As communities urbanise across Australia, local governments are facing the pressure of maintaining thousands of kilometres of stormwater and wastewater pipes.
Traditional dig-and-replace methods are no longer viable for many councils looking to replace pipes, which can be decades old and in states of deterioration.
They are disruptive, costly, and often socially unpopular due to their impact on traffic, businesses, and residents. In today’s environment, non-invasive trenchless technologies offer a smarter, more sustainable solution – minimising disruption, reducing costs, and extending the lifespan of critical assets.
As community expectations rise and environmental regulations tighten, trenchless pipe repair is becoming a necessity for local government asset managers across Australia.
Certified trenchless solution training
Recognising this shift, global engineering solutions provider Trelleborg, together with Asset Training, has developed a certified training program to support councils and their contractors in deploying safe, compliant, and long-lasting trenchless repairs.
Offered in partnership with SECA, the DrainPacker Product Training Course equips professionals with the skills and knowledge to carry out point repairs on gravity sewer and stormwater pipes using certified no-dig techniques.
“This training is designed to meet the very real infrastructure challenges that Australian councils are facing,” explained William Wong, Business Development Manager APAC at Trelleborg.
“The DrainPacker system allows for fast, localised repairs with minimal surface disruption – ideal for use beneath roads, parks, heritage areas, and other sensitive locations.”
What’s on the syllabus
The training course is highly practical and directly aligned with the operational realities faced by local government works teams and approved contractors. The course covers:
- Understanding DrainPacker system components – including certified resins and fibreglass materials, and the importance of a complete system to achieve long term solutions
- Damage assessment – identifying cracks, infiltration, corrosion and other common issues in gravity pipes that are suitable for repair using the DrainPacker system
- Material calculation – ensuring correct resin volumes and thickness for structural integrity
- Installation techniques – from pre-site, packer preparation, mixing resin, pot life, wetting out material, installation, curing and safe removal
- Documentation and traceability – ensuring compliance with audit, warranty and reporting requirements that ensure the installed DrainPacker system is correctly installed to achieve design and life expectancy
Importantly, the course also addresses relevant Australian and international standards including a range of certifications, giving councils the confidence that repairs are being carried out to globally recognised benchmarks.
“This is not just another product demo,” Wong said.
“We’ve worked together with Asset Training, an accredited training provider in Australia to develop a structured, certification-aligned course that ensures repairs meet the performance and compliance expectations that councils are accountable for.”
The value for councils
The timing of this training is critical. With mounting budget constraints, increasing scrutiny over procurement practices, and a national focus on asset lifecycle management, it’s more important than ever that local governments choose certified, proven solutions for pipe rehabilitation.
“Councils are being asked to do more with less. Many are now requesting product life and structural design information – increasingly for up to 100 years.
“Trenchless technologies like DrainPacker help extend the life of existing infrastructure without major civil works, and our training ensures that these repairs are done properly – first time, every time.”
The DrainPacker system has undergone rigorous testing – including 10,000-hour creep analysis – to verify long-term structural performance.
The course also highlights the risks of using non-certified or imitation products, which can lead to:
- Structural failure due to poor quality materials
- Environmental hazards, such as groundwater contamination
- Compliance breaches and failed inspections
- Loss of traceability and audit issues
- Costly rework and future liabilities
Wong warns of the risks that arise from cheaper alternatives that look the same, but don’t perform the same.
“Is the fibreglass treated for chemical and corrosion resistance? Is resin performance consistent? Only traceability from site to distributor to manufacture can ensure that installed products are genuine.
“Visual similarity does not mean material equivalence – especially under Australian conditions, where UV exposure, chemical resistance and soil variability must be accounted for.”
A trusted local partner
To help Australian councils mitigate risk and ensure quality outcomes, Trelleborg distributes its DrainPacker system and training through SECA, a long-standing local supplier of trenchless technologies.
SECA offers councils:
- Certified training programs
- Access to genuine Trelleborg materials
- Support with compliance and documentation – designs are required to be validated
All resin and fibreglass components used in the DrainPacker system are batch-tracked, labelled, and documented in Trelleborg’s European production system. The extra measures are designed to offer full traceability and accountability.
“We’re proud to work with SECA as our exclusive training partner, providing the DrainPacker as a complete system in Australia” Wong said.
“They understand the needs of local councils and bring deep technical expertise to the table.”
Investing in skills, investing in long-term success
For local governments, infrastructure investment is about more than just materials – it’s about capability. With rising scrutiny on procurement and asset performance, councils need trained professionals who can deliver repairs that are safe, compliant, and durable.
“This course is about empowering councils and contractors with the right tools, processes and knowledge,” Wong said.
“When your team is trained and your materials are certified, you reduce risk, increase accountability, and make the most of every ratepayer dollar.”
To learn more about the course, visit seca.com.au
