SWQ Branch President’s Report

Dereck Sanderson SWQ Branch President

As I write this, many areas of the Darling Downs and South West are under siege from flooding with disaster response and recovery teams actioned and working around the clock. It has been a busy weekend and will only get busier as the water gets away and the true extent of the damage is revealed.

We have flood waters across our area from Brisbane all the way to Goondiwindi and West to Miles, with the Lockyer Valley being hardest hit. Predictions of rain easing Saturday 26 February did not eventuate, with the rain system stubbornly sitting over the top of the south-east corner. Creek levels rose quickly, approaching levels not seen since the devastating floods of 2011. Conditions have eased but there is just enough rain falling to keep creek levels up and many roads closed. We have vehicles stranded in the middle of the Warrego Highway that will need to be moved before we can safely open the road.

I am very proud of the way our different agencies across government work together to manage these types of disasters. Through collaboration, we are able to deliver the best outcomes for our communities. Some responders have worked 36 hours straight and although this is not to be encouraged, it demonstrates a commitment to community. We all have crews out in challenging condition to initially warn motorists of road safety issues and restrictions then focussing on providing emergency vehicle access and then repairing priority roads to minimise the impact on the broader community. I’m also proud of how well areas of the road network that were badly damaged in 2011 are holding up now. Clearly, the engineering involved in rebuilding our assets was of a high standard and that is why every community needs its engineer.

The ongoing frustration though, is educating people about the risks of attempting to cross flooded roads – the message just doesn’t get through to everyone. And given the herculean efforts of everyone involved in these flood recovery efforts, nerves can get a little frayed as energy levels understandably fall so please ensure you take care of yourself and your team mates.

Later this month, we will host another joint branch conference with our colleagues from the SEQ Branch and along with our host council, Toowoomba Regional Council, we look forward to welcoming a delegation of 200+ professionals from our industry.

The venue this year is the Highfields Cultural Centre with the conference dinner at the Highfields Pioneer Village. There have been suggestions that the Pioneer Village has had some hauntings but as engineers, this is not likely to distract us from socialising or an old-fashioned roast dinner.

We are offering two Tech Tours this year to accommodate the larger delegation. Tours depart by bus from the venue Tuesday 29 March at 3pm and return 5:30pm. Choose from:

Wagners CFT Facility tour

This exclusive tour of Wagners CFT facility featuring manufactured composite fibre material. Credited with manufacturing and installing the world’s first composite road bridge in a public road network and the first clip-on pedestrian walkway/cycleway onto an existing bridge, this tour

Esk Hampton Road 26.02.2022 12.00pm

will feature Wagners’ design capability, prefabrication and onsite installation processes.

Wagners products provide superior strength to weight ratio, are cost-effective and durable particularly in environmentally sensitive and challenging terrain.

Toowoomba Regional Council Principal Depot

The award-winning Toowoomba Principal Depot (projects over $20 million) is home to over 500 staff and Council’s Construction & Maintenance teams, Water Infrastructure, Fleet & Logistics, Parks & Recreation, Property Services, Stores and Procurement, the safety team and the parks nursery, as well as an SES facility.

A 200kW solar system, 400kW of battery storage for energy and 750kL rainwater tank for harvesting rainwater for irrigation and other non-potable uses makes this depot highly sustainable.

After the Tech Tours at 6pm, we’ll get together for an informal welcome function at the Royal Hotel. There’s no need to register – just turn up, grab yourself a drink and order dinner if you wish.

We have an excellent program again this year with relevant, local content and featuring local projects including the multiaward winning Kleinton Waste Management facility. Up to 12 CPD hours available including attendance at a Tech Tour.

And given our current challenges with mass flooding across the south east and south west corners, it will be an ideal time for us to get together, to share experiences and learnings and to take some time to recharge after what has been a challenging and exhausting period for public works professionals but this is what we do; this is who we are.

Finally, our best wishes to Mike Brady nominated by IPWEAQ for the Public Works Leadership Medal together with SEQ Branch member, Ross Ullman. Winners will be announced at the IPWC conference in Adelaide in May – good luck, Mike and Ross!

Grantham 25.02

Weir River 27.02.22 10.32am