Celebrating Women Breaking Barriers In Engineering

In celebration of International Women in Engineering Day on June 23, the Burdekin is proudly represented by one of its own—Tiffany Olditch, a senior engineer who now oversees some of the most critical water infrastructure projects in regional Queensland.

As Program Delivery Manager North for Sunwater, Tiffany is based at the Clare office but spends much of her time working across Queensland—coordinating major dam maintenance at Burdekin Falls, Peter Faust, Julius and Tinaroo, and managing teams who keep water infrastructure running smoothly across the Burdekin-Whitsunday, Mareeba, and NorthWest pipeline networks.

“No two days or projects are ever the same,” she says. “That’s what makes it exciting. You’re constantly solving problems, travelling, working with great people, and at the end of it, seeing something physical you helped bring to life. That feeling of ‘I made this happen.’”

Tiffany’s pathway into engineering began in Townsville, where she graduated from Thuringowa State High School with dreams of being a marine biologist. But practical realities steered her elsewhere.

“I realised marine biology jobs were limited, and I’d always enjoyed maths and science,” she says. “So, I studied Environmental Engineering at JCU.”

That decision launched a career that’s spanned design, asset management, rail infrastructure, and project leadership—first with Sunwater in Ayr in 2003, then Wilmar Sugar, and now back again at Sunwater in a senior management role.

Her career has included memorable projects like the EWP Southern Extension Pipeline, which she helped design and then saw through to construction. But it’s not just the engineering that’s kept her here—it’s the Burdekin itself.

“It’s a relaxed and friendly community,” she says. “There’s a real lifestyle here—boating, sport, family time. When I first moved here, my Sunwater coworkers became my friends, and they still are today.”

In a traditionally male-dominated field, Tiffany is now one of the region’s leading figures in water infrastructure—and a powerful advocate for diversity in engineering.

“If you enjoy maths and science, if you’ve got organisational skills and you like problem-solving—just go for it,” she says to young women and girls considering the field. “Engineering can take you so many places. There’s always something new to learn.”

International Women in Engineering Day exists to celebrate exactly these kinds of stories. Organised globally by the Women’s Engineering Society, the day recognises the contributions of women in STEM and encourages future generations to take up the mantle.

Tiffany Olditch may not seek the spotlight—but her work has a lasting impact across North Queensland. And whether she’s leading a dam repair project or mentoring her team of engineers, her presence is quietly but powerfully reshaping what leadership in the field looks like.

And from her base in the Burdekin, she’s proving that world-class engineering leadership doesn’t have to come from a capital city.

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Tiffany Olditch may not seek the spotlight—but her work has a lasting impact across North Queensland. Photo supplied

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