Sean Robinson’s family owned several quarries in central Queensland, so his after school and weekend job was operating machines and working in the family business. “After a while we had the discussion about what I was going to do when I left school,” says Robinson.
“Mum and Dad said there was nothing wrong with being a quarry operator, but they suggested I take the next step and the natural path from there was in civil engineering.”
It is a path Robinson has followed closely ever since. From undergraduate study at James Cook University in Townsville, he progressed into a career in local government, still in his native Queensland.
After nearly five years at the Central Highlands Regional Council, Robinson now has more than eight years of service at the Isaac Regional Council, where he has advanced to become the manager of engineering services.
With its administrative base in Moranbah, Isaac Regional Council spans the mineral-rich Bowen Basin, with mining and agriculture the main industries.
The Council has a population of close to 25,000, plus a large fly-in fly-out workforce, and is spread over a geographical area of approximately 60,000 square kilometres. It is served by a road network of 4500 kilometres of roads, with just over 2000 kilometres of that unsealed.
What was originally a six-month contract which included closing out a number of historical flood damage programs, a $60 million road and transport reconstruction and betterment program, and establishing the base level for the Cyclone Debbie reconstruction works, has evolved into an eight year journey.
That remediation program followed similar work at Central Highlands, where he worked on flood reconstruction following Cyclone Oswald in 2013, and project managed significant new roadworks.
In his work managing all of Council’s road and transport assets, aerodromes, parks, and recreation spaces, Robinson says his approach is one of proactive asset management and sustainability.
“In the past, so much of our asset management was reactive, about chasing defects and responding to issues that were reported to us,” says Robinson.
“What we are trying to do now is move to a proactive approach where we get into things early and before they reach the point of customer complaints.
“One way we are doing this is to get value for money through the utilisation of local and recycled materials.”
The unsealed road network, for example, is spread very wide across a large area and some of the locations are over 150 kilometres from a commercial quarry.
“Hauling material to manage those unsealed roads is a massive expense, so we are looking to optimise the use of local sources, with gives us better value for money but also a better product.”
Robinson and his new team have been instrumental in establishing a number of gravel pits throughout the Isaac Region. Recycled plastic has also been used in the construction of footpaths, equivalent to the diversion of around half a million plastic bags, which would otherwise ended up in landfill.
Specifications for bollards, steps and handrails have been changed from treated timber to recycled plastics, although this has raised the issue of microplastics and the ramifications of this policy are being explored.
“We want to be sure that we are not creating another issue in moving to plastics, so that is something we are informing ourselves about as part of our regular specification review,” says Robinson.
“We now have a team which is very focussed on progressing our organisation to be more sustainable and efficient, and they are doing a fantastic job of making sure we are doing the right things.”
In all his work, Robinson’s focus is on delivering high-quality, cost-effective infrastructure solutions to the benefit of residents.
“For me, working in local government is about the opportunity to make a difference to a community,” he says.
“This is really the main driver for me to stay in local government.
“And I enjoy the feedback I get from the community, who are my neighbours, down at the local footy or horse racing club, or even looking at the local community notice board or Facebook page where everyone identifies their concerns and engages.”
In 2025, Robinson and his team delivered a new section of road over one of the main arterial roads in the region.
“My friends and family all commented on how good it was that the road had been improved,” he says. “That feedback is always welcoming and it gives you a warm feeling that you are actually making a difference.”
Funding is always an issue but another key challenge is talent. Isaac Council has recently implemented a Graduate Development Program, with five graduates participating and all obtaining jobs within the Council. As a result of this success, the program has now been extended to student engineers.
“When I went through uni, we had the usual Big Four consultants and the Townsville City Council come through and tell us how good it was to work for them,” says Robinson.
“Maybe I was naïve, but I didn’t necessarily think there were opportunities in the regions until I managed to secure vacation work.
“So one of my big pushes over the last few years is that grassroots student experience. If we can get one student to come out here and say ‘I really like working in the regions’ then that is a benefit even if they go into another regional council in Queensland.”
Sean was the recipient of the Young IPWEA Australasia Emerging Leader Award in 2025.
