25 May 2023
Ozwater, Australia’s most prominent annual water conference and exhibition, recently took place in Sydney. The theme of this year's event was 'United by water' encouraging water professionals and leaders to work together to build our sustainable water future.
Ozwater, Australia’s most prominent annual water conference and exhibition, recently took place in Sydney. The theme of this year's event was 'United by water' encouraging water professionals and leaders to work together to build our sustainable water future.
Water is where Tonkin made it’s name, so it goes without saying that the Ozwater conference is a key event on our calendars.
This year Carmen Wentrock, Jeff Tyler and Elsinore Mann represented Tonkin at Ozwater23. They have shared their key insights and takeaways below.
Ozwater23 Insights from Carmen Wentrock - Water Lead SA/VIC
"Sydney was bustling with energy, and even more so at OzWater23. There were people everywhere, which was wonderful to catch up with old friends and to meet new ones. I am always encouraged by the conversations that are lead by the keynote speakers, which were on the water industries role in reconciliation, wellness for the industry, and challenges the industry is already facing like climate change. It is with optimism that I look around the room, recognising how far we have already come, and acknowledging the depth of talent and solutions that are possible."
Ozwater23 Insights from Elsie Mann - Clients and Growth Lead - Water
“This year’s Ozwater conference provided a welcome opportunity to catch up with industry peers, and as always, a huge range of topics were discussed. Hot topics that stood out to me included purified recycled water, pathways to net zero including consideration of Scope 3 emissions, and adaptive planning to build resilience in the face of changing climatic conditions into the future. Adaptive planning is front-of-mind at Tonkin, as we continue to increase our focus on designing sustainable infrastructure and employing the flexible and adaptive approaches needed for optimal outcomes, now and into the future.
As part of OzWater23 I was honoured to have the opportunity to attend the National Water Initiative roundtable discussion, starting conversations on how government, industry and research institutions can work together on national water reform which best serves the needs of communities and the environment in an increasingly uncertain future. I hope to see the discussion evolve around how our decision-making and investment frameworks need to evolve to explicitly consider cultural, environmental and community outcomes, in addition to financial and economic considerations of the water projects we deliver. It was inspiring to be around so many people who are passionate about elevating the value of water, and the future of the industry.
The highly anticipated Gala Dinner was a wonderful evening of celebration of the successes in the industry. It was particularly inspiring to see the quality our of student and young water professional award finalists. It was also great to see Tonkin’s work highlighted at a national level with our Pakapakanthi Wetland project being a finalist in the Infrastructure Innovation (Metro) category.”
As part of OzWater23 I was honoured to have the opportunity to attend the National Water Initiative roundtable discussion, starting conversations on how government, industry and research institutions can work together on national water reform which best serves the needs of communities and the environment in an increasingly uncertain future. I hope to see the discussion evolve around how our decision-making and investment frameworks need to evolve to explicitly consider cultural, environmental and community outcomes, in addition to financial and economic considerations of the water projects we deliver. It was inspiring to be around so many people who are passionate about elevating the value of water, and the future of the industry.
The highly anticipated Gala Dinner was a wonderful evening of celebration of the successes in the industry. It was particularly inspiring to see the quality our of student and young water professional award finalists. It was also great to see Tonkin’s work highlighted at a national level with our Pakapakanthi Wetland project being a finalist in the Infrastructure Innovation (Metro) category.”