WIOA Interest Day attendees are shown the Maxcon Industry workshops

Aquatec Maxcon Group (AMG) were the proud hosts of the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA) Water Interest Day on the 7^th of November 2019. WIOA hosts several national events every year with these events aiming to bring together like-minded individuals from city and regional water authorities. Interest Days provide water professionals with opportunities to network and share valuable lessons and experiences with each other. The event held at AMG was organised by Colin Haynes (Queensland  Committee Chair) and facilitated by WIOA staff with help from other advisory committee members. Our AMG Service Manager, Zak Floyde Smith, assisted other committee members with organising the water interest day at our Ipswich Facility. Zak currently sits on the WIOA Queensland Advisory Board.

The Queensland Water Interest Day was attended by over 60 people. 8 Councils or Water Authorities were represented as were 2 State Government Departments and numerous suppliers to the greater water industry.  Aquatec Maxcon Group was selected to host the interest day as it is unique and the only business of its kind in Australia. Peter Ferrando, Managing Director of AMG, gave the opening presentation covering the history and a brief overview of the Aquatec Maxcon Group. Three papers were presented by Andy Watson (from the South Burnet Regional Council), Terry Heness (Toowoomba Regional Council) and Gary Hargreaves (TAFE Queensland). The speakers covered three separate topics including: New high tech headset equipment on show by TAFE QLD demonstrating the potential technology of the operators of the future; South Burnet Regional Council covered the huge financial and social success of utilising recycled water from their new Nereda Treatment plant in order to grow cattle feed and irrigate sporting grounds; Toowoomba Regional Council addressed a water treatment plant that is undergoing trials in order to improve operations.

Wrapping up the formal presentation component of the day, Jason Lee (QUU) held a Panel discussion where Tim Hardcastle (QUU) Shannon Thomas (Unity Water) and Marcus Boyd (Toowoomba Regional Council) spoke freely about several key topics including: What technologies could make a difference in the near future to operations; how to budget and organise funding; and how to encourage the next generation of emerging water professionals to get involved in the water industry.

Attendees were invited to participate in several tours of different key areas of the AMG premises. Aquatec Maxcon design was showcased in the design and drafting area integrating process, mechanical and electrical design as well as models that can be viewed in 2D, 3D and even in Virtual Reality. A tour was of the steel fabrication business, Maxcon Industries, was conducted. Maxcon Industries (MI) fabricates specialist equipment in mild steel as well as stainless steel.  MI also boasts onsite sand blasting, three large painting bays and a large assembly bay. A tour of the MPA Engineering facility was also held. At the MPA workshops, the groups were shown how the design and construction process for an entire switchboard is conducted. Starting with a set of drawings, progressing to an empty enclosure and ending with a switchboard under Factory acceptance testing - a lot goes into the manufacturing of a switchboard.

A little about WIOA: WIOA is an association whose members represent Private and Public Water Authorities across Australia. Members are welcomed from any organisation responsible for the maintenance or operation of any facet of the Water Industry. Interest Days provide water professionals with opportunities to network and share valuable lessons and experiences with each other. The numerous state based committees aim to promote increased standards of training as well as access to teaching material throughout the industry in order to increase the efficiency and competency of members. WIOA members are the unsung heroes of public health and environmental protection. Without highly skilled and well-trained operations staff across Australia we would not have safe drinking water at our disposal.

A quick thank you to our sponsors: Trojan Technologies (who sponsored the morning tea of Krispy Kreme doughnuts)

Feedback from those who attended the Interest Day has been very positive and the day has been cited as a great learning opportunity for all involved.

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Aquatec Maxcon is proud to be a part of the Whitsunday Regional Council's $25.4 million upgrade to Bowen’s Sewage Treatment Plant.

The upgrade will double the capacity of the existing sewage treatment plant and allow the new facility to treat a greater volume of quality Class A recycled water, which can be reused for irrigation in Bowen’s parks, ovals and golf courses.The new plant will also improve the quality of water being released into the Coral Sea, greatly benefiting the natural environment of Edgecumbe Bay and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

A photo of the Bowen Sewage Treatment Plant construction site taken on the 14th of September 2019

Construction on the new plant began in January 2019 and the upgraded plant is scheduled to be brought online from December 2019. There will be further commissioning, testing and site works following the completion of the plant at this stage, with the entire project expected to be completed in May 2020.

Click here to view "Growing Utopia", a brief video presentation about the Bowen STP Upgrade initiative

With the potential to service a population of 14,000 people, the new plant will not only help the environment with upgraded technology, it will provide greater water security for Bowen residents and farmers.

The Bowen Water Recycling project is part-funded ($9 million) by the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund which targets infrastructure development in regional areas. Whitsunday Regional Council has committed $16.4 million to the upgrade of the Bowen Sewage Treatment Plant.

Click here to read more about the Project  at the Whitsunday Regional Council website. 

From the Drawing Office: 3D Model of the Bowen Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade

3D model of the Bowen Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade superimposed over a photo of the Bowen site taken on the 14th of September 2019.

Aquatec Maxcon is proud to be associated with Local Buy through the Local Government Association Arrangement for the Supply of Products & Services for the provision of Road, Water, Sewerage & Civil Works (BUS270).

What is Local Buy?

The purpose of Local Buy is to provide Councils and other approved Purchasers with a straightforward procurement process. Purchasers will be provided with a choice of service providers who possess a strong regional presence - leading to the development of competitive local businesses, thus providing commercially competitive rates. Local Buy contracts allow clients to access the services we offer quickly and efficiently.

Why sell to Local Government?

Queensland councils are responsible for building and maintaining a large range of assets including roads, libraries, parks and gardens, leisure centres and waste facilities. In achieving this objective, Queensland local government entities spend approximately $12 billion on operating and capital expenditure and manage over $108 billion in total assets each year.

Goods and services accessed by Queensland councils each year include fuel, corporate wardrobe, pumps, sewer relining services, trucks, weighbridges and legal services.

Why do government purchasers use Local Buy?

A contractual arrangement established by Local Buy enables councils and local government authorities to purchase a diverse range of goods and services from Local Buy suppliers without tendering. While councils and local government authorities are not legally bound to use Local Buy’s services, purchasers using Local Buy arrangements save significant time and money.

For more information about Local Buy, visit http://www.localbuy.net.au/