online training price update – effective 1 July 2026

From 1 July 2026, qldwater has introduced a modest increase to the pricing of its online training courses for contractors.

The cost per course has risen from $110 to $125, reflecting increased hosting costs and our ongoing commitment to maintaining and continually improving the quality of our online training delivery.

Importantly, all online training courses remain free for qldwater members and Affiliates, ensuring continued access to essential training and professional development across the Queensland water sector.

We appreciate your understanding and ongoing support as we invest in enhancing our training offerings.

OTHER NEWS

Great Barrier Reef Urban Technology and Innovation Fund

The Queensland Government has opened applications for a new Wastewater Grant Program as part of the joint Australian and Queensland governments' $24M Great Barrier Reef Urban Technology and Innovation Fund.

The program aims to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative wastewater treatment technologies that reduce nutrient loads entering the Great Barrier Reef through three programs: wastewater, stormwater and sediment and erosion.

Eligible applicants include universities, research and technology organisations, wastewater treatment technology companies, and water utilities that invest in wastewater research and development. Local governments within the Reef catchment can participate by partnering with an eligible organisation to deliver on-ground trials.

For Queensland's urban water sector, this is an opportunity to partner with researchers and technology providers to trial new approaches, build evidence for future investment, and contribute to improved Reef water quality outcomes.

The Wastewater Grant Program (up to $10M available) is designed to accelerate the development, testing and commercialisation of innovative wastewater treatment technologies capable of achieving leading-practice nutrient removal.

Tier 1: Up to $4M for large-scale trials of innovative wastewater treatment systems.
Tier 2: Up to $200K to commercialise promising wastewater technologies.

The grant guidelines, application forms, frequently asked questions and a communications kit are available through the Fund website.

An information session will be held on 1pm Monday July 6. Register by emailing OfficeoftheGBR@detsi.qld.gov.au including the subject heading ‘Register for Wastewater Grant Program briefing’.

The closing date for applications is 10am on Monday 17 August 2026.

Planning Amendment Regulation

On 25 June 2026 Governor in Council approved an amendment to the Planning Regulation 2017 to amend the prescribed fee amounts identified in Schedule 16 to reflect the producer price index. This amendment has been published on the Queensland Legislation website and has now commenced.

The amendment to the Planning Regulation provides for annual indexation of the prescribed amounts for the maximum charge that Local Governments and distributor-retailers can levy for trunk infrastructure in Schedule 16. The amounts are indexed annually against the three-yearly moving average quarterly percentage increase of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Producer Price Index (ABS PPI) for construction 6427.0 (Index Number 3101 – Road and Bridge construction for Queensland), consistent with section 112 of the Planning Act 2016.

AWA Queensland Events

The Australian Water Association (AWA) Queensland is hosting a Regional Technical Event in Gympie on Tuesday, 21 July 2026.

The morning will kick off with a BBQ breakfast and networking session from 6:30am at The Pavilion, followed by a technical program from 8:00am.

This year’s event is themed: "Our Water: From Challenges to Capability – Is Bigger Better?”

The program will include technical presentations, a panel discussion, networking with water industry peers from across Queensland and a tour of the Jones Hill Water Treatment Plant.

Registrations are also open for the AWA QLD State Conference to be held at the Ville Resort-Casino in Townsville on 13-14 October.

Under the theme: One Water, One Future: Uniting Queensland’s Water Story, this event will bring together utilities, government, Traditional Owners, researchers, emerging leaders and industry professionals to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping Queensland’s water future.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to take part in a Site Tour to Townsville Local Disaster Coordination Centre and Ross River Dam offering valuable insights into water infrastructure and operations in the region.

CURRENT CONSULTATIONS

ANZG for Fresh and Marine Water Quality June 2026 update

New or updated water quality guidelines are being developed under the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality 2018 (ANZG 2018). As a reminder, anyone can subscribe for ANZG updates direct from the ANZG team.

Finalised aquatic ecosystem guidelines

Following public release of draft materials inviting stakeholder submissions, ANZG aquatic ecosystem guideline values for the following have now been finalised and can be accessed from the ANZG website (including through the ANZG toxicant search tool).

Draft aquatic ecosystem guidelines open for public comment (reminder)

The following draft aquatic ecosystem guidelines have been released on the ANZG website for public review/submissions. Refer to the ANZG website links below for more details:

Ametryn in marine water (feedback due 22 August)
Gallium in marine water (feedback due 22 August)
Imazapic in marine and fresh water (feedback due 22 August)
Molybdenum in marine water (feedback due 22 August)

For further details, email dane.moulton@detsi.qld.gov.au

National Water Reform 2026 - Interim update released

The Productivity Commission released its first interim update on National Water Reform 2026:Water services reform directions on 19 June 2026. qldwater are grateful to the Commission for their time to speak with us and our members in the development of this interim update. A reminder that qldwater’s original submission (and the 2024 submission) is on our website.

The Commission invites written submissions in response to this update. Submissions are due 10 July 2026.

The Commission will release its second interim update, which will include the Commission’s preliminary assessment of progress against the 2004 National Water Initiative, in early July.

Visit the PC website to view the interim update and participate by making a submission to waterreform2026@pc.gov.au

Please contact Georgina (gdavis@qldwater.com.au) to provide input and comments into the next submission.

Queensland Productivity Review into Environmental Regulation

The Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) is conducting an inquiry into the impacts of recent changes to federal environmental regulation.

The inquiry into reforms to Commonwealth environmental laws – including the 2025 changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act – is an important opportunity to address long standing issues around assessment timeframes, duplication and regulatory burden for urban water (infrastructure) projects in Queensland.

The QPC has released its Call for Submissions inviting all stakeholders to make a submission to the inquiry – closing date 13 July. Please contact Georgina at gdavis@qldwater.com.au if you are interested in contributing to the qldwater submission – a draft can be viewed through Zoho.

More info here.