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Agenda

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Exhibitor Bump In
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Chairman's Reception
This is an invite only event to celebrate and thank our life members, IDIOTS, sponsors, volunteers and special guests.
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Exhibitor Bump In
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Chairman's Reception
This is an invite only event to celebrate and thank our life members, IDIOTS, sponsors, volunteers and special guests.

12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Exhibitor Bump In
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Chairman's Reception
This is an invite only event to celebrate and thank our life members, IDIOTS, sponsors, volunteers and special guests.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM Women in Water Operations Breakfast
Kick off the day with great conversation, coffee, and connection at the Women in Water Operations. This relaxed networking event brings together women working in all areas of water operations to share experiences, build relationships, and start the day inspired. All are welcome to attend and be part of the conversation.
9:40 AM - 10:00 AM 7 Men a Day: Why Mateship Matters More Than Ever
Grab Life By The Balls | Sam Parker - CEO
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM Daily Toolbox Visuals
SA Water | Rita Meijer - Continue Improvement Lead
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water Competition Heats
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Wednesday Morning Tea
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Water Main Tapping Competition Round One
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Casting the Net Wider: Reeling in Talent from Unexpected Waters
Gympie Regional Council | Dylan Wesarg - Water Treatment Plant Operator & Sarah Iwanoczko - Senior Environmental Officer
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Fatigue management accommodation strategy
Seqwater | Tony Schultz - Operations Supervisor
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Cogeneration Performance Strategy
Urban Utilities | Phil Everson - Production Leader Resource Recovery Ops and Maintenance
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Wednesday Lunch
A catered lunch will be available on-site and must be pre-purchased during registration. Please note meals will not be available for purchase on the day.
1:30 PM - 1:50 PM Gatton Sewage Treatment Plant Compliance Project
Urban Utilities | Grant Nissen - Plant Manager Regions
1:50 PM - 2:10 PM Consolidating Outsourced Environmental Sampling to Achieve Greater Operational Outcomes
Gympie Regional Council | Ethan Brown - Specialist Water Treatment Operations & Andrew Szymala - Lead Water Industry Specialist Treatment Operator
2:10 PM - 2:30 PM Good Vibrations - A novel approach to reducing lime blockages at Molendinar Water Treatment Plant
Seqwater | Joel Field - Operations Project Manager
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday Afternoon Tea
3:30 PM - 3:50 PM Helidon Sewage Treatment Plant Reed Bed Restoration Project
Urban Utilities | Trent Watkins - Operations Specialist - Production Regions
3:50 PM - 4:10 PM Strategy to Reality: One Year On from a Strategic Change to Maintenance Delivery
Seqwater | Liam Kelly - Lead Maintenance Improvement & Dion Molloy - Lead - Strategic Maintenance Planner
4:10 PM - 4:30 PM Shifting the System: How BOOST is Accelerating Gender Equity in the Water Industry
Unitywater | Paul Dore - Culture and Leadership Partner
4:30 PM - 4:50 PM Water Treatment Plant solid waste management and local government challenges
Tweed Shire Council | Mitchell Alward - Engineer Water Treatment and Catchment & Zac MacCartney - Technical Officer-Water And Wastewater
7:00 PM - 10:30 PM Meet The Exhibitors Dinner
Join us for WIOA's Meet the Exhibitors Dinner, a relaxed evening of networking, delicious food, and drinks. This casual event provides the perfect opportunity to connect with industry exhibitors, share insights, and build relationships in a friendly, informal atmosphere.
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM Women in Water Operations Breakfast
Kick off the day with great conversation, coffee, and connection at the Women in Water Operations. This relaxed networking event brings together women working in all areas of water operations to share experiences, build relationships, and start the day inspired. All are welcome to attend and be part of the conversation.
9:40 AM - 10:00 AM 7 Men a Day: Why Mateship Matters More Than Ever
Grab Life By The Balls | Sam Parker - CEO
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM Daily Toolbox Visuals
SA Water | Rita Meijer - Continue Improvement Lead
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water Competition Heats
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Wednesday Morning Tea
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Water Main Tapping Competition Round One
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Casting the Net Wider: Reeling in Talent from Unexpected Waters
Gympie Regional Council | Dylan Wesarg - Water Treatment Plant Operator & Sarah Iwanoczko - Senior Environmental Officer
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Fatigue management accommodation strategy
Seqwater | Tony Schultz - Operations Supervisor
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Cogeneration Performance Strategy
Urban Utilities | Phil Everson - Production Leader Resource Recovery Ops and Maintenance
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Wednesday Lunch
A catered lunch will be available on-site and must be pre-purchased during registration. Please note meals will not be available for purchase on the day.
1:30 PM - 1:50 PM Gatton Sewage Treatment Plant Compliance Project
Urban Utilities | Grant Nissen - Plant Manager Regions
1:50 PM - 2:10 PM Consolidating Outsourced Environmental Sampling to Achieve Greater Operational Outcomes
Gympie Regional Council | Ethan Brown - Specialist Water Treatment Operations & Andrew Szymala - Lead Water Industry Specialist Treatment Operator
2:10 PM - 2:30 PM Good Vibrations - A novel approach to reducing lime blockages at Molendinar Water Treatment Plant
Seqwater | Joel Field - Operations Project Manager
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday Afternoon Tea
3:30 PM - 3:50 PM Helidon Sewage Treatment Plant Reed Bed Restoration Project
Urban Utilities | Trent Watkins - Operations Specialist - Production Regions
3:50 PM - 4:10 PM Strategy to Reality: One Year On from a Strategic Change to Maintenance Delivery
Seqwater | Liam Kelly - Lead Maintenance Improvement & Dion Molloy - Lead - Strategic Maintenance Planner
4:10 PM - 4:30 PM Shifting the System: How BOOST is Accelerating Gender Equity in the Water Industry
Unitywater | Paul Dore - Culture and Leadership Partner
4:30 PM - 4:50 PM Water Treatment Plant solid waste management and local government challenges
Tweed Shire Council | Mitchell Alward - Engineer Water Treatment and Catchment & Zac MacCartney - Technical Officer-Water And Wastewater
7:00 PM - 10:30 PM Meet The Exhibitors Dinner
Join us for WIOA's Meet the Exhibitors Dinner, a relaxed evening of networking, delicious food, and drinks. This casual event provides the perfect opportunity to connect with industry exhibitors, share insights, and build relationships in a friendly, informal atmosphere.

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM Women in Water Operations Breakfast
Kick off the day with great conversation, coffee, and connection at the Women in Water Operations. This relaxed networking event brings together women working in all areas of water operations to share experiences, build relationships, and start the day inspired. All are welcome to attend and be part of the conversation.
9:40 AM - 10:00 AM 7 Men a Day: Why Mateship Matters More Than Ever
Grab Life By The Balls | Sam Parker - CEO
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM Daily Toolbox Visuals
SA Water | Rita Meijer - Continue Improvement Lead
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water Competition Heats
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Wednesday Morning Tea
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Water Main Tapping Competition Round One
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM Casting the Net Wider: Reeling in Talent from Unexpected Waters
Gympie Regional Council | Dylan Wesarg - Water Treatment Plant Operator & Sarah Iwanoczko - Senior Environmental Officer
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Fatigue management accommodation strategy
Seqwater | Tony Schultz - Operations Supervisor
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Cogeneration Performance Strategy
Urban Utilities | Phil Everson - Production Leader Resource Recovery Ops and Maintenance
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Wednesday Lunch
A catered lunch will be available on-site and must be pre-purchased during registration. Please note meals will not be available for purchase on the day.
1:30 PM - 1:50 PM Gatton Sewage Treatment Plant Compliance Project
Urban Utilities | Grant Nissen - Plant Manager Regions
1:50 PM - 2:10 PM Consolidating Outsourced Environmental Sampling to Achieve Greater Operational Outcomes
Gympie Regional Council | Ethan Brown - Specialist Water Treatment Operations & Andrew Szymala - Lead Water Industry Specialist Treatment Operator
2:10 PM - 2:30 PM Good Vibrations - A novel approach to reducing lime blockages at Molendinar Water Treatment Plant
Seqwater | Joel Field - Operations Project Manager
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday Afternoon Tea
3:30 PM - 3:50 PM Helidon Sewage Treatment Plant Reed Bed Restoration Project
Urban Utilities | Trent Watkins - Operations Specialist - Production Regions
3:50 PM - 4:10 PM Strategy to Reality: One Year On from a Strategic Change to Maintenance Delivery
Seqwater | Liam Kelly - Lead Maintenance Improvement & Dion Molloy - Lead - Strategic Maintenance Planner
4:10 PM - 4:30 PM Shifting the System: How BOOST is Accelerating Gender Equity in the Water Industry
Unitywater | Paul Dore - Culture and Leadership Partner
4:30 PM - 4:50 PM Water Treatment Plant solid waste management and local government challenges
Tweed Shire Council | Mitchell Alward - Engineer Water Treatment and Catchment & Zac MacCartney - Technical Officer-Water And Wastewater
7:00 PM - 10:30 PM Meet The Exhibitors Dinner
Join us for WIOA's Meet the Exhibitors Dinner, a relaxed evening of networking, delicious food, and drinks. This casual event provides the perfect opportunity to connect with industry exhibitors, share insights, and build relationships in a friendly, informal atmosphere.

Thursday, June 25, 2026

9:00 AM - 9:20 AM Gold Coast Desalination Plant Improving Operational Efficiency
Veolia | Matthew Huston - Senior Process Engineer
9:20 AM - 9:40 AM Maintenance End-to-End Process
Gympie Regional Council | Andrew Waite - Maintenance Specialist
9:40 AM - 10:00 AM Kilcoy Sewage Treatment Plant Compliance Project
Urban Utilities | Liam Slatterly - Production Leader Resource Recovery
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM Interaction Between Preventive Maintenance (PM) and Asset Management (AM)
Isaac Regional Council | Seunchan Bang - Maintenance Planner
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water Competition Finals
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Thursday Morning Tea
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Water Main Tapping Competition
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM A Team Effort Enabling the Rapid Repurposing-Commissioning of an HSLOW Dosing for Process Requirements
Urban Utilities | Angelica Guerrero Calderon - Senior Integration Engineer
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Major Dam Project
Cowie Environmental | Leah Kleinschmidt - Senior Environmental Scientist
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Enhancing leak detection through digital monitoring and operational expertise
TRILITY | Angelina Isler - Graduate Asset Engineer
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Thursday Lunch
A catered lunch will be available on-site and must be pre-purchased during registration. Please note meals will not be available for purchase on the day.
1:30 PM - 1:50 PM Days Not Months: City of Gold Coast's Emergency Pressure Pipe Rehabilitation Program
City of Gold Coast & Raedlinger Primus Line Pty Ltd | Glen Harris - Coordinator Network Utilities Maintenance & Heiko Manzke - Director ANZ
1:50 PM - 2:10 PM The Case for an Australian Chapter of Operators Without Borders - A Practical Model for Building Operator Capacity and Disaster Resilience Across the Asia-Pacific
Arris | Ben Kele - Managing Director
2:10 PM - 2:30 PM Sludgy Solutions: Dealing with Excessive Sludge at Barossa WTP
SA Water & Suez | Liam Tothill - Water Production Engineer & Andrew Sawilski - Wastewater & Reuse Treatment Manager South
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Thursday Afternoon Tea
3:30 PM - 3:50 PM The Biggest Bang: Fixing Water Hammer in a DAF
Icon Water | Shane Dyson - Lead Reliability Programme Engineer & Steven Buck - Senior Process Engineer
3:50 PM - 4:10 PM FNQ and Townsville Mutual Aid Initiative
Unitywater | Ben Ingram - Safety Operations Manager
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM Awards Dinner
Join us for an unforgettable evening at the WIOA Awards Dinner, celebrating excellence in the water industry. Enjoy a night of networking, great food, and recognising outstanding achievements. This prestigious event honours innovation, dedication, and success - uniting professionals who make a difference. Don’t miss this highlight of the WIOA calendar!
9:00 AM - 9:20 AM Gold Coast Desalination Plant Improving Operational Efficiency
Veolia | Matthew Huston - Senior Process Engineer
9:20 AM - 9:40 AM Maintenance End-to-End Process
Gympie Regional Council | Andrew Waite - Maintenance Specialist
9:40 AM - 10:00 AM Kilcoy Sewage Treatment Plant Compliance Project
Urban Utilities | Liam Slatterly - Production Leader Resource Recovery
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM Interaction Between Preventive Maintenance (PM) and Asset Management (AM)
Isaac Regional Council | Seunchan Bang - Maintenance Planner
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water Competition Finals
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Thursday Morning Tea
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Water Main Tapping Competition
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM A Team Effort Enabling the Rapid Repurposing-Commissioning of an HSLOW Dosing for Process Requirements
Urban Utilities | Angelica Guerrero Calderon - Senior Integration Engineer
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Major Dam Project
Cowie Environmental | Leah Kleinschmidt - Senior Environmental Scientist
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Enhancing leak detection through digital monitoring and operational expertise
TRILITY | Angelina Isler - Graduate Asset Engineer
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Thursday Lunch
A catered lunch will be available on-site and must be pre-purchased during registration. Please note meals will not be available for purchase on the day.
1:30 PM - 1:50 PM Days Not Months: City of Gold Coast's Emergency Pressure Pipe Rehabilitation Program
City of Gold Coast & Raedlinger Primus Line Pty Ltd | Glen Harris - Coordinator Network Utilities Maintenance & Heiko Manzke - Director ANZ
1:50 PM - 2:10 PM The Case for an Australian Chapter of Operators Without Borders - A Practical Model for Building Operator Capacity and Disaster Resilience Across the Asia-Pacific
Arris | Ben Kele - Managing Director
2:10 PM - 2:30 PM Sludgy Solutions: Dealing with Excessive Sludge at Barossa WTP
SA Water & Suez | Liam Tothill - Water Production Engineer & Andrew Sawilski - Wastewater & Reuse Treatment Manager South
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Thursday Afternoon Tea
3:30 PM - 3:50 PM The Biggest Bang: Fixing Water Hammer in a DAF
Icon Water | Shane Dyson - Lead Reliability Programme Engineer & Steven Buck - Senior Process Engineer
3:50 PM - 4:10 PM FNQ and Townsville Mutual Aid Initiative
Unitywater | Ben Ingram - Safety Operations Manager
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM Awards Dinner
Join us for an unforgettable evening at the WIOA Awards Dinner, celebrating excellence in the water industry. Enjoy a night of networking, great food, and recognising outstanding achievements. This prestigious event honours innovation, dedication, and success - uniting professionals who make a difference. Don’t miss this highlight of the WIOA calendar!

9:00 AM - 9:20 AM Gold Coast Desalination Plant Improving Operational Efficiency
Veolia | Matthew Huston - Senior Process Engineer
9:20 AM - 9:40 AM Maintenance End-to-End Process
Gympie Regional Council | Andrew Waite - Maintenance Specialist
9:40 AM - 10:00 AM Kilcoy Sewage Treatment Plant Compliance Project
Urban Utilities | Liam Slatterly - Production Leader Resource Recovery
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM Interaction Between Preventive Maintenance (PM) and Asset Management (AM)
Isaac Regional Council | Seunchan Bang - Maintenance Planner
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water Competition Finals
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Thursday Morning Tea
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Water Main Tapping Competition
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM A Team Effort Enabling the Rapid Repurposing-Commissioning of an HSLOW Dosing for Process Requirements
Urban Utilities | Angelica Guerrero Calderon - Senior Integration Engineer
11:50 AM - 12:10 PM Major Dam Project
Cowie Environmental | Leah Kleinschmidt - Senior Environmental Scientist
12:10 PM - 12:30 PM Enhancing leak detection through digital monitoring and operational expertise
TRILITY | Angelina Isler - Graduate Asset Engineer
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Thursday Lunch
A catered lunch will be available on-site and must be pre-purchased during registration. Please note meals will not be available for purchase on the day.
1:30 PM - 1:50 PM Days Not Months: City of Gold Coast's Emergency Pressure Pipe Rehabilitation Program
City of Gold Coast & Raedlinger Primus Line Pty Ltd | Glen Harris - Coordinator Network Utilities Maintenance & Heiko Manzke - Director ANZ
1:50 PM - 2:10 PM The Case for an Australian Chapter of Operators Without Borders - A Practical Model for Building Operator Capacity and Disaster Resilience Across the Asia-Pacific
Arris | Ben Kele - Managing Director
2:10 PM - 2:30 PM Sludgy Solutions: Dealing with Excessive Sludge at Barossa WTP
SA Water & Suez | Liam Tothill - Water Production Engineer & Andrew Sawilski - Wastewater & Reuse Treatment Manager South
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Thursday Afternoon Tea
3:30 PM - 3:50 PM The Biggest Bang: Fixing Water Hammer in a DAF
Icon Water | Shane Dyson - Lead Reliability Programme Engineer & Steven Buck - Senior Process Engineer
3:50 PM - 4:10 PM FNQ and Townsville Mutual Aid Initiative
Unitywater | Ben Ingram - Safety Operations Manager
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM Awards Dinner
Join us for an unforgettable evening at the WIOA Awards Dinner, celebrating excellence in the water industry. Enjoy a night of networking, great food, and recognising outstanding achievements. This prestigious event honours innovation, dedication, and success - uniting professionals who make a difference. Don’t miss this highlight of the WIOA calendar!

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