by Sophie Barton
Sophie Barton has been elected as the incoming Victorian Young Water Professionals Sub-committee Co-Chair, joining Ali Rahimi. In this issue of Source, Sophie shares her water story before introducing the YWP Sub-committee for FY24.
Sophie has been part of the water industry for the past three years, working as a water strategy consultant at GHD. She is passionate about creating positive water outcomes that respect nature and nurture communities. Since joining GHD, Sophie’s work has helped deliver a range of projects across water supply infrastructure planning, integrated water management, and risk.
Photo: Pictured (top-left to bottom-right) Ali Rahimi (Co-Chair), Matt Sullivan (Vice-Chair), Christopher Lee (Immediate Past Chair), Dominic Murray Fiume, Rigo Manahan (National Taskforce), Sophie Barton (Co-Chair), Sumudu Withana
What drew you into the water industry?
My family lost our home in the 2011 Brisbane floods that came just after the Millennium Drought. While I was part of a community that lost everything, experiencing the people-first grace of the Mud Army instilled in me a perennial curiosity for fostering the resilience of our waterways, communities, and the space between.
Who or what do you draw inspiration from?
I have drawn a lot of inspiration from the collective minds and spirit of the YWP Sub-committee since joining three years ago. Similarly, there is a joy in knowing our industry is ultimately working towards supporting the same two clients: our community and the environment.
What are you most looking forward to on the AWA calendar?
It will be a distinct privilege to work alongside our Co-Chair, Ali Rahimi, and Vice-Chair, Matt Sullivan, as we learn from and with our returning and recently elected YWP Sub-committee members.
Meet the AWA VIC YWP Sub-committee for FY24/25
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