2 June 2011

In May, Allen Paul, Shannon Creek Dam Site Officer at Clarence Valley Council, won the WIOA NSW Operator of Year Award, sponsored by the Water Directorate. As part of the award he attended the WIOA Study Tour to New Zealand. Below is a report from Allen about his trip and experience on the study tour. "It is with great pleasure I write this report for the Water Directorate and the WIOA committee.  I felt very privileged and honored to receive the NSW Operator of the Year award for 2011.
 
I am very thankful of receiving the prize of a fully funded trip to New Zealand which was truly a remarkable experience, the trip was enhanced by the two Kiwi delegates from WIOG NZ, John Clemens and Stu Craib, who provided very informative commentary during our bus trip around Christchurch and Kaiapoi, and all the way around our trip. To see the devastation after the earthquakes was truly an eye opener, my heart goes out to all the people that have been displaced during this crisis.
 
In our travels with fourteen other Australians in the group, we visited various water treatment plants and waste water treatment plants. The first of these was at Dunedin's Mount Grand water treatment plant.  I would like to thank Ken Shaw for his expertise and knowledge of his treatment operation, his tour was very informative as this was the first time I had visited such a plant.  Finding out what challenges the operators face to perform their duties, for example water colour is a big issue, and the method of extracting the colour by forced air floatation.
 
Thanks also to Tony Moorland for his tour of Milton water treatment plant, and to understand the frustration the operator faces here having to work long hours to keep up supply during rain events.  Milton treatment is by membrane and chemicals.
 
We also visited Alexandra waste water treatment plant which is aeration and sludge extraction. Steve Davies is the project manager of the Wanaka waste water treatment plant and Murray Spence who I would like to thank for the tour.  This plant is a large aeration treatment plant covering a population of 5000 and has the ability to cope with tourist increase well over 20,000 it is a relatively new plant of five years.
 
We attended the two day WIOG NZ conference in Queenstown which was very well organised and a lot of excellent papers were presented which were very informative.
 
I would like to thank WIOG and all the Kiwis for their hospitality during our visit. I take this opportunity to give a special thanks to George Wall, Ron Bergmeier and Russell Mack for organising this most memorable trip to New Zealand, and a big "Thank You" to the Water Directorate and WIOA for their support of this fantastic prize.  Hopefully this award will continue and another lucky NSW operator will be able to participate next year."
Congratulations again to Allen Paul. The Water Directorate is pleased to continue our sponsorship of this award in 2012 and we encourage our members to nominate a suitable candidate for this great prize next year.

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