Turning water knowledge into resilient communities
What does your role involve?
Based in Brisbane, I lead the Queensland rivers and coastal team, supporting project delivery, technical excellence and client relationships across Australia and the Pacific. My role combines winning work, maintaining quality and helping teams solve complex engineering challenges.
Much of my work focuses on helping communities become more resilient to flooding and coastal hazards. One project I am particularly proud of is the Hunter Valley Flood Mitigation Scheme, where more than 300 km of levees help protect communities, industry and farmland. The challenge is finding the right balance. Flooding can be part of a healthy river system and beneficial for agriculture, so our role is not simply to stop floods, but to reduce the impacts of major events while allowing natural processes to continue.
Another project that stands out is our work on the Parramatta River. While investigating flood mitigation options, I drew on experience from a similar challenge in the UK, where a movable weir had been successfully implemented to lower water levels during flood events whilst maintaining public amenity during normal flows. By combining global knowledge with local understanding, we were able to propose a solution expected to deliver greater flood reduction benefits than other alternatives. It was a great reminder of the value of deep technical expertise and international collaboration.
Working on the Lae flood barrier in Papua New Guinea was a turning point. It was my first Pacific project and my first step from freshwater into a saltwater environment. It also coincided with my move from hands-on design into an associate director role. I still value seeing infrastructure take shape, but in my role I now get equal satisfaction from helping people grow into stronger engineers.
I still enjoy seeing projects come to life, but I now get just as much satisfaction from helping engineers grow and succeed. The Pacific has also reinforced how important it is to deliver practical, long-lasting solutions that genuinely benefit communities. There is tremendous opportunity to make a positive difference, provided we remain focused on quality, resilience and local needs.
I am excited by the opportunity to bring more of Haskoning's global expertise to Australia and the Pacific, while keeping a sharp focus on quality, practical solutions and the people and communities our work is designed to protect.
15 insights for the future of engineering
