Tequa Time Jan-Mar25 by Tequagroup

Special Edition

Hey Team - Welcome to the first 2025 edition!

As we transition into the vibrant hues and crisp air of autumn, it's the perfect time to reflect on the incredible journey we've embarked on together as a team in 2025 Each day, without fail, our dedicated team members make a significant difference, embodying the cultural values and purpose that define us It's truly inspiring to witness the unwavering commitment and passion that drives us forward, creating a positive impact not only within our company but also in the broader Gippsland Community.

Tequa turns 50!

Recently, we had the privilege of hosting our company's 50th anniversary event at the charming Maffco Brewery. This milestone celebration was nothing short of spectacular, as it brought together our entire team, along with our valued suppliers and clients The event was a testament to the strong bonds we've built over the years, and it was heartwarming to create cherished memories while celebrating the hard work and dedication that have brought us to where we are today I would personally like to acknowledge the Smolenaars family legacy that forms the basis for which the company stands proud as “Tequa Today”. Thanks to Sally and Rachel for your dedication to ensuring this event has set the standard and will be remembered for many years to come.

Looking ahead

As we head into the shorter days of winter, let's carry the warmth and camaraderie of our anniversary celebration with us We are incredibly fortunate to have this sense of unity and shared purpose that will continue to propel us towards even greater achievements Together, we can face any challenge and seize every opportunity that comes our way.

Thank you

Thank you for being an integral part of our journey. Let's continue to make a difference, uphold our values, as we look at and action what’s next on our mission to “Exceed Expectations” and reach our 2030 goals.

The year is already flying by!

Civil has remained steady since the start of the year, and we appreciate everyone’s support especially the construction team for lending us team members over the past few months to help build capacity for our projects. We’ve successfully delivered a number of great projects, both big and small With Cobains and Drayton nearly wrapped up, the team has now moved on to the Lucknow works.

Projects are flowing in nicely, which is a credit to everyone involved We’ve just kicked off another major job for Gippsland Water, with Chris and the team well underway and keeping busy on site. The Trenchless team has also been working hard, delivering a range of projects for Downer, while continuing efforts to secure new clients. All reports are that everyone is really pleased with the quality of work we’re producing great job, team! We’ve been lucky to welcome some fresh faces to the civil crew – a big welcome to Blair, who’s joined us as a Civil Labourer, and Ryan, who’s come onboard with our Trenchless Overheads team. We’re also excited to have Oska officially starting at the end of April as our first Civil Trainee in a few years – great to have you on the team! And it doesn’t stop there – keep an eye out around the yard for Steve, Jarryd, and Jacob, who’ll be joining us at the end of April as well.

Congratulations!

A huge congratulations to Adam, Scott D, and Rohan on the arrival of their new babies– wishing you and your families all the best! A big congratulations to the Civil team for making it as finalists in the CCF Awards! It’s a fantastic achievement and a true credit to everyone for their hard work, commitment, and all-round awesomeness. Well done, team!

Chloe Milligan

What a start to the year!

After a tough start to the year navigating a very competitive tender market, the team Hilly, Ben, and Bones have doubled down on relationships and collaboration to secure some great upcoming projects. We’re excited to announce work on the Morwell Bowls Club refurbishment and the Haven Foundation social housing project in Traralgon. Great wins in a challenging environment—well done, team!

Team update!

Big congrats to Harley and Adam on successfully completing their Journeyman’s—a fantastic achievement and a big step in your careers!

We have farewelled Brad & Kai, wishing them both all the best for their next endeavors. Coming onboard soon are Tayah Andrews and Jordi Pirotta —We look forward to having them on the team, please introduce yourself as you see them later on this month!

A special shoutout to everyone who’s been stepping up and working across departments, proudly putting on the company hat. It’s been great to see skills and support shared during a slower period of work—true team spirit in action.

David Hill Department Manager

NEW PROJECTS

The near future of projects is looking bright with a great variety of works to be completed. From septic systems & treatment plants for some of our residential clients, to a shed house to be completed in golden beach for Forge Solutions. Wellington Shire Council have been very kind to recommend us as their number 1 plumber to the committees groups in the area. These kinds of recommendations help us secure many projects at public halls, recreational reserves and the likes. We have an upcoming pumpwell replacement at Yarram Rec Reserve/Footy Club, which will keep the guys busy for a few days. We have a large project coming up a Fulham Correctional Facility for some tank alterations & plenty of awarded quotes for Graham Chalmer, Ventia and Honeywell keeping the pipeline strong.

ONGOING PROJECTS

We are very fortunate to have such great relationships with the likes of; Ventia, Honeywell, Aurora Dairies, APA & Graham Chalmer just to list a few These key clients provide ongoing works on a weekly basis to keep us all on our toes. We have been completing a monumental amount of Gas Safety Checks recently which keeps our gas techs busy, plus the remedial works found from these checks. Ventia’s monthly PM’s and general breakdown work orders also keep the workflow strong and present opportunity for future work.

TEAM UPDATE

Happy Easter to all and enjoy a well-deserved break.

What a year it has been already! We welcome Jacob Healey & Jack Hislop into our team who has taken on the maintenance roll at Fulham Correctional Centre in his stride It has been an extremely busy start to the year, and we appreciate all of the dedication and hard work to service our clients.

Birdy & Charlie

TEAM UPDATE

Big welcome to Chase and , our two newest fully qualified plumbers!

Chase joins us with enthusiasm to spare and the confidence to make any situation look good. brings a calm, steady presence and a strong work ethic that gets the job done every time.

The team is also thrilled to welcome its smallest new member — Nuadha Aindreas Lander! A huge congratulations to Dale, now a proud new dad. What a lucky little legend to have Dale as his role model.

We’re proud to share that the crew has been working hard with new clients, including Zinfra and Wilson Property great partnerships that reflect the quality of work this team continues to deliver.

March was all about team bonding, with the annual camping trip proving to be another success. Let’s just say… what happens on the camping trip, stays on the camping trip!

Nuadha

A couple of huge achievements worth celebrating:

Fraser has earned his TMV ticket

Dale has obtained his Type A Gas ticket Fantastic to see the Traralgon S&M team back at full strength, with a solid ratio of apprentices to tradesmen, setting us up for a strong year ahead. Keep up the awesome work, team!

A huge welcome!

We’re very proud to welcome Anthony Felsbourg to the Liquid Waste team! Known to many as Ant, he brings valuable experience in the industry along with a genuinely enthusiastic attitude As a resident of the Latrobe Valley, Ant will be operating out of our Traralgon office, where the Liquid Waste truck will now be based.

Team Update

We’re also fortunate to have Matt Conn continuing with us as a mentor and backup driver. While Matt has now transitioned to working with the Civil team, he remains an important part of Liquid Waste, also taking the lead on keeping the Sale yard in top shape. Liquid Waste remains a reliable and consistent part of our business, and we encourage all staff to continue promoting our services— especially septic to friends, family, and the wider community. A huge shoutout to Christine, who remains the backbone of the department, managing all the accounts and scheduling with her usual efficiency and dedication.

Bernadette Dillon Department Manager

Brad Langford

15 years of service

Big shoutout to Brad on his work anniversary! As our trusted Civil Supervisor, he’s a constant presence on site, always there to offer support and guidance to the team Brad’s been a key player in the civil team and beyond for years, always looking out for the crew and making sure everything runs smoothly. Thanks for everything you do, Brad!

Tom Green

Congratulations to Construction's Tom Green, who has successfully completed his apprenticeship and is officially a Qualified Plumber as of 11th February

Harley Russell, Adam Cochrane, Jack Challands & Jacob Parsons

Congratulations to you all, for recently successfully completing their Journeyman’s a fantastic achievement and a big step in your careers!

WELCOMING SOME MORE NEW STAFF MEMBERS

SINCE KICKING OF THE YEAR FOR 2025

Daniel Smith -

Construction Plumber

Jacob HealySale S&M Plumber

Jack Hislop -

Noah LeslieSale S&M Apprentice Construction Apprentice

Steven Webster -

Civil MSO

Jarryd Poynton -

Civil MSO

Oska Ward -

Civil Trainee

Anthony FelsbourgLiquid Waste Driver/MSO

Ryan Foster -

Civil MSO

Jacob Maitland -

Civil MSO

Blair Royes -

Civil MSO

Jordi PirottaConstruction Plumber

Ashley Morrey -

Tgon S&M Plumber

Tayah AndrewsConstruction Plumber

Join us in celebrating...

Nuadha

Traralgon Maintenance’s Dale Lander & Meadhbh, welcome their baby boy Nuadha Aindreas Lander (Pronounced noo-a-duh)

Murphy

Sale Maintenance’s Lincoln Vandersteen and CJ, welcome their baby girl Murphy Jade Vandersteen

Polly

Adam and Rach Helmke welcomed their baby girl Polly Bobbie Kay Helmke

Noah

Sale Maintenance’s Daniel and Maddy Blakey welcomed their baby boy Noah Thomas Blakey

Toby

Civil’s Scott Davey and Patrice welcomed their baby boy

Stewart Stewart Rees! Rees! Introducing...

Where did you grow up?

Moe

How long have you been with Tequa & what is your role?

15 years. I am the OHS&E Manager

Do you have any hobbies or activities you love to do in your free time?

Reading, Gardening, Drawing, Following/Watching Sport (Collingwood Tragic), Walking my daughters' border collie (Maggie) that Sharyn and I have somehow inherited

What team/individual do you follow in sport?

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

UK (Wales, Scotland, England) To check out where my ancestors originated from

What’s a book, movie, or TV show you’re really into right now?

TV show: Love FISK starring Kitty Flanagan, (2) Book: Trying to read the classic 'The Count of Monte Cristo' 1200 pages!! (3) Movie: Always up for watching the iconic Australian movie 'The Castle'

Do you have a favorite food or cuisine that you could eat every day?

Lasagna

What’s something you’ve always wanted to learn or try but haven’t yet?

Bucket list items: (1) Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge (2) Trek to the top of Mt Kosciuszko and (3) Learn to play a musical instrument.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

If you could meet any historical figure or celebrity, who would it be? Albert Einstein (Arguably, one of the greatest minds in human history) or Neil Armstrong (The first man to walk on the moon Incredible achievement with 1960s technology). Very early bird

COURAGE TO ACT

PASSIONATE ABOUT PEOPLE

RAISE THE BAR

JANUARY

Courage to Act

Passionate About People

Raise The Bar

Joel Gibson Guy Ross

Shane Rees

FEBRUARY

Courage to Act

Corey Dal Pozzo

Passionate About People

Raise The Bar

Courage to Act

Nathan Larkin

Kitara Baker

MARCH

Hunter Koschade & Kyan Sellings

Passionate About People

Raise The Bar

Daniel Blakey

Tom Green

Good Friday - Easter Monday

April 18th-21st

Closed Friday-Monday

Earth Day

Tuesday April 22nd

Anzac Day

Friday April 25

Public Holiday

Mother’s Day

Sunday. May 11th

King’s Birthday

Monday May 9th

Public Holiday

This month, our Supplier Spotlight turns to a partner that keeps our wheels turning BP. Whether it’s our utes on the road, excavator and plant onsite, BP is the trusted source of fuel for the entire Tequa team. From Sale to Bairnsdale and Traralgon, our crew relies on BP’s convenient locations, competitive fuel prices, and quality service to get the job done every single day.

470,244

Kilometers Travelled in January - March 2025 Vehicles&Trucks inOurFleet

66 Trailers that tag along behind our fleet

Assets /Machinery Helping us power through every day. Litres of fuel used from Jan-March

1,729 Times we swiped our BP cards from Jan-March.

Are You Covered? The Importance of Ambulance Cover in Victoria

Many people assume they’re automatically covered for ambulance services, but in Victoria, this isn’t the case. Medicare does not cover ambulance transport, and private health insurance may not always include it. Without cover, even a short trip to the hospital in an emergency could cost you over $1,300— an expense that most people aren’t prepared for

The Cost of an Ambulance in Victoria

Ambulance services in Victoria can be expensive, and without coverage, you’re responsible for the full cost. Here’s what you might expect to pay:

�� Emergency Road transport (Metro) – $1,396

�� Emergency Road transport (Regional/Rural) – $2,059

�� Air ambulance (Helicopter transport) – Up to $29,635

These costs can quickly become a financial burden, especially in an emergency situation when calling an ambulance is unavoidable.

How Can You Protect Yourself?

The best way to avoid these unexpected expenses is by having Ambulance Victoria Membership. For a small annual fee, you and your family can be fully covered for ambulance transport and paramedic treatment anywhere in Victoria.

As of July 2024, the membership fees are:

✅ Single Membership – $53.37 per year

✅ Family Membership – $106.73 per year

Don’t Risk It – Get Covered Today!

Without ambulance cover, a medical emergency could leave you with a hefty bill Protect yourself and your family by checking if your private health insurance includes ambulance cover or by signing up directly with Ambulance Victoria.

Check your cover or sign up here!