Noosa Council is celebrating triple recognition in the 2026 Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland and Northern Territory (IPWEA-QNT) Excellence Awards, with two staff members and a major infrastructure project named as finalists.
Disaster Reconstruction Coordinator Julie Calvert has been named as a finalist for Emerging Leader of the Year, acknowledging her leadership potential, initiative and significant contributions to disaster recovery efforts across the Noosa Shire.
"It's a wonderful honour to be shortlisted for the 2026 IPWEA-QNT Excellence Awards Emerging Leader of the Year," she said.
"Leadership is about partnership and I cannot thank my team enough for the support, direction, mentoring and laughs along the way."
Fellow Council employee, Principal Infrastructure Planner Melissa Shepherd has been nominated for Team Member of the Year, recognising her dedication, teamwork and commitment to delivering excellence in engineering and public works for Council and the local community.
"I'm honoured to receive this nomination and deeply grateful to my team for their collaboration, trust and support. Working alongside such dedicated people is incredibly rewarding, and I share this recognition with them," she said.
"It's a privilege to contribute to the important work we do for Council and our community."
Council's Schreibers Road Bridge Rebuild project, delivered in partnership with NorthLane Consulting Engineers, has also been shortlisted for Disaster Recovery Project of the Year.
The project restored a key transport link following severe weather damage, helping reconnect the community and improving the network's resilience for the future.
Council CEO Larry Sengstock congratulated the nominees on their achievements.
"These nominations are a testament to the professionalism, expertise and commitment of our people, as well as the high-quality infrastructure outcomes being delivered for our community," Council CEO Larry Sengstock said.
"We're incredibly proud to see Melissa, Julie and the Schreibers Road Bridge project recognised among the state's best in engineering and public works."
Council has enjoyed strong success at the IPWEA Awards in recent years, with the Tablelands Road Bridge replacement, Beckmans Road Intersection Upgrade, Noosa Biosphere Trail 5 Upgrade, Doggy Beach sand nourishment project and Black Mountain Road reconstruction all taking out top honours at the prestigious engineering awards.
The winners of the 2026 IPWEA-QNT Excellence Awards will be announced on 1 October.
