We are now less than a month away from Ozwater’25, which will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The conference will commence with the Young Water Professionals Program on Monday, 19 May, followed by the main conference program running from 20 to 22 May. A range of parallel events will also take place, including the welcome reception, various site tours, and the gala dinner.
Ozwater’25 will mark the second time I attend the conference in person. Based on my professional interests and volunteering commitments, I have outlined a selection of events I plan to attend. This itinerary may serve as a helpful reference for others looking to develop a similar approach to navigating the conference.
Monday 19 May
(8:30AM-6PM) Young Water Professional Program
The highlight of the morning will undoubtedly be the opening keynote delivered by fellow Young Water Professional—and friend—Dr Samuel Skinner. Sam was also recognised as the Young Professional of the Year at the Ozwater’24 Gala Dinner. A natural leader, his keynote is set to inspire emerging professionals to consider how we can accelerate action toward a sustainable water future amidst growing uncertainty.
In the afternoon, I’m particularly looking forward to the site tours curated specifically for Young Water Professionals. Among them, the Amiblu Flowtite Factory Tour stands out as the most exciting. Having worked with similar products on previous projects, I see this tour as a unique opportunity to gain firsthand insight into the local manufacturing of advanced piping systems.
(6:00PM) Ozwater’25 Welcome Reception
This is an excellent opportunity to network and set the tone for the days ahead. During these networking sessions, I make it a point to reconnect with existing contacts while also aiming to meet at least three new people whom I follow up with them after the event.
Tuesday 20 May – Day 1
(8:00AM-8:30AM) Arrival Cleansing & Smoking Ceremony
(10:45AM-12:40PM) Community & Customer Engagement @ Room E1
Stream 5. Theme 01: Communities of the Future
- Not Engagement as Usual: Opening the Regulated Pricing Black Box – Matthew Pearce (Sunwater)
- Customer Engagement and Sentiment for Environmental Protection and Healthy Waterways – Lyndall Pickering (Sydney Water)
- The Golden Thread of Insights: Connecting Customer Voices to Strategic Planning – Helen Spencer and Anna Crump (SA Water)
- Putting Customers at the Heart: 2025-2030 Pricing Proposal Community Engagement Overview – Clara Hogue (Hunter Water)
- Yarra vs Parra, Reconnecting People with Urban Waterways – Nerida Taylor (Sydney Water) and Matt Skukes (Regenerative Projects)
(01:40PM-03:10PM) Construction @ Hall A
Stream 3, Theme 09: The Water Nexus: Achieving a Circular Economy
- SA Water PVC Pipe Waste Reduction Scheme – Natalie Cotes Gomez (Aurecon) and David Daminato (SA Water)
- Novel Sustainable Backfill Materials for Pipeline Trenches Using Stabilised Soil with Recycled Glass and Other Additives – Hadi Karami (GHD)
- Advancing Circular Economy: Beneficial Reuse of Wastewater Biogas for Sustainable Biomethane Production – Sally Rewell and Fiona Copeman (Sydney Water)
- Sustainable Concrete: Foundations to Delivering Scope 3 Commitments – Farzad Moghaddam (Sydney Water)
(04:00PM-05:30PM) Investment and Pricing Outlook: Increasing Capital Expenditure by Water Utilities The Risks, Issues, and Opportunities – Panel/Workshop (Arup) @ Riverbank Rooms 7 & 8
Wednesday 21 May – Day 2
(08:30AM-10:45AM) Exhibition Hall
The exhibition is free for all visitors and it is one of my favourite places to meet suppliers and make new connections for future projects. This is often where I catch up with former colleagues.
(10:45AM-12:40PM) Renewals @ Riverbanks Rooms 2, 3 &4
Stream 3, Theme 03: Asset Management, Planning & Delivery
- Kinross Road Development: Sewer Trunk Infrastructure Upgrade – Raju Dharani and Xiaolian Wang (Redland City Council)
- Reducing Water Losses from Service Connections – Ken Goraya (Unity Water)
- Hanna St and Caufield West Branch Sewer Works: Addressing Aging Brick Sewers in Melbourne – Jessica Lim and Jessie Huang (South East Water)
- Operator Led Renewals: Starting with the End in Mind Means Looking Back to Move Forward – Laurence Marano (WSP / Logan Water Partnership)
- Marian and Mirani Reservoirs Refurbishment While Keeping Them in Operation – Avneet Sethi (Mackey Regional Council) and Ian Donoghue (Freyssinet)
(12:40AM-05:30AM) Exhibition Hall / Free Time
Thursday 22 May – Day 3
(10:00AM-11:50AM) Skilled migrants Morning Tea @ Suez Stand
Now in its second year, this free event at Ozwater is quickly becoming one of the fixtures of Ozwater. The event presents an outstanding opportunity for skilled migrants to connect with exhibitors, with the aim of finding meaningful roles where they can apply their expertise for the benefit of the broader water industry.
(11:50AM-05:30AM) Exhibition Hall / Free Time
You can follow me on Bluesky during Ozwater’25 to find out what I’ll get up to!
QANAT 
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