eFlash #675 New
Date: 09-Oct-2026
In this edition: End of Year Drinks | SWIM 2025-26 Annual Reporting Complete | MRCCC Catchment Crawl | State of AI for Water: Where Are We Now? | IPWEA-QNT Conference | AWA Queensland Conference 2026 | High Risk Weather Preparation | Get Ready Queensland Week | WIOA News | Water for People World Water Classic | New additions to IChEMS | Draft State Planning Policy Open for Consultation | Submissions for New End of Waste Codes | Georgina and Diamantina Water Plan
End of Year Drinks - Register Now!
Join qldwater at the Green Deck, Parliament House, Brisbane from 5.30 – 7.30pm on Wednesday, 18 November 2026 to celebrate another busy year in Queensland's urban water sector. This is an opportunity to network with professionals from Water Service Providers, sector suppliers, and government stakeholders.
One free ticket is available per qldwater member organisation.
SWIM® 2025-26 Annual Reporting Complete
Well done to all our 75 members who got their 2025/26 water and sewerage data in on time via SWIM! Huge thanks to everyone who put in the hard yards to get it done. Data quality keeps getting better too, with only a few tiny errors picked up in our checks.
Over the past few years we’ve also submitted all BoM, ABS and NPR data early, giving them a head start before their October 31 deadline.
We’ll kick off work on the qldwater Benchmarking Report soon, with final data wrapping up in November.
Got ideas or feedback on SWIM® or the report? Reach out to David (dscheltinga@qldwater.com.au), Jess (jdean@qldwater.com.au), or give us a call.
MRCCC Catchment Crawl
qldwater was pleased to participate in the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee’s 2026 Annual Catchment Crawl this week, supporting water quality monitoring from the river’s headwaters in the Conondale Ranges through to its mouth near Hervey Bay.
The annual two-day survey provides an important snapshot of river health and helps track environmental trends across the catchment. For the first time, the program used swimlocal® to capture and manage monitoring data, making it easier to share results with the community, local councils and the Queensland Government.
The findings, including comparisons with previous Catchment Crawl surveys, will be released at the MRCCC Annual General Meeting on 27 October.
State of AI for Water: Where Are We Now?
Neil Holmes participated in an interactive discussion exploring the current and future state of AI in water as part of a webinar hosted by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Water Research Australia (WaterRA) last week. Neil provided a couple of examples where AI is being used in smart sewer networks and building asset registers. A recording of the event is available here.
The event provided a valuable platform to share the innovative projects being delivered by QWRAP Alliances and demonstrate the impact of state government investment in supporting regional collaboration, with an audience of more than 500 participants from over 60 countries.
The webinar introduced QUT's proposed ARC Training Centre for AI Adoption in Water, bringing together industry, researchers and AI experts to accelerate capability development across the sector.
If you are interested in engaging with the proposed training centre, complete the EOI form here.
IPWEA-QNT Conference
Last week, qldwater CEO Georgina Davis joined industry leaders at the IPWEA-QNT Conference on the Sunshine Coast, participating in the Public Works Update plenary and panel discussion.
In her presentation, “Stronger Together – Supporting Urban Water Resilience with qldwater” Georgina highlighted the growing challenges facing Queensland’s urban water service providers, calling for a return to long-term essential services funding models like the Small Councils Assistance Program (SCAP) and the Water and Sewage Program (WASP) which once provided councils with the certainty needed to plan and deliver critical water infrastructure.
The event also provided an opportunity to showcase qldwater’s practical support for the sector, including our Water Workforce Toolbox, online training courses and workforce development initiatives.
A big thank you to IPWEA-QNT for bringing together representatives from local and state government, industry and professional associations to discuss the future of public works and essential service delivery in Queensland.
OTHER NEWS
AWA Queensland Conference 2026
Our Water Skills Partnership Manager, Sarah Henry will be presenting her QWater25 Best Paper presentation, Breaking Silos, Building Strength on day one of the Queensland Conference 2026 to be held at The Ville Resort-Casino in Townsville on 13-14 October.
Day 2 will feature a whole session on Trade Waste with an excellent line up of speakers including an update on the qldwater Trade Waste Uplift Project presented by Col Hester.
High Risk Weather Preparation
Damaging high-risk weather events can occur across Queensland, particularly between November and April. Operators are encouraged to monitor weather conditions and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) website closely for seasonal weather outlooks, important updates and weather warnings.
To help operators prepare and be ready to respond to high-risk weather events, the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) has published a series of short, recorded webinars online on a dedicated high-risk weather preparation webpage. These webinars provide operators with information about their obligations during high-risk weather events. You are strongly encouraged to watch these webinars to understand the department’s expectations of operators in relation to high-risk weather.
If your operation is located within a high-risk area, or you undertake a higher risk activity, you may be contacted by the relevant compliance centre for further follow-up or a site inspection of your preparations.
Get Ready Queensland Week
The Queensland Government has officially launched Get Ready Queensland Week - the State's annual disaster preparedness initiative - urging Queenslanders to get prepared as disaster season approaches and bushfire risk remains elevated.
For information, resources and tips to Get Ready for severe weather, visit www.getready.qld.gov.au.
The Queensland Fire Department has made it easy for every Queenslander to create their own Bushfire Survival Plan, tailored to an individual.
The new online Get Ready Queensland Checklist, available at getready.qld.gov.au/checklist, breaks down severe weather preparation into small, achievable actions that people can tick off and build on over time.
WIOA News
WIOA is hosting a FNQ Interest Day at the West Cairns Bowls Club on Friday, 16 October. The agenda include updates from Cairns, Cassowary Coast and Mackay Regional Councils and case studies from Hach and TRILITY, followed by lunch and social bowls.
Nominations for the WIOA Advisory Committee will close on 16 October 2026 COB AEDT.
As a Committee Member you will have the opportunity to lead and influence programs, events, advocacy and member services while working alongside industry peers to identify emerging challenges and opportunities.
Water for People World Water Classic
Last chance to register for the 6/60k World Water Classic on 2-11 October 2026.
Run, walk, pedal, or get creative in support of reliable, nearby water access by choosing your own route from anywhere in the world. Create a team, join an existing one, or fundraise solo if you are inspired.
CURRENT CONSULTATIONS
New additions to IChEMS: consultation
DCCEEW has opened consultation on the proposed chemical standards for 10 new chemicals. Proposed listings are:
- Schedule 6: Long chain perfluorocarboxylic acids; Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- Schedule 5: Nonylphenols and nonylphenol ethoxylates
- Schedule 4: Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and hydrochlorofluoroolefins (HCFO);
- Schedule 3: Pentane, isopentane and cyclopentane; Dehydroacetic acid; Fluorescent Brightener 71 and related chemicals; Hexamine and related chemicals
- Schedule 2: Ethane, propane and butanes; Salicylic acid and its salts
Of most interest to the urban water sector is the Schedule 6 listing of the long chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (LC PFCAs), which are PFAS widely used in industries including automotive, manufacturing, chemical, electronics and textiles. The listing is import and use prohibition that covers PFCAs with between 8 and 20 carbons including PFOA (already listed in Schedule 7 of IChEMS), PFNA, PFDA and so on.
The Schedule 6 listing (rather than Schedule 7) for the LC PFCAs reflects some ongoing essential uses for these chemicals in "semiconductors in replacement parts for articles and combustion-engine-powered vessels" and "replacement parts for motor vehicles that have ceased mass production".
The consultation is open until 23 October 2026.
For more information about the proposal, visit theIChEMS consultation page.
Draft State Planning Policy Open for Consultation
The Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning is seeking feedback on a draft State Planning Policy, a key part of Queensland’s planning framework. It sets out the state’s interests in land use planning and development and guides how local planning instruments are prepared and applied across Queensland.
The draft State Planning Policy proposes several changes, including:
- new strategic aspirations
- a revised structure
- updated and consolidated state interests
- changes to supporting statutory tools and guidance materials
Consultation is open until 26 October. If you want to contribute to qldwater’s submission please contact Georgina.
Georgina and Diamantina Water Plan
The Queensland Government is calling on water users, communities and industries to have their say on the draft Georgina and Diamantina water plan.
The new plan aims to replace the current water plan and support the region’s long-term water security, while creating greater opportunities for future economic and community development.
Consultation closes 16 December 2026.
More information and submit feedback here.
Price monitoring investigation: Unitywater and Urban Utilities
The Queensland Government directed the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) to conduct a price monitoring investigation into the monopoly business activities of Unitywater and Urban Utilities.
Unitywater and Urban Utilities have submitted pricing proposals for the period 1 July 2027 to 30 June 2030. These proposals, together with supporting documents, are now available on the QCA’s website.
The QCA invites stakeholders to provide initial submissions on the businesses' pricing proposals by 5 October 2026. If you want to contribute to qldwater’s submission, pleasecontact Georgina.