SEQ water boss to step down after three years at the helm

The chief executive of the water distributor for much of south-east Queensland has tendered his resignation and will step down from the role later in the year.

Paul Arnold was appointed to lead the government-owned corporation Urban Utilities in September 2022, and will leave in October this year.

Urban Utilities delivers water and wastewater services to customers in the Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim and Somerset councils, which have a population of 1.6 million.

In a statement, an Urban Utilities spokesperson said Arnold’s move was a personal decision, to “pursue new professional and personal opportunities”.

Before joining Urban Utilities, Arnold held leadership roles at Energy Resources Australia, the Queensland Resources Council and other major organisations.

Board chair Paul Vincent said Arnold had led the organisation through a difficult time.

“On behalf of the board, I thank Paul for his dedication and contribution, his unwavering commitment to safety along with his commitment to supporting a smooth transition for his successor,” he said.

Urban Utilities had a total operating revenue of more than $1.6 billion in the 2024/25 financial year.

Last year, this masthead reported that significant amounts of sewage had leaked into the Brisbane River when a tunnel operated by Urban Utilities burst.

The burst occurred while the company was restoring a tunnel built more than 70 years ago, which took sewage from the city’s southside to the resource recovery centre at Luggage Point.

“Every time there’s a discharge, we take that very seriously,” Arnold said at the time.

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