One of the most important and arguably underrated engineering groups in the country is meeting in Townsville this week at the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasia  – Queensland annual conference.

They’re the ones that keeps the clean water running, make sure the sewage is treated and generally ensure the community is well provisioned for maximum efficiency and amenity.

They are also big spenders.

Local government in Queensland offers not only some of the largest but also most consistent opportunities to the supply chain.

• One-in-four revenue dollars is spent managing 2836 bridges and 153,207km of roads.
• Councils spend around $1b/year operaing $25b in water and sewarage infrastructure assetts.
• They’re on the cutting edge of service delivery using big data and renewable energy delivery.

The three-day conference begins on Tuesday (October 24) at Townsville’s Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Attending are 300 of the state’s leading authorities on engineering for local government.

This year’s state conference features 12 streams across a diverse range of subject areas including transport, water, community projects and asset management.

Mayor of Townsville, Councillor Jenny Hill, will open the conference.