Shaping a sustainable future for Goulburn Mulwaree’s most crucial resource

Q&A with Trevor Sultana, Business Manager Water Operations at Goulburn Mulawaree Council

Careers at Council caught up with Goulburn Mulwaree Council’s Business Manager Water Operations, Trevor Sultana, and discussed his career in the water industry, and why he believes that making a difference for his community is the biggest reward of all.

Q. Are you able to explain your educational and career background, and what led you to a local government career in the water industry?

A. I’m originally from Blacktown in Western Sydney. After high school I studied Civil Engineering at the University of Western Sydney’s Penrith campus. As a part of my four-year degree, I did work experience in asset management, and I ended up getting my first role as an assets officer at Cabonne Shire Council in 2015.

About a year after I started at Cabonne Council, the amalgamation process upended things a little, and staff left who weren’t replaced. During this time, I was given work in the sewer area at Council, which grew to more and more work in water and sewer. From this I got to learn what was involved with water and sewer and managed to fall into the industry that way. And never looked back!

Another year after that, I realised that there wasn’t really the opportunity for me to progress where I was. So, I took a role managing the water and sewer department at Coonamble Shire Council. Coonamble is about 3.5 hours north of Orange and 6 hours north-west of Blacktown, so it was quite out of the way and with only 2,700 residents at the time!

Q. That would’ve been a real change for you! Was it the right move?

A. It was definitely a bit of a change for someone born and bred in Western Sydney, but I don’t regret it at all. I learnt so much.

Because I was relatively new to the water industry, I had to spend six months with the water and sewer operators. That meant I was able to learn the hands-on side of things, such as fixing water services and working at the treatment plants. It helped me develop the practical knowledge of the water industry and gave me the basics to build on.

It was a steep learning experience though, as I had to learn how to manage staff and an entire department, while still learning the basics of water and sewer. It was tough and there were a lot of long days and sleepless nights, but I don’t regret it one bit. One thing I’ve noticed when you talk to people working at a water utility, they always have their ‘war stories’ and Coonamble was a great opportunity for me to get my own stories!

In 2019 while I was there, I completed an International Water Centre leadership course, and I realised that I couldn’t develop both as a leader and as a water professional if I stayed at Coonamble.

So after about 2 years there, I moved to Goulburn Council as an Infrastructure and Development Engineer. I spent 18 months in that role before applying for the Business Manager Water Operations role in August 2020 – and now I manage all of the water and wastewater treatment for Goulburn!

Q. Does a typical day exist in your role?

A. Definitely not! But that’s what I enjoy about it. Right now, I’m managing the upgrade of our water and wastewater treatment plants (two of each), as well as still ensuring that the department runs as smoothly as possible.

Some days I go out to the treatment plants to see how everything is going, and I also have monthly meetings with my 16-strong team to keep everyone up to date with what’s happening as well as see how they are going with things.

I also operate under five different Acts, so making sure everything we do complies under all five of those Acts, while also ensuring that we keep everything moving for the community is a pretty big task!

Q. Can you tell us about any innovations and trends that you’re seeing in the water industry right now?

A. The water industry in Australia is moving very quickly at the moment – it’s an exciting time to be involved. I am starting to network with water organisations like the Australian Water Association and the Water Directorate, because I’ve realised that there is so much happening and I’m keen to take advantage of it to help improve our community’s water and wastewater services. I need to make sure I’m across it all so that I can start planning for how we can implement things here in Goulburn.

Staying ahead of the game, or at least keeping up with it, ensures I’m aware of what is happening in the industry and it’s less of a surprise when it’s announced. I also want to be able to provide input from a practical viewpoint when the opportunities arise. The reality is, we can have all these great ideas about changing processes to be more energy-efficient, or to reduce greenhouse gases, or to be more sustainable, but it requires the input of people on the ground who can make it work in reality! So often an innovative technology or process is developed and championed within the industry, with little to no input from those working for water utilities across the country and who have to make it work. That’s why I’m keen to get involved to have a voice.

Q. What would you say to someone considering a career in the water industry right now?

A. Do it! There are so many opportunities available – water utilities are an essential service; they’ll never go away. I’ve also shown that you can move wherever you want – if you like the beach you can go to a coastal region, or if you want to be more rural there are opportunities there too.

If you’re regionally based, there’s amazing work/life balance as well. It only takes me five minutes to get to work which means I’ve got a lot more time to do other things I enjoy.

To be totally honest, when I was at university, I thought that local government engineering work wouldn’t be as challenging. That couldn’t be more wrong! I’ve learned so much over the years in various roles, so I really have flipped the script on my initial perception and I’d recommend local government because it gives you such a good foundation to get a feel for what you want to do before you become too specialised.

I have a graduate engineer in my team who has only been here 6 months, and she’s already worked on about 3 to 4 different projects!

Community is also a key driver. I understand the importance of the work I do for the community – I have seen what happens when people don’t take water and sewer seriously. I want to prove that council cares, and we’re really trying to make things better. My main reason for being here is to make that difference; to ensure that our community is getting the water and wastewater systems that they need and deserve – today and into the future.

Click here to discover more about a career in the water industry, and explore opportunities available right now.