In 2025, Pensar celebrated 25 years of delivering innovative critical infrastructure solutions – 25 years of original design thinking, proven project delivery, and flexible, fit-for-purpose solutions.
It was in February 2000 that Karl Yunker started the business in Brisbane. In the 25 years since, Pensar has successfully delivered challenging projects from Burketown to Burnie – from its origins in civil works and property development, to dedicated expertise in water, power and specialist infrastructure.
Thank you to the many amazing people who have helped to shape Pensar over the past 25 years – staff, clients and suppliers.
Following are some more highlights from our landmark 2025 …
Building a better Pensar
We continued to build and develop our team in 2025. Pensar now employs 300+ people. Each year at our anniversary lunch, we honour team members who have been with Pensar five years or longer. This year saw a record 64 people acknowledged – more than a fifth of our team. A great demonstration of the dedication and commitment that have built Pensar.
As Pensar continues to grow in scale and scope, we continue to shape and refine our operation – to be as flexible and fit for purpose as the projects we deliver. Our technical divisions across water, power and structures are now integrated, multidisciplinary teams, capable of delivering broader, larger, more specialised projects – several examples follow. One coherent entity, one clear vision.
Pensar’s stewardship has been strengthened with the creation of new leadership roles and new executive appointments, filled by familiar faces:
- Karl Yunker steps into the newly created role of Executive Chairman.
- Patrick Newell moves into the new role of Chief Executive Officer.
- David Brown takes over from Patrick as Chief Operating Officer.
- Michael Bissett and Tim Down are now Executive Directors.
Following our growing work in Tasmania in recent years, Pensar’s Hobart office opened in 2025. Operations Manager Laura Arias relocated to Hobart early in the year and today leads a locally recruited team that continues to expand with growth in local work. Laura and the team were recently awarded TasWater’s five year PSE framework.
Project highlights
More than two years on, our large-scale critical electrical infrastructure project for Seqwater’s Mount Crosby East Bank Pump Station is nearing completion. Pensar originally secured the project following a six-month early contractor involvement phase, competing against considerably higher resourced operators. The CEI project builds on our longstanding partnership with Seqwater. This is the largest of our 100+ Seqwater projects to date, and our largest ever power project.
Our multidisciplinary capabilities and specialist expertise in electrical infrastructure have enabled Pensar to lead the project and deliver all components of the complex flood resilience/CEI design and construction. Pensar devised several project improvements to deliver better outcomes and maintain operation of this most critical asset in the South-east Queensland water grid throughout the duration of works. The project is on track for completion and handover to Seqwater early in 2026.
We’re delivering another major electrical-led project for a water infrastructure asset in Queensland’s Mackay region. The design and construct upgrade of the Eungella Pipeline Stage 3 for Sunwater includes a new floating pump station housing HV pumps. Like Mount Crosby, this is another great example of Pensar’s integrated, multidisciplinary project delivery.
Pensar has been appointed to two Sydney Water delivery contractor panels – for pump stations and pipelines. Pensar NSW Operations Manager Kris Saunders will lead future opportunities through this region.
Pensar has recorded 50% growth in sustaining infrastructure projects over the past year. By raising the bar in the delivery of minor critical works, Pensar is delivering better service and value for water utilities, and improved solutions and outcomes for day-to-day maintenance works. These projects also provide valuable experience for our younger engineers. Recent examples include a for Urban Utilities at South Ripley and Ballina Shire Council at Lennox Head.
We recently commenced an exciting offshore project on behalf of NAVFAC Pacific – the local arm of the US Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command. The project involves construction of a new boat ramp at the Fiji Naval Squadron facility in Walu Bay, Suva.
Hunter Water has engaged Pensar to refurbish the Elermore Vale Reservoir in the Newcastle region. The steel reservoir is our largest steel constructed asset to date. The latest in a series of reservoir rehabilitation projects for Hunter Water, Elermore Vale follows the completion of the Morisset and Arcadia Vale Reservoir upgrades. The design and construct project is currently in the design phase. Another Hunter Water project saw Pensar designing and constructing a new 7 ML potable water reservoir, pipework system and 2.4 km trunk main at Harpers Hill. The upgrade enables Hunter Water to strengthen its water security and support regional growth in the Maitland region.
Pensar is delivering a new wastewater treatment plant on Great Keppel Island for Livingstone Shire Council. Turning wastewater into irrigation, the new treatment plant will deliver sustainable long-term solutions for the heritage protected site and sensitive natural environment of the island.
As part of a Murray-Darling Basin sustainable waterways initiative on behalf of the NSW Department of Fisheries, Pensar completed the installation of fish protection screens at multiple sites between Moree and Bourke.
Our NSW team is designing and delivering the Clarence Valley Council Rushforth Road WTP upgrade near Grafton. Check out this timelapse video of the concrete base slab pour for the 16 ML reservoir
Industry engagement
Building on our longstanding involvement with the Australian Water Association, Pensar is a founding partner of the AWA Careers in Water initiative. One of the water industry professionals recently featured in their ‘Water Stories’ series is our Tasmania Operations Manager Laura Arias.
We sponsored and attended the AWA Awards in Queensland and Tasmania, and the AWA NSW Conference and Qwater’25. Our Corporate Manager Jane Death chaired the Careers in Water panel at the AWA Ozwater’25 conference in Adelaide.
Pensar continued to support and attend industry activities and events, including WaterAid Australia gala balls and golf days, and National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Queensland events. CEO Patrick Newell continues in his role as a WaterAid Australia Ambassador and last month joined fellow industry leaders sharing their experiences and insights at the IAQ EPIQ Water Toolkit event in Brisbane. And we’re proud to report one of our undergraduate engineers, Zimena Furey, was nominated for the NAWIC QLD Student/Trainee/Apprentice of the Year Award.
Our Aubinville STP upgrade for Fraser Coast Regional Council was a finalist in the 2025 National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) Awards and more recently the Wallsend 2 SFPS and Rising Main for Hunter Water has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2026 AWA NSW Water Awards.
Thank you to everyone who has worked with Pensar in 2025 – and over the past 25 years. We wish you a happy and safe summer break. We look forward to creating more innovative infrastructure in 2026.