About Us
The HCAA aims to provide a higher profile and focus for Hydraulic Services Engineers and Designers throughout the regions of Australasia.
We aim to be the peak body for Regulators and network operators to liaise and contribute with for industry updates and will always promote our members as the people who can perform hydraulic services.
We aim to provide the canvas to deliver knowledge and technical based learnings and resources to progress the industry.
Our Vision
To be the leading voice and knowledge base for Hydraulic Services Engineers and Designers in Australasia, driving innovation, excellence, and sustainability in the industry.
Our Mission
To support and advocate for Hydraulic Services Engineers and Designers by providing resources, networking opportunities, and professional development that enhance industry standards and practices.
HCAA Values
H
Honesty
Uphold the highest ethical standards in all activities and interactions, ensuring transparency and accountability to members and stakeholders.
C
Collaboration
Foster a spirit of teamwork and partnership among members, industry stakeholders, and government bodies to achieve common goals.
A
Advancement
Encourage continuous innovation, professional development and research to elevate the hydraulic services industry.
A
Advocacy
Act as a strong voice for Hydraulic Services Engineers and Designers, promoting their interests and addressing industry challenges to relevant authorities and legislation to ensure our members are recognised.
Who we are
The HCAA was formed in 1974 by a group of 12 industry professionals. The membership has grown to include corporate and individual members Australia-wide, as well as the addition of industry partners.
Our member services and benefits are targeted towards expanding the careers and influence of Hydraulic Services Consultants and associated organisations.
The HCAA identifies areas of interest and concern for members and then addresses these topics through the development of best practice papers, seminars and policy decisions.
Meet the HCAA Committee
We’d like to introduce you to the HCAA Committee members.
Our Committee voluntarily give their time and expertise to better the industry. They have years of knowledge and experience and sit on a number of industry Standards working groups to better the Hydraulic Services environment.
Derek Harris
Derek provides leadership for the Hydraulic Services team at KBR in Adelaide. He is also President and a Director for the HCAA and a Director for the SA National Councillor for the Institute of the Plumbing Australia (IPA).
With over 30 years’ experience in the plumbing industry and over 20 years’ experience in design and engineering consultancy, Derek has extensive technical knowledge and “hands on” experience within the plumbing industry.
His project level responsibilities also include various hydraulic engineering challenges such as water sourcing in remote areas, sensitive environment management, chemical treatment of wastewater and containment and the treatment and disposal of trade waste.
Nick Soden
Nick has over 20 years’ experience in the hydraulic industry in a variety of hydraulic design aspects. He has served on the committee since 2013 and is always looking at ways we can improve our industry.
He started his career at 16 with the Master Plumbers Association NSW and spent several years as a plumber, before moving across into the consulting industry and completing a Diploma in Hydraulics with TAFE NSW around 15 years ago.
David Wood
David is founder and director of Liquid Hydraulics.
Since 1988 he has been involved in the design, documentation and construction management of many significant developments covering a broad array of building types and his Hydraulic and Fire services knowledge and experience is highly sort after. Over recent years, David has developed an interest in code compliance issues, which is demonstrated by his commitment to the development of, and involvement with the Plumbing Code of Australia, Australian Standards and plumbing and fire protection design codes
David is a founding director of the HCAA which he believes will position itself to be the voice of the Hydraulic services industry throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Alfie Quick
Alfie is a Senior Hydraulic Engineer at Aurecon and the secretary of the HCAA's SA Chapter.
He has over five years experience in the design and engineering consultancy and is responsible for hydraulic engineering services design and Revit/CAD drafting. Alfie is also currently studying his Cert IV in Plumbing Design.
Carl Sommerville
Carl joined Sellick Consultants in February 2015 and became Director in 2021. He has over 25 years’ experience in the building and plumbing industry with a background as a licensed plumber, qualified builder, and hydraulic consultant.
Carl’s extensive experience provides him with a unique perspective on projects. His ability to approach projects from both a hands-on and strategic consultant/project management perspective allows him to provide well-rounded, efficient, and highly detailed solutions. This makes him an invaluable asset to any project.
Widely respected within the Canberra construction and engineering community, Carl has cultivated strong working relationships with numerous Tier 1 hydraulic contractors and multiple well know developers and builders. His reputation for reliability, technical expertise, and collaborative approach has earned him a trusted position within the industry.
Carl’s strengths lie within detailed reporting, with a specialisation in roof audits, drainage design, and water ingress investigations. He has been involved in numerous high-profile and complex projects and has been preparing building reports of this nature for over 14 years. Over the last six years, he has been providing expert specialised roof drainage performance solutions.
In addition to Carl’s practical experience, he holds a Master of Engineering Management and is a registered Design practitioner and serves as the ACT Director of the Hydraulic Consultants Association Australasia (HCAA). Carl’s core objective is to deliver services that are specifically tailored to each client’s individual needs and budget, ensuring the most effective solution and design approaches, resulting in each project being both practical and customised.
In his capacity as Company Director and Director of the HCAA, Carl plays an active role in the ACT Plumbing Industry workshops and maintains ongoing engagement with the ACT Master Plumbers Association, contributing to industry standards and professional development initiatives.
Ryan Petkovich
Ryan is a Director and Registered Designer (Hydraulic & Fire) at Eureka Designs Pty Ltd.
He has been an active HCAA member and since completing his Diploma of Hydraulic Services. Having started his career in NSW, he is now located in Hobart and is a registered building services designer in Tasmania for Hydraulics and Fire services.
Ryan strives for the best outcome for his clients and future occupants by always implementing best practice principles from conception to completion in all designs whether it is working with developers or contractors.
His current role as the HCAA Tasmanian Chapter Manager is to help bring local hydraulic consultants together and provide opportunities for collaboration with the Master Plumbers Association Tasmania including other stakeholder Authorities.
Shaun Wallace
Shaun has eighteen years experience in the plumbing industry and is currently the Director of Wallace Design Group Pty Ltd.
In his role as HCCA sub committee manager, he will help facilitate the working group discussions around industry changes, with a focus on ensuring the association and its members interests are at the forefront.
Tom Wise
Tom specialises in hydraulic services as part of the building services engineering sector, working as a Director at Warren Smith Consulting Engineers.
Tom studied building services, sustainable engineering, building certification & planning, and holds a specialist qualification in engineering – hydraulic services. He also has an immense amount of pharmacy experience and enjoys applying his skills to better public health and the community, being recognised as a leading healthcare designer by his peers.
Tom sits on the HCAA Committee assisting with technical papers and legislation. He also assists in the development of the National Construction Code, Australian Standards, The Australian Health Facility Guidelines, Engineering Education Australia and Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers ANZ education group.
Tom is a registered certifier in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Accredited Plumbing Plan Certifier and is a Tasmanian Registered Engineer – Building Services (Hydraulic Services). He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers and a member of the Association of Biosafety for Australia and New Zealand.
Paul MacDonald
Paul is a director at Inline Hydraulic Services Pty Ltd and an Accredited Certifier.
While he possess almost a decade’s experience within the consultancy and design works, he also has over 15 years previous experience as a plumber working on all types of projects from industrial, commercial, aged care, residential and multi-unit residential.
This hands on experience allows Paul to provide innovative and practical solutions, liaise and communicate effectively with sub-contractors, as well as problem solve any issues that may arise.
Paul Lind
Paul is an Associate at Lucid Consulting Australia and sits on the HCAA Committee as SA Chapter Chairman, and on the SA Water Technical Committee as an independent.
Paul’s experience in the hydraulic services industry has allowed him to work on a broad array of commercial, institutional and industrial projects in both design and construction roles.
He holds qualifications as a master plumber and gas fitter and has a reciprocal Australian/New Zealand license. He has worked in the state of Western Australia and Queensland for 20 years as a contract plumber and then as a Contract and Commercial Plumbing Supervisor in Adelaide for 5 years, before taking up a senior design position with Lucid.
Paul's transition into the design engineering role also allows for understanding construction processes, ability to work collaboratively with contractors, seek opportunities to establish key strategic infrastructure elements in initial planning and building phases, streamlining the coordination between services and providing value add to the client.
Victor Gallo
Victor is Principal Fire and Hydraulic Services Engineer, Mott MacDonald.
With over 10 years’ experience as a project engineer and over 7 years’ experience as consulting engineer, he has diverse experience in fire and hydraulic building services engineering in a broad range of industries.
Victor is the HCAA representative for the SA Water Restricted Wastewater Technical Committee. Along representatives from the broad industry that include the Office of the Technical Regulator, Hydraulic Services Consulting Engineers and Contractors (via Master Plumbers Association), the committee’s aim is to convey information within the industry regarding trade waste, pre-treatment and plumbing standards, policies and requirements.
James Zoanetti
James is an Associate - Senior Hydraulic Services Engineer at Lucid Consulting Australia and sits on the HCAA Committee as an SA Committee Member.
He has over 10 years experience in hydraulic services design and engineering consultancy and has extensive experience in a broad range of industries.
Ethan Moore
Ethan is an Associate, Hydraulic Lead (SA) and National Leader - Hydraulic Services at Lucid Consulting Australia.
He is passionate about finding repeatable, industry wide technical solutions and clarifying compliance requirements to ensure that all hydraulic designers can provide best practice solutions in accordance with relevant standards.
Ethan organises HCAA SA Chapter meetings as a HCAA SA Committee Member and represents the HCAA at the SA Water Industry Technical Advisory Committee (WITAC).
Adam Johnston
Adam is an Associate Hydraulic Services Designer with Aldanmark Consulting Engineers in Hobart, with over 20 years’ experience in designing Hydraulic and Fire Protection Services, with a previous 6 years as a Plumber.
Adam has the technical background, experience, and expert knowledge of Hydraulic and Wet Fire Services in relation to Australian Standards. This includes local governing Acts and Regulations in a multitude of circumstances.
Adam is a registered building practitioner and licenced plumber, and has been based in Hobart for 12 years after starting his career in Sydney, then spending 10 years living and working in Darwin and Perth.
With a focus on sustainable designs, Adam delivers projects from concept through to post construction with extensive experience working with Health and Research Facilities, Retail, Commercial, Educational Institutes, Industrial, Defence Facilities and Residential Building projects.
Emily Doughty
Emily is responsible for keeping all HCAA members informed with industry news, standard updates and all things hydraulic. If you need any help or advice on your membership or just have a general question on the HCAA, Emily is your first point of contact.
Matt Llyod
HCAA Affiliate Committee Member
Nick Moore
Nick has been involved in the plumbing industry for over 40 years. First with plumbing resellers then with various manufacturers. Nick has a long history of representing solutions to hydraulic consultants and currently sits on the committee of the HCAA as an Affiliate representative.
With Saniflo SFA since 2012, Nick increasingly recognised the need to raise awareness and education through architectural and hydraulic consultants.
He has written five CPDs for architects and a technical CPD for hydraulic consultants and plumbers.
With these solutions also taught within the TAFE CPC32420 Cert 111 in Plumbing, Nick has written student workbooks and teacher presentation materials to cover the relevant elective CPCPSN3026 “Install sewerage pumpsets” within that Certificate course.
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© 2025 Hydraulic Consultants Association (Australasia) Ltd - HCAA, All rights reserved.