Australian & International Experience

About Us

Axiom Water Technologies Pty Ltd is a specialist Integrated Water Management consultancy based in Cairns, Tropical North Queensland.

Our privately owned company provides water quality management advice, and participatory development services for water supply and sanitation delivery. The husband and wife partnership have been operating this consultancy from Cairns since 2013. We work closely with our clients to appraise and understand the local situation. By providing context-sensitive advice the company delivers practical & sustainable technical, economic, environmental, social and institutional solutions tailored to the client’s objectives.

Peter Sharry is the Principal Consultant, co-owner and Company Director. He is an experienced process and environmental chemist and project manager specializing in water quality, water treatment and rural water supply design and implementation. Peter has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Chemistry) Degree, a Master of Integrated Water Management Degree specialising in WaSH for Development plus over 20 years of design and project management experience in the water sector alone.

Peter has a passion for community development and in particular for improved WaSH access as an enabler for sustained social and economic development. Since 2014 he has worked on WaSH and water quality management projects in PNG, Kiribati, The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and each of these have had an emphasis on local capacity development.

Peter’s skills relevant to development work include:

• Significant experience in project management and design skills for water projects, including design of rainwater harvesting and storage systems, hydraulic design of gravity water supplies, O&M of water systems and materials distribution logistics.
• Extensive experience in environmental and process water quality monitoring.
• A leadership / management style that is collaborative, fact-based, inclusive, respectful and transparent.
• A capable report writer and verbal communicator. He enjoys interactions with all levels of community to understand the local context, help build a vision of shared goals and communicate specific tasks necessary to achieve those goals.

Peter is a passionate advocate for a holistic, gendered approach to context specific WaSH development in communities. He is committed to the delivery of sustainable and resilient development outcomes.

Susan (Sue) is joint owner of Axiom Water Technologies. Sue primarily undertakes the office administration and financial reporting functions of the business. Sue is able to assist with fieldwork activities as required; she’s recently worked on a local water quality monitoring program and previously with intensive water quality investigations in The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Sue has a Bachelor Degree in Applied Science (Chemistry major). Her earlier career experience was in analytical laboratories in the education, industrial and mining sectors.

Sue is particularly interested in improved WaSH in schools, the application of appropriate Behaviour Change Programs to its success and the flow-on benefit to the surrounding community. As a mother, and having been closely involved in her own children’s education, Sue understands that access to safe water and improved sanitation is key to improving educational outcomes, particularly of girls in developing communities. Having participated in some workshops on this vital aspect of WaSH, she is keen to undertake more formal study. This would complement Peter’s depth of technical knowledge and experience upon which their consultancy business relies.

Axiom is currently active on projects in regional PNG, delivering community-based WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) and capacity building projects. We are seeking opportunities in the Australian and international markets, with a particular focus on Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Island Nations.