Skills eFlash #145

Skills eFlash #145 New

Date: 30-Jun-2026

In this edition: WIOA Operator Award Winners | ISJA Staff Announcement | HPWJ Training | Say What You Are Campaign | Chlorine Gas Breathing Apparatus Review and more...

2026 Queensland Operator Award Winners Announced

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Queensland Operator of the Year Awards, recognising outstanding dedication, leadership and contribution to the water industry. The winners were announced at the WIOA QLD conference last night.

Queensland Operator of the Year – Matt Reusch, TRILITY

With more than two decades of experience, Matt has built an exceptional career across water and wastewater operations, rising from process control to leading major infrastructure projects in North Queensland. Known for his calm and decisive leadership, Matt has successfully guided teams through complex challenges, including restoring critical water supply infrastructure under emergency conditions. He is also highly regarded for his practical approach to innovation, strong commitment to safety, and ability to support and mentor others. Matt’s contribution to the industry, his community, and the people he works with makes him a deserving recipient of this year’s award.

Queensland New Operator of the Year – Luke Maiden, Gympie Regional Council

In just over a year in the industry, Luke has demonstrated impressive professionalism, initiative and a strong commitment to service delivery. Supporting water and wastewater operations across regional and coastal communities, he has quickly built a reputation for reliability, clear communication and attention to detail. Luke consistently looks for ways to improve practices, contributes ideas to enhance safety and efficiency, and is actively investing in his own development. His positive attitude and willingness to learn highlight his potential as a future leader in the water sector.

We also extend our sincere thanks to the supervisors and managers who took the time to prepare and submit nominations. Recognising the achievements of your teams is an important part of strengthening our industry and celebrating excellence.

Finally, congratulations to all nominees. While not everyone can take home an award, your dedication, professionalism and commitment to delivering safe and reliable water services does not go unnoticed. Your work is valued and appreciated across the sector.

Please join us in congratulating Matt and Luke on this well-deserved recognition.

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, BuildSkills Australia.

We are delighted that we have the opportunity to retain and leverage 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.

Say What You Are Campaign

With the 2026 Census taking place on Tuesday, 11 August, the qldwater “Say What You Are” campaign aims to educate our workforce on ways to describe what they do to help shape how the water sector is represented in national data.

Right now, too many of our people are being counted under broad or unrelated job categories e.g. “Operator” instead of Water Treatment Plant Operator, “Technician” instead of Water Network Maintenance Technician, “Plumber” instead of a water utility role.

Small wording changes can mean the difference between being counted… or being invisible.

The Say What You Are campaign is about helping our workforce clearly describe the job they do, the systems they work on and the services they support.

We’ve developed a practical campaign pack to support councils and utilities. This is about better data, stronger advocacy, and making sure our sector is seen for what it truly is.

Download the campaign materials here.

WISE Course heading your way!

Development of a new Water Industry Supervisor Essentials (WISE) course is well underway, with course materials nearing completion and the first cohort targeted for July.

WISE has been designed specifically for water sector supervisors, particularly those in regional and remote councils who are often balancing safety, compliance, contractor management, and team leadership without formal training. The program aims to build confidence, consistency, and capability through practical, sector-specific learning.

Contact Sarah for more information.

High Pressure Water Jetting Training

We are continuing the roll-out of High-Pressure Water Jetting training with upcoming sessions in Longreach, Toowoomba (second round), and Western Downs.

This training is reinforcing an important lesson: councils need better access to practical guidance before investing in jetting equipment. Across the state, examples are emerging of machinery that is not suited to local conditions — whether it’s equipment that is too heavy to tow, requires more water than is available in remote areas, lacks essential safety features, or simply doesn’t perform as expected on the ground.

WSP will continue to support councils by sharing these lessons and promoting stronger alignment between equipment selection, operator capability, safety requirements, and local operating environments.

New Card course expands foundational training

The Lime Card for Trade Waste Fundamentals is a new awareness program designed to build baseline knowledge of trade waste risks and responsibilities.

Following the successful model of the Grey, Teal and other card courses, this short, targeted training will support staff who need to understand trade waste without requiring specialist expertise, helping to lift consistency across councils and utilities.

The course is currently under development and should be ready in time for the Wastewater Quality and Trade Waste Workshop on 22-23 July 2026.

Chlorine Gas Breathing Apparatus Review

Following discussions with several Queensland water service providers, Sarah has commenced a review of breathing apparatus requirements for working with chlorine gas.

Initial feedback from councils have highlighted questions about whether the nationally recognised training reflects current industry practice and the range of respiratory protective equipment now available. Early investigations indicate that existing training materials are heavily focused on self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), with limited or no reference to newer respiratory protection options increasingly used or being considered for routine operational tasks.

This has led to some uncertainty across the sector, particularly in distinguishing between equipment suited to routine activities, such as chlorine cylinder changeovers, and that required for emergency response to a chlorine leak.

To better understand current practices, Sarah has been engaging with councils, occupational hygienists, respiratory protection specialists, Standards Australia and other industry experts. This work will help assess alignment with Australian Standards and determine whether the training package needs updating to better reflect contemporary respiratory protection approaches, while continuing to prioritise worker safety.

Water Training Package Review

In his role as the Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor, Keith has been completing a full review of the National Water Package, with a strong focus on Certificate III in network operations and treatment.

Key activities have included:

Reviewing training plans
Identifying common units of competency
Mapping stakeholder roles and training package requirements
Reviewing qualifications and a targeted selection of units
Preparing a structured case for change

A funding proposal has also been submitted for a Queensland Water Industry Workforce Census. This initiative would provide critical data to better understand workforce challenges, inform planning, and support evidence-based advocacy across the sector. Feedback on this proposal is currently pending.

Keith has also submitted a full review of the Queensland Training Subsidy List, helping to ensure water-specific qualifications are appropriately recognised and funded.

In parallel, a funding proposal for the NextGen Trainer and Assessor (TAE) initiative submitted in April has been conditionally approved. This program aims to strengthen the pipeline of qualified trainers - an essential enabler for delivering the practical training the sector needs.