A message from our outgoing AWA NT Branch President

Wow, what a year! This year has flown by and we have been a busy committee here in the NT! Christmas is just around the corner and I’m starting to count down the days for a good break and refresh. I would like to take this opportunity to shout out to each NT Branch committee member for being actively involved in meetings and events this year, even when things got busy and stressful. We have committee representation from Darwin, Alice Springs and Nhulunbuy and it is clear that there is a lot going on across the whole Territory.

This year we have hosted several exciting and insightful events. My personal highlights included the Minister’s Breakfast where we saw a record number of attendees, the Beer and Water Technical Event, which connected us to the point of walking away with new matching party shirts, and of course the NT Water in the Bush Conference and Awards Dinner – events which fuel my motivation from the talented people surrounding me. All of these events were individually so different and uniquely inspiring, however seamlessly allowed the broader water community to connect and share stories.

My time in the Territory, and therefore role of NT President, has come to an end. I am so thankful to have joined the NT Branch committee when I first moved to the Territory. While it was initially a way for me to get to know the community and be part of something outside the daily grind, it turned out to be so much more than that. I have witnessed the passion, drive and mentorship of highly motivated people in our industry on a daily basis, and the best part of it is that we all truly care. We care about water and the environment, we care about equality in the industry, we care about knowledge sharing and we care about each other. I look forward to maintaining involvement in the water sector and being a contributor to various events, initiatives and continuing to care for those things that are important to me.

I am also delighted to introduce Kruti Patel as the new NT Branch President. Kruti has been an active committee member who is clearly passionate about what she does. She will bring a new level of energy and drive to the committee, supported by a strong and committed team. I am looking forward to seeing what the next chapter looks like for the NT Branch. We have come a long way and I know we can go further.

I would also like to say thank you to our current Member Engagement Manager, Kyllie Whitehead, who is extremely efficient and has seamlessly kept us on track with all of our events throughout the year. Thank you also to Katie Trevor and Christy Jones who have both filled the role of Branch Manager during my time on the committee. A special shout out must also go to Elyse Gradwell who is a master of events and Corinne Cheeseman who has always had time in her day for a chat. Lastly, but not least, a formal thank you to Kruti, Allan (Vice President), Darryl, Kylie, Kevin, Chris, Deon, Jason, Peter, Skye, Jocelyn and Ben plus our Committee members who stepped down during the year, Zoe, Karen and Jonathon – you’re all super stars and I hope our paths cross sometime in the near future.

The final event for the year is the Darwin Sundowner on 9 December tonight. There’s still some time if you’re keen to join us so please register by 12pm today (free for both members and non-members). I hope to see you there for a final drink and chat.

Christina
Outgoing AWA NT Branch President