ACT AWARDS

Young Water Professional of the Year Award
2024   Rose Mckenna, Project Engineer, Icon Water  
2023   Curtis Gordon, Icon Water
2022   Advait Madav, Alluvium
2020   Dr Joel Edwards, Icon Water
2019   Portia Condell, Icon Water
2018   Alice Liao, Icon Water
2017   Bianca Petrevski, Icon Water
2016   Julia Jasonsmith, Murrang Earth Sciences

Student Water Prize
2023    Ana Maria Londono Botero - The Australian National University
            Natural recreational swimming sites along the Murrumbidgee River:
            quantifying the perceived values, risks and benefits to the community’s
            health and well-being
2022    Gowri Pincombe - GHD / University of Canberra
             Women’s empowerment through learning and working together
2020   Kate Harriden, Australian National University
             Storm Water Channels in a Water Sensitive World
2019   Jimmy Parascos, Australian National University
           Incorporating Agricultural Analysis into Hypoxic Blackwater Modelling to
           Improve Forecasting of Future Events
2017   Aparna Lal, Australian National University
           Identifying Critical Natural Resource Management Regions For Public Health

Water Professional of the Year Award
2024   Dr Ryan Signor, Industry Director, Water - New South Wales &
            Australian Capital Territory, Aurecon
2023   Tony Slatyer

Infrastructure Project Innovation Award
2024   METRO: Cotter Pump Station Design - GHD and Icon Water
2019   ACT Healthy Waterways Project – ACT Environment, Planning
           and Sustainable Development Directorate
2018   Lining of the Molonglo Valley Interceptor Sewer – Interflow and Icon Water
2017   Using Optimisation Models for Sewer Investment Planning – Icon Water and AECOM
2016   Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Modelling of Incineration Process of
            a Multiple Hearth Furnace - Icon Water

R&D Excellence Award (previously known as the Research Innovation Award)
2024    Ecosystem Functions in the Murray-Darling Basin (Investing in New
             Knowledge to Adapt the Murray-Darling Basin Plan) - CSIRO and
             Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA)
2020   Northern Australia Water Resource Assessment – CSIRO and
            collaborators
           (Highly Commended: The Cracker Jack – Icon Water)
2017   Enlarged Cotter Dam Fish Monitoring and Research – Icon Water

Organisational Excellence Award (formerly Program Innovation Award)
2024   eMission Possible Plan  - Icon Water and Aurecon
2023   BasinGuide – Promoting river basin-scale approaches for prosperity and
            sustainability in the IndoPacific - Alluvium and Australian Water
            Partnership
2020   Enhancing Resource Recovery – Icon Water
2019    Integrated Water Accounts for the Canberra Region – Bureau of
            Meteorology
2018   World Water Data Initiative – Bureau of Meteorology
2016   ACT Healthy Waterways (Basin Project) - Environment Planning
           Directorate

To compete in the Australian Water Awards, entries will first be judged at the appropriate State Awards, with winners automatically entered as a finalist for the National awards (aside from our two National Award only categories).

In addition to the 10 national award categories, each state runs independently other award categories. These programs, like the national, recognise and reward individuals and organisations for innovation, commitment and leadership in the Australian water sector.

All Awards, aside from the Student Water Prize and Australian Stockholm Junior Water Prize, are open to AWA members only. The Innovating for Sustainable Water and Environmental Outcomes Award (WA only) is also open to non members, however the lead organisation must be a not-for-profit, local government body, non-government organisation, school or small business.

For organisational awards, the lead organisation/s must be a current Corporate Member. Any partner organisations listed in the submission must also be a current Corporate Member to receive recognition if announced as a finalist and/or winner. This recognition includes the organisation/s being listed as a finalist on award collateral (online and print), on email communications announcing the finalists and/or winners, on any certificates and/or trophies, on the awards visual presentation (if applicable) and on media release statements.If the partner organisation/s listed in the submission are not current Corporate AWA Members, they will not receive the recognition as listed above.

For individual awards, the nominee must be a current individual AWA Member or an employee of a current Corporate Member.

To enter, nominations must be submitted using the online entry forms. Please note when your relevant State or Territory award submissions close.

There is no entry fee associated with the AWA Awards program.

Duplicate nominations are not permitted in the awards program. This means that you cannot nominate the same individual or project/activity for more than one award category or more than one state or territory in the same year. You can enter more than one award in the same year, as long as it is not with the same project/activity.

The submission close dates are specific to the state or territory award being entered. Please click your relevant state/territory button on this page to view the closing dates.

All nominations must be submitted via the online nomination form. Please check the relevant award category page to view the requirements to complete the nomination form.

State judging is coordinated by the relevant Member Engagement Manager and committee. Each state convenes a panel of experts to assess the applications.

National judging is coordinated by the National Awards Manager. The panels of experts are approved by the Honours & Awards Sub-committee of the Board to take part in the judging. Each panel includes at least three judges and is chaired by an AWA Board Director.

At both state and national levels, judges score each nominee based on how well they address the award criteria. The panel then meets to review the scoring and discuss the merits of all submissions. Final scoring and ranking is based on a majority vote from all eligible members of the judging panel.

All judges adhere to a code of conduct which includes a policy to prevent conflicts of interest. The judges’ decision is final and no discussion about the merits of entries will be entered into with nominees.

Award finalists and winners of the State Awards will be announced at their relevant state or territory event. Winners of the 2023 Australian Water Awards are presented at the Ozwater Gala Dinner, to be held in Sydney in May 2023.