MY ACCOUNT
STORAGE LEVELS
WATER DATA
ANNOUNCED ALLOCATIONS
NEWS
2025 Community Calendar Photography Competition
THE 2025 COMMUNITY CALENDAR PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FABULOUS ENTRANTS!
We’re on a mission to learn what our lakes, dams and weirs look like through your eyes! We know everyone who uses our storages has their own special place, time or activity, and we’re hoping to capture what you love most in our very first community calendar.
Entries are now open for Sunwater’s inaugural Community Calendar Photography Competition!
The competition is open to anyone who lives, works or studies in Queensland. You don’t need to be a professional photographer – you just need to upload your favourite image of a Sunwater asset, along with a safety tip, for a chance to win.
Photos submitted for the competition do not need to be recent! You may have already snapped the winning shot.
Entries close at 11.59pm on Sunday 1 September 2024.
What’s this about a safety tip?
Being safe on, in and around the water is key to having a good time! Share your tips for a fun and safe day out, and we will include the best of these in our calendar to remind others how easy safety can be.
Some examples include:
- I check the flare is still in the boat’s glovebox before I head off
- I check the water for underwater logs and rocks before I let the kids go in
- I make sure the kids wear life jackets even though they’re strong swimmers.
Competition rules and eligibility requirements
- Participants must be over 18 and a Queensland resident.
- Each submission must be accompanied by a safety tip for enjoying the water.
- Submitted images must be of a Sunwater asset. Acceptable assets include dams, weirs, barrages, channels, off-stream storages, pipelines and pumps.
- Submissions must be digital and have the device’s geolocation services turned on.
- Submissions must be in landscape format.
- Submissions must be:
- a minimum of 8 megapixels in size (or 300 dots per inch [DPI])
- a JPG file.
- Eligible equipment includes smartphones, digital cameras and drones.
- Eligible photographs do not need to have been taken recently. Older images are eligible providing they are original and meet other eligibility requirements.
- Participants can enter the competition as many times as they like, provided all other eligibility requirements are met. A maximum of three photos can be uploaded per entry.
View full Terms and Conditions.
Competition dates
Entries open at 12.01am AEST on Wednesday 3 July 2024, and close at 11.59pm AEST on Sunday 1 September 2024.
Judging will commence on 4 September 2024, with all finalists notified by phone or email from 11 September 2024. If winners cannot be contacted by 18 September 2024, their entry will be deemed invalid and another winner will be selected in their place.
Prizes
The best image will win pride of place on the cover of the first community calendar, as well as a $500 gift voucher for a retailer in the community closest to the asset they photographed, wherever possible.
Twelve lucky runners up will win a $300 gift voucher to spend in the community closest to the asset they photographed, wherever possible, and have their photo featured in the calendar.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Who can enter?
The competition is open to all Queensland residents over 18.
Are there rules for retouching and editing?
Submitted images should be original and minimally edited. AI images will not be accepted.
Do I need to be a professional photographer to enter?
No. Some of the most beautiful scenic images have been captured on smartphones.
What sort of images and content are suitable to enter?
Scenic images of Sunwater assets – perhaps it’s a sunrise or sunset over the dam, a boat departing from a boat ramp, or dark storm clouds hovering over the spillway. It could be a beautiful shot of birds sitting on a pipeline, or cattle grazing at the water’s edge. Whatever it is, we want to see the Sunwater assets through the eyes of the community members who use them, so get creative and show us what you love about our dams, weirs and channels.
What is an example of a suitable safety tip?
Tell us what you do to make sure you get home safely after a day at the dam. This might be a safety tip about prepping for your visit, such as “I check my personal floatation devices for wear and tear every time I pack the boat” or it could be as simple as “I check for logs and rocks under the water’s surface before I let my kids swim”. There are no right or wrong answers, we just want to share your safety advice with other water enthusiasts.
How many photos may I submit? Can I submit several entries?
Yes! There is no limit to how many times you enter, provided each entry includes a unique image and safety tip.
Do I have to provide any other information?
Images must have been captured with your geolocation services turned on. This allows Sunwater staff to use the GPS coordinates to confirm the image is of a Sunwater asset.
I’m having a problem uploading my images using the website. Can I email my entry in?
Images need to be at least 300 DPI at actual size. This will ensure an image print at A4 size will be high quality. Alternatively, just ensure your images are a minimum of 8 megapixels (MP) in size and in JPG format.
If your image format and size meets the above requirements and you are still having issues uploading it via the website, you may submit your application form (download from the competition webpage), safety tip and image to community@sunwater.com.au. Please note, due to email limitations, you will only be able to attach a single image in each email.
Do I retain the copyright on my images?
As the photographer, if your image is chosen to be published to promote the competition, you will be acknowledged throughout the term of the competition. Publication of the winning images will also acknowledge the original photographers.
By entering the competition, you transfer copyright of the image to Sunwater for future marketing purposes. We may choose not to acknowledge you as the original photographer in these instances.
Do my photos need to have been taken during the competition period?
The age of the image is not important. You can submit images you took of a Sunwater asset any number of years ago provided it meets other eligibility criteria.
How does the judging process work?
The winning 13 images will be chosen by a panel of three judges from Sunwater’s executive leadership team. Employees involved in the competition planning will not be involved in the judging process.
When will the winners be announced?
Winners will be personally notified by Sunwater staff before a public announcement on Sunwater’s Facebook page in mid-September 2024.
If I win, how will I receive my prize?
The winner will receive a $500 gift card, and 12 runners up will receive a $300 gift card each.
Winners will be given a choice of up to four local businesses to choose from (at staff discretion). Sunwater staff will purchase a gift card on behalf of winners and mail it directly to them. The gift cards cannot be exchanged for cash, and will not be redeemable for alcohol products or gambling services.
Where will the winning images be showcased?
The winning images will be printed in a 2025 calendar. The calendars will be distributed at community events throughout Queensland as part of Sunwater’s annual public safety campaign. Winners will be posted a calendar.
Where can I read the rules in detail?
I still have more questions. Who can I talk to?
Call Sunwater’s Customer Support team on 13 15 89, Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 4.30pm, and ask to be transferred to the Community Relations team. Alternatively, please email us at community@sunwater.com.au and we’ll respond as soon as we can.