Upcoming Events
On behalf of Stormwater Queensland and the International Erosion Control Association Australasia, we are pleased to announce that registration is now available for the ‘Local Governments Role in Managing Erosion and Sediment Control’ Seminar to be held on Thursday, 14th April, 2016 from 1.30 pm to 5.00 pm at Riverlife Brisbane.
Seminar Focus
The implementation and management of erosion and sediment controls on Queensland urban development construction sites has been historically poor with studies undertaken by Healthy Waterways indicating up to 95% of sites are not compliant. Local governments can play a vital role in the management of erosion and sediment control from the development application process through to regulation on the ground. Although there is improvement by some local governments, in general the approach is very ‘hands off’ resulting in poor site management and water quality outcomes.
In contrast many Council’s in New Zealand including Auckland Regional Council adopt a very different ‘hands on’ approach with no cost to Council. This forum will include a panel session, discussion and a presentation from Michael Parsonson from Southern Skies Environmental who has been involved with erosion and sediment control policy in Auckland. The discussions will provide insight into alternative strategies that could be adopted by local governments to provide a greater level of protection to waterways.
Registrations for this Seminar is now closed.
Seminar Panelists
Michael has over 18 years environmental management experience, gained from geotechnical consultancy, consents and compliance, project management and team management roles at the Auckland Regional Council, and as a director of SouthernSkies Environmental Limited. Michael’s experience covers the assessment and preparation of permits and approvals under regional and district plans, policy and plan development, expert witness services, site auditing, development of best practice guidelines for practitioners, peer reviewing, and construction environmental training. This breadth of experience in regulatory, technical, planning, political interface, team management and programme management roles assists in the delivery of all his projects. Michael is also a certified and experienced independent hearings commissioner.
Leon is an Engineer with 16 years experience in the fields of urban stormwater management, water sensitive urban design, erosion and sediment control and floodplain management. Leon started his own business in 2014 and has provided ESC auditing for major clients including developments by Stockland and LendLease as well as providing policy and auditing advice for Local and State Government. Prior to this Leon ran the ESC compliance program for Sunshine Coast Council and played a key part in the Council achieving the Ministers Grand Prize at the Healthy Waterways Awards in 2009. Leon is an acknowledged expert in the field of integrated water management, having held a position on the Scientific Expert Panel of Healthy Waterways and being an acknowledged contributor to a number of key industry guidelines on the topic.
Kel has been working as an environmental professional for over fifteen years with ten years’ experience in the construction industry. During this time he has been involved on both the Client and Contractor side of the fence on a large number of construction projects ranging from electrical substations to high pressure gas pipelines and large-scale dams. Kel has spent the last 5 years working in the CSG industry primarily as the Corporate Environmental Advisor for Soil and Erosion at one of the major CSG companies. As the start of 2016, Kel started work with Ipswich City Council as their specialist for everything related to erosion and sediment control. The main goal for the role is to improve the level of compliance on construction projects in the area through a combination of education and enforcement.
Terry is a Principal Environmental Engineer with over 13 years direct experience in the area of soil and water management. His professional experience includes ESC, stormwater management, contaminated land, acid sulfate soil investigations, project management and delivery of specialist training. Terry is currently employed as ESC Technical Services Manager for O2 and has previously held roles within both private industry and Local Government. This experience has provided him with a comprehensive understanding of the entire development process from the initial project conception, design and construction phases and subsequent final delivery. Terry has gained a high level appreciation of the challenges, constraints and impacts associated with application, monitoring, training and compliance with ESC requirements for both clients and contractors.
During his time with O2, Terry has specialised in erosion and sediment control, and has been responsible for the planning, design, supervision, auditing and management of ESC aspects on some of Queensland’s largest infrastructure projects. Terry holds the internationally recognized qualifications of Certified Practitioner in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) and Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS). In addition, Terry is a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ).
Terry regularly presents a range of ESC training courses in accordance with IECA (2008) and has trained over 1,000 people in QLD, NSW, NT and TAS. He has been invited by Griffith University to sessional lecture Engineering Design and has previously presented ESC training at Sydney TAFE.
Mr Mark Gibson is an experienced engineer with over 20 years’ experience in local government and private industry. He is a specialist in stormwater quality and quantity management, erosion and sediment control, waterway health enhancement and water policy and planning. Mark has completed a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and a Graduate Diploma in Integrated Water Management. He is a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland and a Member of Engineers Australia and Stormwater Queensland. Mark has most recently been involved in reviewing and updating the Brisbane City Council’s hazard assessments, standards and requirements for Erosion and Sediment Control plans and programs. Mark has worked as a Principal Engineer in with Brisbane City Council for the past four years as well as being the Director of MRG Water Consulting Pty Ltd. Mark has extensive industry knowledge of the design and use of Erosion and Sediment Control measures for residential and industrial construction sites.
Coops Drainage and Civil has been operating in South East Queensland for the past 30 years with projects ranging from problematic drainage solutions to large scale subdivisions and inter-regional infrastructure.
Coops Drainage and Civil has experience in the construction of full subdivision projects, storm water drainage, large pump stations, trunk sewer reticulation and trunk water reticulation projects. This experience includes bulk earthworks, detailed earthworks, road works and pavement, vacuum sewer, recycled water, structural concrete, box culverts, and pipeline testing with NATA Accreditation.
To download a map of Riverlife and suggested transport options, please click below:
If you would like to continue in the discussion on Local Government’s Role in Managing ESC and further explore the reasons behind poor compliance of ESC in urban development in Qld, IECA are hosting drinks and BBQ after the seminar at Riverlife. You will also have the opportunity for further discussions with Michael Parsonson from New Zealand in regards to alternative policy and regulation strategies. To register your attendance at this event, please click on the following link http://www.austieca.com.au/events/event/lets-talk-dirt
If you have any questions relating to this Seminar, please do not hesitate to contact Lilly Barker at GEMS Event Management on +61 2 9744 5252 or via email lbarker@gemspl.com.au.
Stormwater Queensland in conjunction with Stormwater Australia are hosting an update session on the New National Protocol for the Evaluation of Stormwater Quality Improvement Devices will be held at The Greek Club from 1.30 pm to 3.00 pm on Tuesday, 21st June.
Background
There are statewide provisions for stormwater quality management in the State Planning Policy, and many local governments also have stormwater quality provisions within their planning scheme.
Over the past several years there has been concern over the lack of a clear framework to verify the performance claims for proprietary stormwater products, also known as stormwater quality improvement devices (SQID). This has become a point of tension in the development assessment process.
Over the past two years Stormwater Australia has been developing a Stormwater Quality Improvement Devices Evaluation Protocol (SQIDEP). The protocol developed this far has a particular focus on providing guidance on field testing requirements, collection, analysis and presentation of data, and ensuring the process is both technically competent and sufficiently independent to support confidence in the outcomes.
The draft SQIDEP can be downloaded by clicking the link below or alternatively please cut and past the following link into your web browser:
Stormwater Queensland in conjunction with Stormwater Australia will be hosting a public event providing an update on the SQID Protocol, This event will comprise of a general information session and open to a broad cross section of stakeholders and interest groups including manufacturers and vendors of products. Local government officers, consultants and other relevant stakeholders are also invited to attend in order to understand the basics of the protocol. This event will be held from 1.30 pm until 3.00 pm on the afternoon of Tuesday, 21st June, 2016.
Cost:
Free Registration is provided to members of Stormwater Queensland Members. Registration for non members is $65 per person.
To register your place for the SQID Update Session, click on the button below, which will take you to the online registration form.
Online registration will close on Friday, 17th June
Should you have any questions regarding registration, please email registration@gemspl.com.au.
If you would like to know more about the SQID Update Session, please contact Stormwater Queensland on 1300 721 220.
Following the success of our inaugural 2015 Winter School, Stormwater Queensland is proud to be hosting our second Winter School, providing ongoing professional development opportunities for the industry.
This year’s Winter School will include a Full Day Technical Tour, showcasing several innovative ‘real world’ projects within Ipswich City. By popular demand, Grant Witheridge will also present an Advanced Erosion and Sediment Control Workshop.
This year’s Winter School will coincide with our Stormwater Queensland Awards for Excellence (held on Thursday, 7th at Dockside) to assist with industry professionals travelling from across the state.
This Winter School is targeted at staff from all areas of the stormwater industry including civil engineers, environmental engineers, hydrological and hydraulic engineers, urban designers, urban planners and local government officers.
To register for the Technical tour, Workshop or both, click on the below button, which will take you to the Online Registration Form.
WEEK AT A GLANCE
Tuesday, 5th July
Technical Tour of Ipswich – Includes a fish passage project, flood mitigation works , and multi-functional stormwater projects.
Presenters –Adam Berry, and Paul Smith Ipswich Council, Paul Dubowski, BMT WBM and David Sexton, Engeny
Wednesday, 6th July
Workshop – Advanced Erosion and Sediment Control Training
Presenter: Grant Witheridge, Catchments and Creeks Pty Ltd
Thursday, 7th July
2016 Stormwater Queensland Awards Presentation Luncheon
To find out more about the Stormwater Queensland Awards Presentation Luncheon, please click here
TECHNICAL TOUR – 5th July
The Technical Tour will be a fantastic opportunity to experience first-hand, a very broad range of catchment management projects and to hear about the challenges and solutions related to each project.This tour will also provide participants with the chance to learn directly from the practitioners involved in bringing the projects to fruition, with plenty of opportunities for questions, debate and discussion.Sites to be featured on this Technical Tour include:
- Redbank Plains Recreational Reserve Integrated Urban Stormwater Project: This recently constructed project includes a flood detention basin (providing 90 000m3 of flood storage) and stormwater harvesting wetland
- Berry’s Weir Fish Passage: Currently being constructed (with completion expected before the tour) to provide fish passage through this identified high priority barrier on the Bremer River.
- Jim Donald Parklands Multi-functional Stormwater Project: Currently being constructed (with completion expected before the tour), this project will comprise a multi-functional asset that provides flood mitigation, stormwater quality improvement, stormwater harvesting, new irrigated sports fields and open space integration within the surrounding area.
- Thagoona Flood Mitigation Works: Developed in response to devastating floods in 2008 and 2011 and subsequent detailed planning, works including a large earthen levee, drainage channel, culverts and an upgraded rail bridge to the south of the area.
ADVANCED EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL WORKSHOP – 6th July
Presented by Grant Witheridge, this workshop will include two elements:
- Development of Erosion and Sediment Control Plans: Focusing on the preparation of ESC’s for various construction sites.
- Sizing Drainage and Sediment Control Measures: Discussing the hydraulic design (sizing) of various drainage and sediment control measures, including detailed discussion on sediment basin design.
The Workshop will include a workbook, practical work activities and catering for morning tea and lunch.
LOCATION AND TIMES
Tuesday, 5th July and Wednesday, 6th July 2016 (9.00 am – 5.00 pm)
The Landing at Dockside – 44 Ferry Street, Kangaroo Point, 4169
REGISTRATION FEES
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If you would like to register for this event, please contact Lilly Barker on +61 2 9744 5252 or via email lbarker@gemspl.com.au
Stormwater Queensland are pleased to present the 2016 Awards for Excellence Presentation Luncheon.
The award categories for the 2016 Awards for Excellence are:
- Excellence in Strategic or Master Planning
- Excellence in Infrastructure
- Excellence in Asset Management
- Excellence in Research and Innovation
- Excellence in Policy or Education
- Excellence in Integrated Stormwater Design
If you would like to register for this event, please contact Lilly Barker on +61 2 9744 5252 or via email lbarker@gemspl.com.au.
National Awards for Excellence
Under the Awards for Excellence protocol adopted by Stormwater Australia, only the recipients of the State Awards for Excellence will be eligible for the National Excellence Awards. Preceding two years of State award winners (2015 and 2016) will be eligible for the National Awards in 2016. Therefore, entry of a project into a State Excellence Awards is a minimum prerequisite for participation in the National Awards.
The National Awards is held every two years. The next National Awards will be announced at the Stormwater National 2016 Conference in Brisbane, Queensland on Wednesday, 31st August, 2016.
Should you have any questions about the 2016 Stormwater Queensland Awards for Excellence, please contact Event Coordinator, Lilly Barker on +61 2 9744 5252 or via email to lbarker@gemspl.com.au.
Stormwater Australia invites you to attend STORMWATER 2016, the 4th National Conference convened by Stormwater Australia, to be held from Monday, 29th August to Friday, 2nd September, 2016 in Surfers Paradise, Queensland.
In 2009, the United Nations reported that more than half the world’s population lived in urban centres. This proportion is set to increase to 66% by 2050, when it is estimated that city dwellers will live and share their neighbourhoods with an additional 2.5 billion people.
As our cities grow and evolve, it is imperative that we manage our resource and our natural resources to ensure they continue to provide clean, healthy environments for ourselves and the next generation. Access to adequate supplies of safe and fit-for-purpose water will be increasingly important to meet the needs of a growing population, while the responsible management of runoff from both increasing sprawl and density in existing urban areas will be needed to increase our resilience to natural disasters such as flood and heat waves, and to avoid further environmental and social degradation.
The modern stormwater industry seeks to balance traditional issues with emerging priorities which are being placed on our infrastructure. Practitioners are experienced in working at the coal face, often pragmatically dealing with issues in a complex environment where policy requirements are often unclear, but the demand for good outcomes and multiple benefits are not. The growing need to work in multidisciplinary teams, to lead and influence, to understand and assimilate different points of view and technical requirements, will be core skills required in the future.
Challenge and change brings opportunity. Fiscal constraints are an ever present reality. New and emerging technologies are developed to provide technical solutions. Increasingly we are seeing new business models that empower greater choice. Increasingly we are looking to solve nexus issues around water, energy and food. In an increasingly connected world, information has a new currency to support decision making and engagement with community. As economies around the world transition to make better use of all this knowledge, there is potential to develop new markets and trade opportunities.
The ‘Rising to the Challenge’ Conference will reach out beyond our core industry practitioners to engage with a broader group of committed and talented people who will all need to work together to develop the solutions of the future. Stormwater Australia invites you and your colleagues from all disciplines and experiences to participate in what we anticipate to be an exciting and engaging Conference that builds upon earlier successes, inspires participants and provide opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
For all enquiries and registrations please visit – www.stormwater2016.com.au
Sponsored by;
Time: 8.30am for a 9.00am start and finishing with lunch from 12.30pm
The commencement of the new Planning Act in mid-2017 has been a driver for the Department of Infrastructure, Local Government & Planning (DILGP) to review how State interests are expressed in the planning system. In November 2016, DILGP released consultation drafts of theState Planning Policy (SPP), the State Development Assessment Provisions and the Planning Regulation. These drafts can be downloaded from this website. The draft SPP includes some important changes to the State interest – water quality.
The changes associated with the policy are likely to have some noteworthy implications for urban development, communities and the environment.
Stormwater Queensland is hosting a forum to assist in understanding how the Draft SPP proposes to change regulatory requirements for stormwater quality management.
The event is recommended for those involved in urban stormwater planning, policy or development. Submissions on the draft SPP close 10 February 2017 so the Forum is also recommended for any person or organisation considering making a submission on the water quality aspects of the policy.
An expert panel from a broad cross section of the industry has been convened for this event to provide different perspectives on the policy. The panel will include a range of speakers including:
Sponsored by;
Time: 8.30am for a 9.00am start (concluding with lunch from 12.30pm)
As part of any development approval, local governments request developers to meet stringent stormwater quality requirements before allowing stormwater to discharge to local receiving waterways or adjoining public stormwater infrastructure. For over a decade now, these requirements have been met by use of various types of proprietary and non-proprietary stormwater treatment devices or systems, including Gross Pollutant Traps, Oil and Silt Arresters, Sediment Fore-Bays, Trash Racks, Litter Baskets, Sediment Ponds, Swales and Bio-Retention Systems, etc. All of these systems need maintenance in order to consistently meet the quality requirements of their design. When reflecting on our efforts in stormwater quality improvement over the last decade, a number of important questions arise, including:
- Are these systems, both public and privately owned, being maintained according to manufacturer specifications and/or design guidelines?
- Who is responsible for maintaining these systems? How is local government responsible for publicly owned assets? What obligations do private asset owners have to maintain these assets?
- What regulatory or incentive frameworks are currently in place to ensure these assets are maintained? What regulatory or incentive frameworks could be considered in the future?
- How does local government keep a track of these assets? Do they know where they are located? How much data or information do they have?
- How do they use this data or information? How do they store it? Who is responsible for it?
- To what extent are systems owned by private entities, other than local governments, being maintained?
Stormwater Queensland is hosting a forum to assist in understanding the management situation for public and privately owned systems and to find answers to the above. The event is recommended for those involved in urban stormwater planning, policy or development, asset management and maintenance. An expert panel from a broad cross section of the industry is being convened for this event to provide different perspectives on this topic.
An expert panel from a broad cross section of the industry has been convened for this event to provide different perspectives on this topic including;
- Claire McAsh – Senior Environmental Engineer, City of Gold Coast
- Russell Cadman – WSUD Compliance Officer, Blacktown City Council, NSW
- Aaron Marmara – Operations Supervisor, Cleanaway
- Mark Bibby – General Manager, Regen Australia
- Jack Mullaly – Crazed Founder, Ideanthro
There are some fantastic examples from the UK and other parts of the world that use a naturalistic approach to floodplain management. The question is, however, can these types of techniques be practically applied in SEQ? Given that the local climate and other components are vastly different to these areas, will these approaches be feasible and if so to what degree and how would they be best used?
Recent discussions within some organisations have pinned hopes on naturalistic floodplain management as “the answer” to several common issues, which makes it well worth considering. However, there are unresolved issues regarding the importance of revegetation weighed against the potential for increased flood levels upstream (and potential decreased flood levels downstream) also the quantification measurement and modelling of such approaches, climate, storage, practicality as well as the cost of implementation.
Key items that will be discussed include:
- Applying Natural Floodplain Management Techniques in Queensland. What is the likelihood for success?
- Lessons learned from the UK on Natural Floodplain Management. Application of natural techniques should as floodplain reengagement, revegetation, infiltration and temporary storage through leaky weirs etc.
- Discussion surrounding the future Bremer River Catchment Study and the opportunities for integrated water approaches
- Application of revegetation etc in Bremer/Lockyer systems and possible implications for the regional area.
- The power of using flood mitigation as a mechanism to get other benefits (water quality, bank stabilisation, more trees in the ground)
- Hurdles such as property resumptions, increasing flooding upstream whilst benefiting downstream property, lack of legislation power to enable greater community good and working with landowners on useable land.
- Previous case studies and a quick look at what Ipswich is looking at for a natural floodplain management pilot project
Stormwater Queensland is hosting a lunchtime presentation to facilitate a transfer of ideas and assist in understanding a natural floodplain management approach.
Phil Smith (Waterways Health Officer) and Adam Berry (Floodplain Management Engineer) from Ipswich City Council will be co-presenting and will provide time at the end for discussion/questions and answers.
Winter School
sponsored by;
Date: 9, 10 and 11 August 2017
Time: 8.30am – 5.00pm each day
Venue: GHD, Level 8, 145 Ann Street, Brisbane
Price: $450 (p/workshop, p/day) SQ members; $550 (p/workshop, p/day) non-members
Space is Limited! Register today
Every year, Stormwater Queensland is proud to hold its annual “Winter School”. What is Winter School you might ask? Well, for those of you who have attended previously, the Winter School is a fantastic chance for all to brush-up on their stormwater management skills and possibly learn a thing or two, including updates on new or revised industry methods and applications. You get to learn one-on-one with industry experts and network with others in various stormwater management disciplines at the same time.
This year we are holding three full-days of workshops. These workshops are:
● DAY 1 – HEC-RAS 2D
This one day workshop is designed for those looking to make their first step into the 2D modeling world, along with seasoned professionals looking for a refresh on up to date modern techniques.
Key aspects covered by the course:
- Introduction to HecRas
- Key input parameters for 2D modeling
- Modeling of real life case studies
This course will be run by Krey Price. Krey is a civil engineer and project manager with international experience in water resources. He is engaged with computational modeling, engineering design, and project management for flood mitigation, mine rehabilitation, river and wetland restoration, Stormwater management and catchment assessment projects.
● DAY 2 – ARR Workshop – Neil Collins and Martin Giles
This one day workshop is set to cover off on one of the biggest changes to the Stormwater Industry in 30 years – ARR 2016.
Key points that will be covered in this one day workshop.
Overview of ARR16
- Key changes 87 vs. 16
- How to put together a Stormwater design or flood study using ARR16 (key emphasis on the new temporal patterns and ensemble storms)
- Key focus on Chapter 9: Urban Development
This course will be run by Martin Giles. Martin has 28 years’ experience, specializing in hydraulic and environmental investigations. Modeling work undertaken by Martin has included complex floodplain systems and the application of dynamic modeling to urban Stormwater design.
● DAY 3 – Stream Management – Misko Ivezich
This one day workshop will take you down the journey of stream management (fluvial geomorphology). This course will give designers the information and experience required to make informed design decisions that will result in a positive environmental outcome
The key concepts covered by this course:
- Fundamentals of Fluvial Geomorphology (including case studies)
- Fundamentals on waterway management
- Real life case study discussion
This course will be run by Misko Ivezich. Misko is an environmental engineer with core interests and skills in the complex interactions between hydrology, hydraulics and fluvial geomorphology. Misko has strong geomorphic field assessment skills having inspected hundreds of waterways across eastern Australia.
Thanks to our host and sponsor we have been able to reduce the cost so to ensure you receive a valuable and rewarding participation.
Costs per workshop, per day are:
● $450 SQ Members (inc GST)
● $550 Non-Members (inc GST)
Discounts Apply
Book 2 days – $50 off first day
Book 3 days – $100 off first day
Effective land and water management requires a holistic approach across catchments and the development cycle. But it also throws up challenges – grey areas – that require new or different ways of thinking.
For that reason, Stormwater Queensland (SQ) and the International Erosion Control Association (IECA) Australasia have come together for a joint conference in 2017 to recognise the common values and purpose they share in effective land, stormwater and waterway management:
All soil and water professionals are invited to join us in beautiful Brisbane in October 2017. The conference will bring together practitioners, academics, suppliers, asset owners and students in a common forum to engage, collaborate, discuss and dive headfirst into the grey areas of land and water management.
With so many established concepts and approaches for land and water management, this conference will explore the grey areas, the subtleties that exist within those approaches that can trip us up or mean the difference between success and failure. We’ll look at emerging technologies, established approaches, and will never discount embracing the old ways; what can we learn from past mistakes and how can we work smarter to manage our land and water resources?
This conference aims to celebrate our successes, explore new challenges, encourage better integration of soil and water management, and promote engineering and science as complimentary disciplines.
This conference effectively unites two organisations that are in the business of managing stormwater quality and quantity at various stages of development, from design to construction and on to operation.
The conference will include keynote speakers, plenary sessions, open discussion forums, panel sessions, technical workshops, exhibitions and a comprehensive social program.
With SQ and IECA coming together for this conference, it is sure to be a fun, vibrant, thought-provoking event that will expand delegates’ thinking and knowledge while challenging them to investigate the nuanced grey areas of land and water management.
We look forward to seeing you in Brisbane in October 2017!
Avoid disappointment and register today HERE
