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WaterWater Resource ManagementWater Supply and TreatmentQueensland
Several Tonkin team members attended this year's OzWater Conference - Australia's premier water exhibition - held in Brisbane.
The theme for 2026, Our Water. Our Tomorrow, focuses on building stronger communities, creating smarter systems, and shaping a sustainable water future together. Set alongside Brisbane River, the venue provided a fitting setting for conversations about the essential role water plays in our communities, our environment and the future we are building together, while showcasing one of Australia's most vibrant and welcoming sites.
Water is where Tonkin's story began more than 70 years ago, and it continues to be one of our core market sectors. That's why OzWater remains a highlight on our team's calendar year after year.
This year, Patrick Tunnah and Rohan Naidu from our Brisbane and Sydney office, along with David Janson, Jeff Tyler and Elsie Mann from our Adelaide office represented Tonkin at the three-day event.
The theme for 2026, Our Water. Our Tomorrow, focuses on building stronger communities, creating smarter systems, and shaping a sustainable water future together. Set alongside Brisbane River, the venue provided a fitting setting for conversations about the essential role water plays in our communities, our environment and the future we are building together, while showcasing one of Australia's most vibrant and welcoming sites.
Water is where Tonkin's story began more than 70 years ago, and it continues to be one of our core market sectors. That's why OzWater remains a highlight on our team's calendar year after year.
This year, Patrick Tunnah and Rohan Naidu from our Brisbane and Sydney office, along with David Janson, Jeff Tyler and Elsie Mann from our Adelaide office represented Tonkin at the three-day event.
Patrick Tunnah's insights
As always, it was great to catch up with old and new friends across the industry.
In Queensland, there is a lot of infrastructure to be delivered by utilities and councils, with budget constraints and reallocations affecting tendering and delivery timeframes.
With this in mind, there was a strong consensus across the industry that collaborative partnerships between consultants, contractors, and utility providers are required to tackle complex problems and efficiently deliver what is needed for their communities.
David Janson's insights
Another successful OzWater conference attendance, providing the opportunity to meet new and fascinating people while also catching up with some old friends. There were plenty of themes being discussed, along with some interesting reflections.
Stephen Slessor’s keynote was thought provoking, particularly his insights on intergenerational equity regarding water infrastructure. He also shared his view of “Digital Concrete” and why collaboration and alignment are important considerations for the future.
The depth of open conversations and broader business perspectives being discussed by the industry cohort within the exhibition arena was also a highlight, and buzzing, as always.
Another standout was hearing Arnold Dix’s incredible personal account of the rescue of 41 people trapped within the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in India in 2023 was an inspirational story of hope, resilience and humanity.
Stephen Slessor’s keynote was thought provoking, particularly his insights on intergenerational equity regarding water infrastructure. He also shared his view of “Digital Concrete” and why collaboration and alignment are important considerations for the future.
The depth of open conversations and broader business perspectives being discussed by the industry cohort within the exhibition arena was also a highlight, and buzzing, as always.
Another standout was hearing Arnold Dix’s incredible personal account of the rescue of 41 people trapped within the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in India in 2023 was an inspirational story of hope, resilience and humanity.
Rohan Naidu's insights
It was fascinating to learn how significant the emerging development of data centres is for Australia, as well as the growing acknowledgment of the value water plays in this sector.
It was also pleasing to see the continued challenging and improvement of established industry standards and guidelines, and the potential impacts this can have on both the optimisation of design and the development of more strategic asset lifecycle management.
And, as always, it was great to connect with both old and new colleagues across the industry.
Elsie Mann's insights
The conference provided the usual valuable opportunity to connect with new and existing partners and clients who play an important role in the growth of Tonkin's business. I also found the time to attend keynotes and several technical sessions over the three days.
I was pleased to see the ever-growing number of papers focused on the opportunities and challenges associated with delivering water-sensitive, resilient, and liveable communities. While each paper presents a particular perspective, I was able to draw links from presentations on Post Growth thinking, lessons from the Cunliffe review of regulatory models in the UK, and the challenges we have around Australia in delivering on sustained housing demand. These themes are highly relevant in South Australia, where governance changes affecting water management present both challenges and opportunities to rethink how we plan for growth. They prompted me to consider how the ideas and lessons shared at OzWater can be applied in our local context to support better outcomes for communities.
I am looking forward to leveraging the networks and experience of AWA, WSSA, and Water Sensitive SA to continue advocating for water-sensitive principals to be embedded in growth planning, preserving space for green and blue infrastructure. This will be key to ensuring that the investments made today create healthier, more resilient communities and leave a positive legacy for future generations.
Jeff Tyler's insights
On the opening keynote of day one, it was great to hear the perspective of Cameron Costello, a Quandamooka traditional owner, about First Nation's deep connection to water and how that knowledge can assist in sustainable water solutions.
This was further strengthened by Dr Margaret Cook and the hydro-illogical perspective of how water has been managed and our historical relationship with such a precious resource.
Once again, it was great catching up with familiar faces and meeting new people that we can strengthen our relationship within the water industry. It was also great to see the Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin On-Ground Works, Lake Hawdon project win the Infrastructure Project Innovation Award, which is a project that many Tonkin staff have played a role in.