Conference Papers | 2003 Conference Papers

WIOA President's Message

Welcome to the 66th Annual Victorian Water Industry Engineers and Operators Conference.

The organisation of an event such as this requires the input, time and dedication of many people. Thank you firstly to Goulburn Valley Water for acting as host and major sponsor for this conference, and also for the ongoing support of WIOA. A big thank you must go to the WIOA Committee Members, and in particular our Secretary, George Wall. They all work diligently away in the background and their efforts probably go unnoticed to the majority of conference delegates. Rest assured the work they put in is much appreciated and all their efforts combine to ensure that we can deliver a successful, enjoyable and hassle free event to the assembled delegates.

Ron and Cheryl Bergmeier and staff from Australian Pollution Engineering deserve special praise for their continued efforts in organising the trade exhibition. This is the 15th consecutive year they have done this job and believe me, the workload is enormous. Interestingly, the first formal trade exhibition was staged at the Shepparton conference in 1989 with 19 exhibitors present. This year we had room for 62 exhibitors and the booths were all filled within 3 days of sending out the invitations. It is clear that under Ron and Cheryl's dedicated guidance, this trade exhibition has developed into one of the premier Australian water industry events for companies to showcase their products and services, and is now a key element of the conference program.

The registration fees for this conference are able to be kept low due to the support and generosity of a number of Major and Associate sponsors. To all our sponsors we say a big thank you and we encourage you to keep the products or services of these companies in mind when undertaking your respective jobs.

Without wishing to offend any of our other valued sponsors, it is important to recognise the contribution of some long standing supporters of this event. The Water Sector Services branch of DSE has contributed to the printing of this conference manuscript for many years and allows the production of what we see as a valuable water industry resource. The Victorian Branch of AWA has assisted with the distribution of information and publicises this event extensively on our behalf. In addition, the AWA sponsored Water Industry Operator of the Year, Wal Whiteside Award, has been presented at the conference annually since the award's inception in 1980.

Actizyme has sponsored the prizes for Best Papers by WIOA members for the past 12 years and the Water Industry Training Centre (WITC) is again sponsoring the 'Poster Paper' section for operators. These awards have been provided as an encouragement for operators to document the great work they do on a day to day basis, and then to communicate this to the delegates at the conference. Doing the job comes easy, it is the communication part that is a daunting prospect to a number of operators. It is pleasing to see a number of previous winners of both these awards now stepping up and taking a more active role in the water industry in general.

I would like take this opportunity to thank all the companies who are exhibiting and encourage all delegates to support them by introducing yourselves and having a look at what is on display at their sites.

In conjunction with the trade exhibition will be the "Conference Competition" ably organised by Peter Tolsher. The way the competition works is that teams of three people must visit a set number of trade sites. At each site, the team will be asked to perform some sort of a challenge and the team will receive a score depending on how well they do. At the end of the conference, the points will be tallied and a number of fantastic prizes will be distributed to the winners. The competition has created a lot of interest in the last couple of years with a number of teams and trade exhibitors participating so make sure you get involved.

It is appropriate to also give a plug to the Annual Water Industry Charity Golf day. The 2002 event was held at the Trafalgar Golf Club in November with a large contingent of players teeing up. A big thank you is extended to the corporate sponsors of the day, many of whom are also exhibiting at this conference, as a sizeable sum has been raised for charity. The winner of the Tradies Cup played for by the event sponsors was Rod Norman from Acromet. The next golf day will be held at Trafalgar GC on Sunday 2nd November 2003. Put this date in your diary right now, get out your clubs and brush off the cobwebs, and we'll see you all there.

To the WIOA Committee I give my unreserved praise for the manner in which you have all gone about your tasks and contributed to the continued success of the Association. Committee members give much of their own time to attend meetings and functions, and to carry out their duties. In praising the Committee, I would like to also thank their employers and families for supporting their efforts.

As usual, thank you to all the people from the industry who have come along as delegates. We thank you for your support and request that you pass on our gratitude to your employer for allowing your participation. Please make the most of this opportunity to network with your fellow water industry colleagues, listen to the papers and check out the posters, browse through the trade displays, and make sure you increase your overall level of knowledge. These are the main aims we have for the conference and we hope that you will take the opportunity to achieve them.

At the time of writing this report, the venue for the 2004 conference had not been finalised and in keeping with tradition, we intend to announce the venue and Host Authority during this conference. Enjoy the conference in Shepparton this year, and hopefully we'll see you all again next year.

John Harris
WIOA President