Skills eFlash #146

Skills eFlash #146 New

Date: 29-Jul-2026

Lime Card Launched

Last week qldwater hosted a Wastewater Quality and Trade Waste Workshop to bring trade waste from out of sight to top of mind.

One of the highlights of the event was the launch of the Lime Card, a foundation course that provides a practical introduction to trade waste management for people who aren’t trade waste specialists, helping staff understand what to look for and when to escalate concerns.

As with all our Card courses, the Lime Card is available free of charge to all qldwater members and Affiliates. Dynamic rules have been set up to allow learners with the appropriate email domains to be enrolled in the course so please ensure you use your work emails to access the course. Please email skills@qldwater.com.au if you have questions or technical issues.

Find the Lime Card here.

Request for case studies on Residential Inspection Openings

As a follow-up to qldwater's Ministerial Briefing regarding access to residential inspection openings (IOs), the Department has requested additional operational evidence to better understand the practical impacts of the current legislative restrictions.

We need real-world case studies that demonstrate situations of what is happening on the ground and what would have improved the emergency response or avoided unnecessary costs.

Specifically, we are looking for case studies that include:

A brief description of the incident.
The location/type of property (general only – no customer details required).
The nature of the blockage (e.g. main sewer, jump-up, tree roots, collapsed pipe).
Why the residential inspection opening would have/ could have been the preferred access point.
What alternative method was required (e.g. upstream maintenance hole, excavation, licensed plumber attendance).
Additional time incurred.
Estimated additional cost.
Any impacts on customers (e.g. sewage surcharge, delayed restoration, multiple properties affected).
Any impacts on staff, plant or traffic management.

The Minister loves a good photo so please include photographs of:

Existing residential inspection openings.
Excavations undertaken
Combination vacuum/jetting trucks (HVAC/Combo units).
Long jetting distances from maintenance holes.
Traffic management requirements.
Site constraints.
Before and after photographs where available.
Pictures of when things go sideways….

Our objective is to demonstrate the practical operational implications of the current legislation and provide tangible examples of emergency sewer responses.

Please send case studies and photos to Sarah as soon as possible.

Say What You Are Campaign

This is the final push for the Say What You Are Campaign in preparation for Census Day on 11August 2026.

This campaign only works if you help get the message to your crews, so please share the information in a five-minute toolbox talk, stick up a poster or just have a quick chat before the Census.

The message is simple:

When your team completes the Census, make sure they describe what they actually do — not just who they work for.

Every correctly identified Water Treatment Operator, Water Network Operator, Trade Waste Officer, Water Sampler and Supervisor helps build a clearer picture of our workforce. Better data means a stronger case for funding, training and future workforce planning.

Download the campaign materials here.

Water Skills Partnership Backs DAMA Investigation

Members of the Water Skills Partnership have voted to support qldwater in investigating the feasibility of a Queensland-wide Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) to help address ongoing workforce shortages across the urban water sector.

A DAMA is a formal agreement between the Australian Government and a designated regional representative that provides greater flexibility to address local workforce shortages. It can expand access to skilled occupations and allow negotiated concessions to standard visa requirements, such as age and English language criteria, helping employers fill positions that cannot be recruited locally.

The proposal was discussed at the WSP meeting this month where members considered current workforce challenges facing utilities and councils across Queensland, particularly in regional and remote communities where attracting and retaining skilled workers remains a significant issue.

Members recognised that a Queensland Water Industry DAMA could provide an additional workforce attraction pathway for councils and water service providers struggling to fill critical technical and operational roles. Potential benefits include improved access to overseas talent, greater workforce stability, and support for service delivery in communities experiencing persistent skills shortages.

Following the discussion, members voted to support qldwater undertaking further investigation into the feasibility of a state-wide DAMA for the water sector. This work will examine industry demand, potential occupation requirements, alignment with existing migration programs, and the practical considerations involved in establishing a sector-wide agreement.

The investigation will also consider how a DAMA could complement existing skilled migration pathways, including the Queensland Skilled Occupation List and State Nominated Migration Program, to help build a sustainable workforce for Queensland's urban water sector.

qldwater will engage with members and key stakeholders as the feasibility assessment progresses and will provide further updates as this work develops.

WISE Course Kicks Off

This week saw the first cohort of learners undertaking the new Water Industry Supervisor Essentials (WISE) course in Cairns. The course is delivered by Col Hester.

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 and future deliveries.

ISJA Update

Lee-Anne has hit the ground running in her role as the Industry Skills and Jobs Advisor as she prepares for her first Queensland Water Industry Reference Group (QWIRG) meeting this week.

On the agenda is the review of the Training Package which has now been endorsed by the Water Skills Partnership (WSP). The review highlights several instances where the package is out of date and no longer compliant with a range of requirements, putting our people at risk around the use of chlorine and electrical safety when our operators replace key infrastructure such as water meters.

BuildSkills Blueprint

BuildSkills has released a draft Industry Blueprint for review by the Water Advisory Committee. Following this review, the Blueprint is expected to be released for broader industry consultation.

qldwater has identified a number of concerns regarding the draft content and its implications for our members, as well as the future direction of training and skills development across the water sector. We encourage WSP members to be prepared to review the Blueprint once it is released and provide feedback to help ensure the sector’s needs and priorities are adequately represented.