GMW senior storage officer receives state water industry operator award
TL;DR
Thursday 2 April, 2026
Location
Mallee
Thursday 2 April, 2026
Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW)'s Holly Westbrook has received a prestigious Victorian water industry award.
Miss Westbrook has won the Water Industry Operations Association of Australia's (WIOA) '2026 Victorian New Operator of the Year' award. She received the award at WIOA's recent Victorian Awards event in Bendigo.
She is a senior storage officer at Cairn Curran Reservoir. Her role sees her contribute to the ongoing operation, maintenance and safety of six different storages in the Loddon/Campaspe region in north-central Victoria.
WIOA's annual 'Victorian New Operator of the Year' award recognises the excellent performance, initiative and all-round attention to detail of an individual who has been employed in the Victorian water industry for less than five years.
Miss Westbrook, who is 24 years old, was recognised for her efforts in using technology such as drones to help improve site safety for staff working at GMW structures.
She was also recognised for her achievements at GMW in just her two years at the water corporation.
She said she was very honoured to receive the award.
"I'm just so thankful for all the people around me that helped me get to this point," Miss Westbrook said.
"Without the support I've had, without the opportunities that GMW has given me, I wouldn't have got there."
Miss Westbrook said she hoped her award win would encourage more young people to get involved in the water industry, especially females.
"When I first started, I was the only female storage officer within GMW. That alone was very daunting at the time," she said.
"Now there's a second one, Verity (Hore). We're so close because there's the two of us and honestly I really love that.
"I would love for us to be able to build on that even more. I would love for more girls to see that I won an award in a male-dominated field and go 'hey maybe that could be me when I'm older' or 'this looks like a fun job I would like to try.'"
The Institute of Water Administration (IWA) sponsored the 'Victorian New Operator of the Year' award.
Its president Rob Murphy presented Miss Westbrook with the award.
"In just two years, Senior Storage Officer Holly Westbrook has made a significant impact across multiple water storages in north-central Victoria," Mr Murphy said at the event.
"Holly successfully managed environmental and infrastructure projects that significantly reduced health and safety risks, while also improving operational efficiency and lowering costs.
"She is known for her initiative and attention to detail, and for introducing innovative solutions such as using underwater drone technology to complete high-risk infrastructure work more safely and efficiently.
"She serves as an inspiring role model for the next generation entering the water industry."
GMW has just under 40 storage officers across northern Victoria including at Lake Eppalock, Cairn Curran Reservoir, Lake Eildon, Mildura Weir and Dartmouth Dam.