When many new CEOs step into their role, the first few months are typically spent listening, learning, and gaining a deep understanding of the business, its people, strategy, and culture.
For me, that settling-in period looked a little different.
I started at Seqwater in January, and in March, Tropical Cyclone Alfred made landfall in South East Queensland—the first cyclone to do so in 50 years.
We also experienced a very wet summer season, with 14 Flood Operation Centre events, where our team of expert flood engineers made controlled releases from our gated dams, balancing storage needs and flood mitigation benefits.
If that wasn’t memorable enough, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck near the Sunshine Coast in August, the largest onshore quake in QLD in 50 years.
These events are a powerful reminder of the unpredictable environment in which we operate, and a real test of our emergency action planning, not to mention the resilience of our people that make our organisation run smoothly. I was inspired by how rapidly our teams mobilised to quickly assess assets, ensure a reliable supply of drinking water and reassure the community that our dams were safe.
While an unconventional start, it has sharpened my focus on the challenges and opportunities ahead, particularly around climate change and water security.
It has also strengthened my resolve to leave a legacy that builds on Seqwater’s important role in South East Queensland’s water story and prepares us for a more sustainable and resilient future.
These events really bring out the best in people, and I am incredibly proud of our team members who stepped up to keep essential services running during and after Cyclone Alfred. Many stayed on site throughout the cyclone, away from their families, to ensure that 3.8 million people across the region had access to clean, safe drinking water.
Investing in our future
Across our region, we manage one of the most geographically diverse water systems in Australia. We’re managing dams, desalination, recycled water, water treatment plants and a 600km pipeline network, producing up to 1,000 megalitres of water every day.
Through our Dam Improvement Program, we’re investing in our region’s dams to ensure ongoing safety and water security for years to come. Three are already in various stages of upgrade.
Construction is underway at Lake Macdonald, along with a package of staged strengthening works at North Pine Dam, and early and enabling works at Somerset Dam. Wivenhoe Dam, the region’s largest water storage dam, will also be upgraded, with an options analysis already underway.
As our population grows, we’re working to ensure that our infrastructure continues to be reliable and resilient. We’re achieving this through our Operations Transformation Program to better support the SEQ Water Grid, so it can continue to deliver to our customers, now and in the long term.
We’re also laying the foundations for building smarter systems, sharing knowledge and increasing network resilience to meet growing demand and shape the future of water.
Looking ahead to 2026
Seqwater will continue at pace next year as we deliver on our largest ever capital works program to secure South East Queensland’s water supply for generations to come.
Queensland is proud to be hosting Ozwater26 in Brisbane in May, and I look forward to sharing our progress, welcoming colleagues from across the industry, and showcasing the critical work we’re delivering here in the south-east.
Brisbane has big rivers and bold ideas to match, and we’re focused on delivering water for life. We look forward to continuing the great ideas and conversations.
For more information, visit seqwater.com.au