To our presenters, participants, volunteers, sponsors, and exhibitors – thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Queensland Water Industry Operations Conference & Exhibition on 24–25 June.
For the first time ever, we took the event to the Gold Coast Sports & Leisure Centre — and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. With a total of 819 people attended the event, including 322 exhibitors, 355 visitors, and 142 delegates, this year’s conference delivered one of our strongest turnouts yet for the region, with growth across every category compared to 2025.
Your passion and commitment are what make this event such a standout on the industry calendar. We’re already gearing up for 2027 — and yes, we’re excited to be returning to the Gold Coast, so watch this space!
Across two packed days, the conference buzzed with knowledge sharing, collaboration, new partnerships, hands‑on demonstrations and inspiring keynote sessions.
More than anything, the conference highlighted the strength of our community — the career journeys, shared experiences and professional networks that keep our most important commodity safe, reliable and future‑proof.
This year’s Women in Water Operations Breakfast set the tone early, welcoming a record 40+ attendees for a morning of connection, conversation and inspiration. With women now representing around 15% of the Australian water operations workforce, it’s fantastic to see this number continue to rise as the industry builds a more inclusive and diverse future.
The much-anticipated annual live events were once again crowd favourites on the event calendar.
The IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in Queensland competition delivered high octane passion and excitement, with 9 entries and a close final between the top three.
A strong crowd packed in again for the Reece Civil + Viadux Main Tapping Competition where skill, speed and teamwork were on full display. Reigning champions Gold Coast Council faced off against Gympie Regional Council after 7 impressive entries from across the region — a true showcase of operational excellence.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
To our sponsors: thank you once again. Your support strengthens the industry and ensures events like this continue to grow and thrive. On behalf of WIOA, thank you for making the 2026 event such a standout success. We can’t wait to welcome you back in 2027.
2026 QLD Conference Award Winners & Recognitions
Congratulations to all our award winners, your achievements are a true reflection of the dedication, effort, and hard work that goes into delivering essential water supply across Australia! View full gallery here.
