The prestigious Professional of the Year award goes to Josh Hawkins for his exemplary contributions as a Spatial Information Specialist at Hydro Tasmania. Josh has been the lead working with the distribution team on the Bass Strait Islands, creating solutions with the end user in mind. Currently, he’s working with Hydro Tasmania engineers on mapping the end-to-end electricity supply inputs, which will be a game changer in how the organisation plans and runs the network.

What makes Josh truly exceptional is his hands-on approach; he’s unafraid to engage in meter reading rounds in rural settings and even ventured into the challenging conditions of the Tassie West Coast to assist with distribution network upgrades while field-testing his GIS solutions. His commitment to honesty, integrity, and customer-centricity, along with his ability to collaborate effectively, has left a profound impact. The judges were unanimous in recognizing Josh’s immense value to his employer and his exemplary role in making a significant difference in this critical field.