Young Operator of the Year 2023
Date: 24-Jul-2023
qldwater is proud to sponsor the Young Operator of the Year and Operator of the Year (Civil / Allrounder) at the WIOA QLD Conference each year, as we believe that our people are the biggest asset to our sector. This year we were once again impressed by the quality of nominations, and we thank all those who have taken the time to nominate someone for an award.
The 2023 Young Operator of the Year is Mitchell Gormley from North Burnett Regional Council (NBRC).
Mitchell has grown to become a much-valued member of the team at NBRC. Mitch completed his traineeship nine months early, showing great drive and aptitude for the role and associated learnings.
Indeed, Mich went further to explore additional areas of interest and will shortly embark on another qualification to further develop his skills and knowledge.
At work Mitch has initiated improvement measures, providing useful feedback, asking thought provoking questions and undertaking extra research without instruction, leaving his manager with no hesitation in nominating him for this award.
Another impressive example cited by managers, was Mitch’s ability to determine the reason for falling plant performance as early ageing of lamellar settling due to exposure to UV radiation. In carrying out investigations, using information gathered from previous WIOA conferences and trade shows, Mitch arranged quotes and fitting of the replacement parts and improved plant performance.
Operators at NBRC work across all aspects of water, wastewater and networks, requiring prioritisation of workloads and application of their own initiative to get the most pressing and valuable work done.
Mitch balances those needs with excellent customer service which manifests in direct interactions with customers and ensuring work sites are always left safe on completion. Mitch’s relationship to the local community is further evidenced in his work as an Assistant Scout Leader.
The runner up for 2023 is Anthea Fernando (pictured above) from Redland City Council, who holds the position of Process Engineer and is currently undertaking her Certificate III in Water Industry Operations, having been with the Council now for one year.
The judges were particularly impressed with Anthea’s efforts to look widely across improvement of all processes and operating procedures at all the Council’s facilities, playing an active and supportive part in team roles.
We congratulate Mitch and Anthea for the recognition they have received from their managers, and especially Mitch as our Young Operator of the Year for 2023. Mitch received a trophy and a professional development trip worth approximately $2,500.
We encourage all organisations to recognise their people for these prestigious awards next year.