Barton is a civil engineer with over 26 years of experience in the water industry focused mainly on the design, construction, and operation of dams. He has been involved with the delivery of over 26 major dam projects ranging from $5M to the $395M Hinze Dam Stage 3 project. Since 2011 he has worked in the Seqwater Flood Operations Team being appointed as a Senior Flood Operations Engineer in 2013. His current role as the Assistant Chief Engineer for the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water includes the review and assessment of water projects across the State of Queensland.