The start of another year is always cause to reflect on what has passed and plan for what is to come. Last year was an amazing one for the Queensland branch, with record membership engagement levels across all our traditional forums. This was from our Young Water Professionals (YWPs) events, our branch technical program, regional and Queensland conferences, and another awesome evening at our gala dinner.
It was no surprise that our breakfast viewing of the WATER exhibit at the Gallery of Modern Art, which kicked off our year, had phenomenal attendance and such a great feel to it. From all reports, everyone who attended loved the event. It was not just a chance to catch up with friends last seen before the mad rush at the end of the year, but also to make new acquaintances.
One of the real successes of the event was the diversity of the crowd. It brought together all parts of the industry; academics, HR professionals, engineers, scientists, retired professionals and YWPs.
The setting of the event was also a highlight and prompted attendees to walk at their own speed and start conversations with people they wouldn’t normally have run into and about art they might not have normally spoken about.
I used my brief opening address to remind everyone about our branch committee’s focus on community water literacy last year and the importance of the conversations we have as champions for the true value of water in these interactions. While still an important part of our agenda this year, I also introduced our focus on rural, regional and remote water for 2020.
Excitingly, this appears to have struck a chord with our membership. People approached me at the event looking to provide technical content on the topic. I can’t stress enough that the Australian Water Association is your voice in the industry and if you have content that you want to get out to the rest of the industry, please come and see us and ask how we can help.
The Association has many platforms for the dissemination of information that go beyond our traditional technical program, and I would encourage all of you to check out our podcasts and the content available on our YouTube channel to get a taste for what else the Association offers its members and the public.
Until next time, thanks and stay safe.
Cheers
Justin