WGA

Today is International Women in Engineering Day, an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the incredible women shaping our industry. ⁠
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They say you can’t be what you can’t see, and the numbers agree. As of 2024, only 14% of engineers in Australia were women. In fact, Engineering sees the lowest female representation across all STEM professions.⁠
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Across our industry, visibility remains a challenge, making mentorship, advocacy, and representation more important than ever.⁠
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This year, we’re celebrating the day by sharing inspiring origin stories from the women of WGA and LDE about how their female role models have shaped their engineering journeys.⁠
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Through these stories, we hope to inspire the next generation to imagine what’s possible💡

As part of National Reconciliation Week activities, our Perth team had the privilege of welcoming Noongar Elder and Order of Australia Medal recipient, Walter McGuire, to our office for a Welcome to Country and interactive artefacts display.⁠
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Walter spoke about our shared responsibility to care for and preserve the land, and the value of listening, learning and building understanding. He shared stories of his childhood and adult life, giving his insights into the significance of Whadjuk Country and Noongar Culture and the importance of connection to Country.⁠
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Reconciliation is not just a week-long event. It is an everyday, all the time, conscious choice to take part, to learn, listen and embrace.⁠
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Thank you to Walter and Cultural Aboriginal Tours & Experiences for sharing your knowledge, stories and cultural insights with our team, helping us continue to be All In on our reconciliation journey.⁠
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It's Flashback Friday and we're looking back at the Tāpora Flats Groundwater Model!⁠
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Expansion of irrigated land in the Tāpora Flats area of the Ōkahukura Peninsula increased demand for groundwater resources to sustain agricultural farming practices. Increased abstraction from coastal aquifers can result in declining hydraulic pressures and reduced groundwater discharge offshore, leading to saline water intrusion, and making groundwater unfit for drinking or irrigation use.⁠
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Auckland Council engaged WGA to provide a geological model and 3D numerical groundwater model of the peninsula to help evaluate current groundwater resources. ⁠
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The geological and groundwater numerical models were used to support Council in setting groundwater allocation limits, thus allowing protection of our groundwater resources.⁠
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Find out more about what our NZ team do in the Water space!
https://online.flippingbook.com/view/564297672/
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It doesn’t get much better than this! If you’ve ever wondered what a day in the life of a Hydrogeologist looks like… fair warning, we might have just found one of the best ones—Meet James Manning!⁠
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James’ latest hydro adventure took him to Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory, where he supervised the drilling and construction of two new production bores for the remote community of Wurankuwu, replacing existing assets that had reached the end of their operational life. ⁠
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While the office view on a remote tropical island is unmatched, it also comes with its challenges, from complex logistics of drilling on-site to an unpredictable power supply that has a habit of dropping out mid-work!⁠
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But the perks make up for it! “As this was a remote community, the amount of nature around was amazing, with many sightings of crocodiles, snakes and eagles!” 🐊🦅⁠
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And amidst a few barge delays and small plane rides, James even managed to fit in a jumping crocodile tour (from a safe distance, of course!)⁠
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All in a day’s work…! Swipe to see his adventures 👉⁠

Want a workday like James? Join our Darwin team! ⁠
https://wga.com.au/careers/vacancies/?ja-job=865501

Last week, our Melbourne team came together for a Language and Acknowledgement of Country workshop as part of our National Reconciliation Week activities. ⁠
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In line with this year’s theme, ‘All In', we took an important step towards deepening our understanding of the meaning and purpose of an acknowledgement and how it plays a vital role in recognising and respecting the Traditional Owners and their ongoing connection to Country.⁠
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Facilitated by Seona James, a Yorta Yorta woman, the session provided invaluable insights that will support our Melbourne team in developing a region-specific acknowledgement that is thoughtful, authentic, and connected to place.

We’re keeping communities flowing—literally.⁠💧
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WGA is proud to have supported on the Milang Storage Lagoon Expansion, helping future proof the Milang Wastewater Treatment Plant for years to come. ⁠
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Working alongside Alexandrina Council and Leed Engineering, our team delivered geotechnical investigations, water balance assessments, surface water assessments and detailed design for the new 20 ML HDPE-lined wastewater storage lagoon and associated infrastructure. ⁠
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Built to improve capacity and support future growth this is how we continue .⁠
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Read more about this project here: https://wga.com.au/projects/alexandrina-council-milang-storage-lagoon/
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Meet Dinuli - one of our superstar Graduate Civil Engineers - who recently hit the road with an entire squad.⁠
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From Dinuli’s perspective, spending time on site is invaluable – it’s where you can see conditions firsthand and gain a deeper understanding of how infrastructure performs in the real world.⁠
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From road geometry to drainage crossings, these inspections uncover insights that often can’t be captured in plans or aerial imagery. It’s especially rewarding when those observations directly inform smarter design decisions for road upgrades.⁠
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Being on site also brings a new level of perspective. Seeing the surrounding terrain, road conditions, and the many culverts and causeways in context helps bridge the gap between design intent and practical, constructable solutions – turning ideas into something that truly works on the ground.⁠
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WGA is proud to be supporting CBH Group’s rail and train loading infrastructure upgrades at the Brookton receival site, located 135km southeast of Perth.⁠
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The existing over-rail out loading facility comprised four 500t over-rail bins and the expansion works will include two additional 5000t V-bottom silos, a high-powered bucket elevator with a tower and bunker, and a replacement elevated over-silo conveyor system to facilitate grain in-loading of 750t/hour.⁠
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As lead engineers, WGA is providing civil, mechanical, structural, electrical, controls and instrumentation engineering services from concept design through to construction.⁠
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The upgrade will expand permanent storage capacity, improve out-loading efficiency and reduce train turnaround times across the Brookton facility.⁠
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Read more about our involvement here: https://wga.com.au/projects/cbh-brookton-rail-outloading-upgrades/

Where Introductions Spark Conversation, meet Belinda Mann ⁠
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Based in Brisbane, Belinda leads WGA’s Work Health, Safety (WHS) and Wellbeing initiatives, playing a key role in embedding employee welfare into the fabric of our culture. ⁠
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With over 15 years of experience across construction, engineering and financial services, she has developed a strong, people‑focused approach. ⁠
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Passionate about influencing and advocating for safety, Belinda’s work is grounded in a strong commitment to employee well-being and reducing psychological harm in the workplace by creating systems that support individuals and teams alike. ⁠
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Outside of work, Belinda taps into her creative side through arts, crafts and photography, and enjoys immersing herself in live music and theatre with friends and family.