Picture this: Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia, December 2023: Tropical Cyclone Jasper barrels through with winds up to 140 km/h and hundreds of millimetres of rain in just 24 hours. Roads flood, communities are cut off, and in an ironic twist, Cairns is hours away from running out of drinking water when debris blocks the intakes to its only treatment plant.
This is the rollercoaster reality of water management - swinging from too much to too little in hours. Against this backdrop, the Australian Water Association’s North Queensland Conference (7–8 August 2025) set the theme: “The Water Rollercoaster: Thriving in Extremes.”
As a
member of the Smart Cities Council, my focus was: what does it mean to be smart in integrated water management - especially when the ride is this wild? Below are just a few highlights from a dynamic and expertly curated conference program.
Smart Infrastructure: Securing Water in a High-Risk Landscape
When extremes strike, infrastructure must anticipate, not just recover. The Cairns Water Security Stage 1 project - the city’s largest-ever water investment - will deliver a new intake, treatment plant, reservoirs, and connecting network to secure supply, support growth, and strengthen resilience to events like Jasper.
Smart Tech: Data-Driven, Digitally Enabled
- Sunwater is modernising operations by shifting ArcGIS to the Azure cloud, giving field crews real-time spatial data access and setting the stage for machine learning and advanced analytics to improve operations and efficiency.
- Arup is using Matterport 3D scanning to create digital twins of facilities, improving safety, training, and supplier quoting.
Smart Engagement: People at the Centre
- Aurecon’s First Nations Value Mapping embeds cultural values into planning through deep engagement with Traditional Owners.
- Griffith University is co-designing outreach tools with Indigenous communities to build long-term water resilience.
- The Queensland Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers, with Arup, is creating a Blueprint for Water Treatment in Remote Indigenous Communities to close critical service gaps.
Smart Systems: Innovation with an Environmental Edge
Some of the most exciting developments were those pushing the boundaries of green technology and delivery.
Eco-Markets Australia is also demonstrating how market-based incentives can drive environmental innovation. Building on the Reef Credits Scheme - rewarding landholders for measurable water quality improvements - they are now developing the Australasian Catchment Water Improvement Standard (ACWIS). This “smart delivery” approach enables credit generation for projects in diverse catchments across Australia and New Zealand, creating a consistent, credible framework for investment in sediment control, nutrient reduction, and other water quality outcomes.
In a world-first, Pacific Biotechnologies and Burdekin Shire Council are using native algae to purify wastewater - protecting the Great Barrier Reef while delivering a cost-effective treatment solution.
Smart Planning: Designing for the Unknown
Queensland Urban Utilities’ Futures Thinking approach builds flexibility into long-term strategies, anticipating population growth, climate change, and unforeseen shocks - planning for uncertainty rather than despite it.
The Big Picture
Across the two days, a few recurring themes emerged including the need for:
- Visionary leadership and governance reform
- Aligning resources for resilience
- Cultural shifts, equitable participation and empowerment
- Scaling innovation and learning
With 50–60% of Australia’s water assets over 50 years old, the renewal challenge is huge - but so is the opportunity.
Thriving on the Ride
Being smart in water management means blending technology, cultural insight, environmental care, and the courage to rethink old ways - ensuring we can not only survive the extremes but thrive in them.
A rollercoaster it may be - but if this conference was any test, the future of the water industry is in good hands.
My congratulations and thanks to the AWA for its valuable work including in presenting events such as this.
