Events Program 2012

Date Region Venue Host
15 March  SEQ Regional Conference Maroochy Surf Club Unitywater
27 March SWQ Regional Conference Charleville RSL Murweh Shire Council
12 April CQ Regional Conference Emerald Town Hall Central Highlands Regional Council
30 April West Regional Conference Longreach Civic Centre Longreach Regional Council
4 May NQ Regional Conference Bowen PCYC Whitsunday Regional Council
24 May FNQ Regional Conference Rydges Plaza, Cairns Cairns Regional Council

All mini-conferences coincided with a regional final in the Best of the Best Water Taste Test and the conferences in April-May also coincided with the qldwater Water Connections Week - celebrating the provision of water services in Queensland.

South East Queensland Regional Conference Program

10.00am Registration, morning tea and lodgement of water samples  
10.30am Welcome and introduction by Dave Cameron, qldwater and judging Best of the Best Water Taste Test South East Taste Test Semi Final
11.15am Orica Australia Water Treatment 101 and case study on taste and odour following bush fires.
11.30am Partha Susarla, Strategic Planning Manager, Infrastructure Services Division, Unitywater Case study: Total Water Cycle Management Planning at Unitywater. How cooperation between Unitywater, Moreton Bay Regional Council and Sunshine Coast Council took out a Storm Water Industry Award recently.
12.00pm Bevan Smith, Senior Project Officer, Community Water Education and Research, DERM Water Literacy - Reading Between the Lines
12.30pm Peter McTaggart, SunWater Project Manager, Connors River Dam and Michael Grosser, Partner, Holding Redlich An overview of the Connors River Dam project to date with a focus on the ECI contracting model used and lessons learned from the collaborative process undertaken during 2011.
1.00pm Lunch
1.45pm Ben Goodall, Strategic Planner, Infrastructure Services Division, Unitywater Case study: Unitywater and DERM: Innovatively pushing the traditional sewage treatment plant (STP) licencing/ upgrading boundaries
2.15pm Dr Helen Stratton and Dr Anne Roiko, Smartwater Research Centre Overview of Rural and Regional Water Security project.
2.45pm Ian Heiner, DERM Balancing water security and Coal Seam Gas
3.15pm TRG Session Open forum to discuss issues such as Fluoridation
3.45pm Closing, feedback and final comments
4.00pm Networking drinks  

South West Queensland Regional Conference Program

10.00am Registration and Morning Tea on Arrival
10.30am Welcome and introduction by Dave Cameron, qldwater
Judging Best of the Best Water Taste Test
South West Taste Test Semi Final
11.15am Russell Hood – Director of Engineering Services, Murweh Shire Council Overview of Murweh Shire water and sewerage schemes
11.45am Bill Wood - Orica Australia Water treatment 101 and case study on taste and odour following bush fires.
12.00pm Neil Judd, CEO, South West NRM Progress on Healthy Waters Management Plans in the SW catchments and across the Queensland Murray Darling Basin and Carp management work in the Warrego River.
12.30pm Overview of Rural and Regional Water Security Project
1.00pm LUNCH
1.45pm Graham McKeon, Coordinator Management Systems, Water Operations, Toowoomba Regional Council Overview on Toowoomba Drinking Quality Water Management Plans
2.15pm Elissa Robinson, Senior Project Officer, Community Water Education and Research, Strategic Water Partnerships, DERM Water Literacy - Reading Between the Lines
2.45pm TRG session on fluoridation Open forum to discuss issues such as Fluoridation and other issues of concern.
3.45pm Closing, Feedback and Final Comments
4.00pm Networking Drinks

Central Queensland Regional Conference Program

10.00 Registration and Morning Tea on arrival  
10.30 Welcome and introduction by Dave Cameron, qldwater Judging Best of the Best Water Taste Test
Central Taste Test Semi Final
11.15 George Lech, Key Account Manager, Orica Australia Water Treatment 101 and case study on taste and odour following bush fires.
11.30 Peter McTaggart, SunWater Project Manager, Connors River Dam and Michael Grosser, Partner, Holding Redlich An overview of the Connors River Dam project to date with a focus on the ECI contracting model used and lessons learned from the collaborative process undertaken during 2011.
12.00 Short coffee break
12.15 David Karrol, Central Highlands Regional Council Water Management from a New Zealand perspective
12.45 Ian Heiner DERM Coal Seam Gas and Water
1.15 Lunch provided  
2.00 Charles Lemckert- Smartwater Research Centre Overview of Rural and Regional Water Security project.
2.30 Bevan Smith, Senior Project Officer, Community Water Education and Research, DERM Water Literacy - Reading between the lines
3.00 Shane Grimstone, Client Relationship Manager, Local Buy Good procurement practices
3.15 TRG Session Open forum to discuss any technical issues with panel members available to answer questions
3.45 Closing, feedback and final comments  
4.00 Networking drinks  

Central Queensland Legislation and Training Workshop– Emerald 11 April

To coincide with the Water Conference, a Legislation and SWIM Training one day workshop is taking place at the Emerald Town Hall on the Wednesday 11 April.

Topics covered are: water treatment, water distribution and supply, customer retail services, reporting and compliance, SWIM data basics for operators, SWIM Local overview.

Presenters: Dr Rob Fearon, Dr David Scheltinga and Michelle Hill.  

This training has been specifically developed for an operator and field staff audience, however all water service provider employees are welcome if they believe they would benefit from the training. The registration fee for the training day will be $150 per participant to recover costs.

Western Queensland Regional Conference Program

10.00am Registration and Morning Tea on arrival
10.30 Welcome and introduction by Dave Cameron, qldwater Judging Best of the Best Water Taste Test
Western Taste Test Semi Final
11.15 Short break for coffee
11.3 Orica Australia Water Treatment 101 and case study on odours after bush fires
11.45 John Roworth, Director of Infrastructure Services, Longreach Regional Council Procurement issues for remote communities
12.15 Bevan Smith, Senior Project Officer, Community Water Education and Research, DERM Community Engagement Tools
12.45 Mike Donald, Manager Engineering Services, Barcaldine Regional Council Watering the Outback
1.15 Lunch provided
2.00 Dr Helen Stratton - Smartwater Research Centre Overview of Rural and Regional Water Security project.
2.30 Nick Campbell, Strategic Water Initiatives, DERM Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative
3.00 TRG Session Open forum to discuss issues such as fluoridation with panel members available to answer questions
3.45 Closing, feedback and final comments
4.00 Networking drinks  

North Queensland Regional Conference Program

10.00 Registration and Morning Tea on arrival  
10.30 Welcome and introduction by Dave Cameron, qldwater Judging Best of the Best Water Taste Test
North Qld Taste Test Semi Fina
11.15 Short break for coffee
11.30 Bevan Smith, Senior Project Officer, Community Water Education and Research, DERM Community Engagement Tools
12.00 George Lech, Key Account Manager, Orica Australia Water Treatment 101 and case study on odours after bush fires
12.15 Ian Clarke, Director of Engineering Services, Etheridge Shire Council Is 'User Pay' possible for a remote town water supply - case study
12.45 James Stewart, Whitsunday Regional Council Whitsunday RC Challenges in Water and Sewerage Management
1.15 Lunch provided  
2.00 Dr Anne Roiko - Smartwater Research Centre Overview of Rural and Regional Water Security Project
2.30 Michael Lever - Leveredge Safe Water
3.00 TRG Session Open forum to discuss issues such as fluoridation with panel members available to answer questions
3.45 Closing, feedback and final comments  
4.00 Networking drinks  

Far North Queensland Regional Conference Program

10.00 Registration and Morning Tea on arrival  
10.30 Welcome and introduction by Dave Cameron, qldwater Judging Best of the Best Water Taste Test
Far North Taste Test Semi Final
11.15 Short coffee break
11.30 George Lech, Key Account Manager, Orica Australia Water Treatment 101 and case study on odours after bush fires
11.45 Lynda Growcott, Local Buy Good procurement practices
12.00 David Karroll, Manager - Water & Sewerage, Central Highlands Regional Council Disinfection by Chlorination
12.30 Paul Newman, Dial Before You Dig Update on Dial Before You Dig projects
1.00 Lunch provided
1.45 Lynne Powell, Sustainability Coordinator, Water and Waste, Cairns Regional Council Indigenous Partnerships - Opportunities and Obstacles
2.15 Michael Lever, Leveredge
2.45 Dr Helen Stratton - Smartwater Research Centre Overview of Rural & Regional Water Security project
3.15 Pat McGuire, Executive Manager Engineering Services Torres Strait Island Regional Council Desalination in the Torres Strait
3.45 TRG Session Open forum to discuss issues such as fluoridation with panel members available to answer questions
4.30 Networking drinks