IPWEA TASMANIA
ANNUAL REPORT (2015)
Mission Vision Values
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IPWEA Mission: To enhance the quality of life of Australian Communities through public works and services.
IPWEA Vision: To be recognised nationally and internationally as the leading professional association that effectively informs, connects, represents and leads public works professionals for Australasia.
IPWEA Values: IPWEA people share a set of core values that define our accepted standards and behaviours. They define us as an organisation, the way we work together, and with our members, communities and stakeholders.
Respect – we treat people with fairness and equity, acknowledging our communities and heritage. We provide a safe, nurturing environment.
Integrity – we demonstrate honesty, transparency, fairness, and clear boundaries in all our interactions.
Passion – we strive, stand up for what we believe in, and go the extra distance. We want to make a difference to people’s lives.
Excellence – we are committed to excellence in everything we do. We are innovative, responsive, and continually raising the bar.
Recognition – we recognise the contributions that IPWEA people make, and we celebrate their successes
Ownership – we hold ourselves accountable for our actions, take ownership, and deliver on our promises.
2014/2015 Tasmanian Committee
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Heath Macpherson – President Gary Neil – Vice President Paul Breaden – Treasurer Darren Carlson – Secretary Bevin Eberhardt – PWEFT Representative Oliver Heyward – YIPWEA Mat Greskie – Australasian Representative Damion Beety – Australasian Representative Brian Edwards – Committee Member Geoff Webb – Committee Member Robert Little – NAMS Representative Bill Hanley - Committee Member
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PRESIDENTS REPORT
Heath Macpherson
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How quickly time flies. It feels only like yesterday I was taking over the reins as President and now I am writing my final report.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all committee members for volunteering their time and for their ongoing hard work throughout the year to assist with continuing to grow IPWEA and maintain it as the active and valuable association it is.
All committee members are easily approachable and appreciate feedback from members. If you as valued members have any comments, issues or questions please feel free to talk to any one of us. Even better if you want to put something back in to the association I highly recommend nominating for the committee, the commitment is not onerous and the returns immense. Joining the committee is a great way to help continue to shape and grow the association into the future. I have found it a personally rewarding opportunity.
The Tasmanian Division has had a busy and productive year which has included:
The 2014 Works and Engineering Conference at Wrest Point, Hobart including a member’s dinner and site tour of the Hobart Waterfront An Asset Management Technical Session including presentations from New Zealand grant recipients Frank Chen, Emilio Reale and Robert Little A presentation from eminent industry professional, Dr Penny Burns A combined Traffic Control Device Training course with ARRB A Technical Session on Bridges including Timber Bridges The first review of the Municipal Standard Drawings and Subdivision Guidelines is nearing completion Three highly successful dinners for members and partners Presentation of Fellows Certificates to IPWEA Tasmania qualifying members
My congratulations go to: Adela Parnell, PWEFT Grant recipient to attend the 2015 Australasian Conference in Rotorua, New Zealand Joshua Coates, 2015 YIPWEA Emerging Leader Tasmanian winner
I hope that the members continue to support this great organisation and encourage new members to join and existing members to continue to be active at events during 2015-16.
Finally, I would like to again thank the committee and Carmel Clark for all their hard work and support throughout the year and my time as President.
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AUSTRALASIAN BOARD REPORT
Tasmanian Representatives - Damion Beety & Mat Greskie ......
The last twelve months has seen several significant highlights at the national level.
Hosting the joint IFME World Congress and IPWEA/IPWEA NZ International Public Works Conference Rotorua New Zealand in June 2015. The Conference theme was Sustainable Communities with 8 concurrent streams and over 170 papers.
There were over 750 Delegates (and 830 at the Gala Dinner) from 16 countries in attendance. Key note addresses including the President of Iceland, the Mayor of Hastings, the Young IPWEA Chair, Roger La Salle and Nigel Letta.
Membership is now close to 4000 and growing steadily
A review of the IPWEA Constitution has commenced
Michael Kahler will step down in June as IPWEA President, a recent election endorsing Ross Goyne (Vic) as the new president and Mat Greskie (Tas) as Vice President. Congratulations to Mat.
Perth is to host the 2017 IPWEA International Conference and Tasmania the 2019 IPWEA International Conference
Considerable effort is being expended to produce Webinars and other online learning opportunities to be more flexible for members.
The APA welcomed a new National CEO, Mr Robert Fuller. Robert is highly experienced across construction, infrastructure, fleet and government sectors having been in management at BP Australia, Honeywell, Honeywell engineering and the Master Builders Association. Robert commenced in the role on July 1 2015.
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Major Achievements 2014 / 2015
The Australasian Board adopted 10 Key Strategic Actions for 2014/15. The following is the final achievements for the past 12-month period.
KEY STRATEGIC ACTIONS 14 / 15 STRATEGIC Outcomes & Achievements
10 things to get right & make OBJECTIVE happen
Launch non-member to member Engage Members 50 non members converted and conversion campaign. joined over 2 week campaign
Implement new round of IPWEA Build Capacity Cahoot#2 commenced 16 September eLearning Prof/Cert AM Planning. Cahoot#3 commenced 17 March.
Publish new publications (Practice Provide Street Lighting, Parks and LOS PN Notes for LOS Roads Parks Street now launched AIFMG Ed 2 is review. Lighting AIFMG 2nd Ed Identify New Leadership Other publications due shortly Publications in
Develop and establish Mentor Match Engage Members Successfully launched March/April program with Mentors and Mentees sought from each division.
Develop and implement strategies for Provide Careers Blog established to provide fostering young professionals, women content. Jobs Board due to be in public works and for connecting launched shortly Leadership university students to employers to gain vacation work experience , launch and associated jobs board
Launch Refresh of IPWEA Website 2nd Enhance Systems New website launched. stage enhancements to cater for responsive design
Enhance communications and Enhance Networks Joint Presidents and staff meeting relationships with divisions held Nov 2014 in Melbourne
Develop a strategy for the future Provide Consider as part of review of model structure and composition of the board constitution Leadership
Deliver successful Joint IFME / IPWEA / Build Capability Held in June 2015, Nearly 800 IPWEA NZ International Public Works delegates from 16 Countries, 8 Conference in Rotorua. streams over 170 papers
Develop a Sustainability in Public Enhance Networks Successful Sustainability Conference Works Conference delivered, planning commenced for 2016 Conference in Melbourne
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PWEFT REPORT
Bevin Eberhardt
Trustees: Bevin Eberhardt (Chair); Brian Edwards (Treasurer); Phil Gee; Damion Beety; Mat Greskie
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The following activities were undertaken by PWEFT in 2014-15:
1.0 Changes to the Foundation Deed
The administration of the Foundation funds by the Treasurer of the IPWEA Committee was implemented.
The DEED review was completed and endorsed by the Committee for approval by IPWEA members at the 2015 AGM.
2.0 Asset Management Tour to New Zealand 19-24 October 2014
The following IPWEA members received grants to the AM tour to NZ:
Frank Chen-Stormwater Assets Officer-Hobart City Council
Rob Little-Asset management Co-ordinator-Meander Valley Council
Emilio Reale-Executive Manager Infrastructure Services-Huon Valley Council
Presentations were made at an Asset Management Technical Session in Launceston on 27 February 2015.
3.0 IPWEA International Conference & IFME World Congress on Municipal Engineering -Rotorua, New Zealand, 7-11 June 2015
Adela Parnell, Engineer-Asset Planning, TasWater , was the successful applicant for a grant to attend the IPWEA International Conference in New Zealand. Adela will present a paper at the Tasmanian Works & Engineering Conference at the Arts Center in Burnie, October 30 – 31 2015.
The Foundation also made a grant to Josh Coates, Hydraulic Engineer, City of Launceston, to attend the June conference as the recipient of the Tasmania Division's Young IPWEA Emerging Leader Award. Josh will give a presentation at the IPWEA Members Dinner prior to the Annual Works and Engineering conference in Burnie.
Congratulations to both awardees and we look forward to hearing of their experiences in New Zealand in October.
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NEW ZEALAND ASSET MANAGEMENT TOUR OCTOBER 2014
Emilio Reale, Frank Chen, Robert Little ......
The New Zealand Asset Management Tour was extremely beneficial for a number of reasons.
The key aspects presented at the forum were a timely reminder of some of the basic principles of asset management and their importance. It reiterated that the last resort for solving a service problem should be building new infrastructure we should always be endeavouring to find non asset solutions such as demand management, improved utilisation or consider whether the service is affordable.
The learning’s from the tour could be summed up in a few categories;
With a decrease in available funds for renewal investment there has been an increase in optimising whole of life costs. This was through a variety of methods; Matamata-Piako were having robust discussions about what materials are used at component and asset renewal to reduce whole of life costs; Auckland City were sweating their assets, which means extending their life beyond the theoretical life and having contingencies for failures, a good understanding of condition and rapid maintenance; Auckland Transport were improving data modelling to improve predicted renewal requirements and NZ Transport were implementing a smoothing of level of service across the national road network. These differing approaches require differing levels of sophistication but they are essentially finding their own ways to get better value for money out of their assets.
Much of the forum was about changing the way we think and understanding what motivates our colleagues to maximise our impact as Asset Managers. This revolved around the need to collect and quantify the quality of data to ensure a high percentage of accuracy. Using models such as scenario planning for decision making and looking at asset management staff and a positive workplace culture as your most valuable resource.
During the tour, the group heard on a number of occasions that there is still need for New Zealand (overall) to improve its asset management practices. This came as a bit of a surprise as New Zealand are considered world leaders and have been undertaking asset management in local government since the mid-1980s. This highlighted the importance of not becoming complacent in what has been achieved and how continuous improvement practices can help ensure success of asset management.
Another area New Zealand is currently focusing on and developing, is the importance of leadership and the human aspect of asset management. A number of councils and authorities have developed a robust whole of organisation approach which takes into consideration the importance people (and their knowledge) play.
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The IPWEA New Zealand Asset Management Tour is highly recommended for the knowledge and information that you acquire and for the relationships you build. It provides you with an incredible network that is the most valuable asset you gain.
NZ tour participants on site
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IPWEA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & IFME WORLD CONGRESS ON MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING-ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND, 7-11 JUNE 2015
Adela Parnell
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Thanks to the IPWEA Tasmania Foundation I was able attend the International Conference in New Zealand in June this year. The conference was in Rotorua, near the middle of the North Island. At the conference I attended plenary sessions, concurrent streams and a technical tour to Lake Taupo. The conference opened with a Pōwhiri, a traditional Maori ceremony. It included speeches, dancing, singing and the hongi.
Keynote speakers presented to all delegates at the plenary sessions. Topics included:
Sustainable Communities: have we got the formula right? What is an opportunity – How to systematically search for one Unshakeable green. An unmistakeably sustainable. A Kansas City journey Stand in the gap – united we stand, divided we fall Life, the universe and monkeys The presentation Stand in the gap – united we stand, divided we fall was particularly powerful. Miremu and Marsella Edmonds presented on culture and leadership. Culture: “this the way we do things here”. Leadership: “first starts at home”. Miremu and Marsella’s eldest son was killed at work in a forestry incident when the culture was such that multiple safety protocols weren’t followed. “Risk taker is the widow maker”. Part of Miremu and Marsella’s way to cope with their loss is present at conferences what happened to their family. They talked about the need for everyone to step up as leaders and stand in the gap to ensure the safety of themselves and those around them, so no other families need to go through what they did.
Concurrent sessions were split into eight different streams:
Asset Management Practice Engineering Management Strategic Asset Management Sustainable Communities Sustainable Practices Road & Transport Three Waters (drinking water, wastewater and stormwater) Building Infrastructure: After the Earthquake / Managing Roads & Bridges
Traditional Welcome
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Presentations that stood out included:
20 years in the making – cleaning up Greymouth [about implementing a 20 year plan to economically separate stormwater and wastewater and build new wastewater treatment plants] Orakei Main Sewer rehabilitation [about rehabilitating 250m of an egg- shaped 100year old sewer main] Innovative watermain and drainage rehabilitation techniques [about cured- in-place pipe, which relines pipes using polyester jackets and epoxy resin, essentially ending up with a new structural pipe] The energy potential in wastewater [about using heat exchanges to capture energy from wastewater for heating and cooling commercial buildings] Building on New Zealand’s most contaminated site – the Mapua Wharf Wastewater Pump Station [about a constraints and challenges building on a very contaminated site. Potential parallels with Macquarie Wharf in Hobart] Best practice for the management of wet weather overflows – effects based analysis [about wastewater overflows and nutrient impacts, and how more benefits can be delivered for less cost if the focus is switched to stormwater and/or agricultural runoff] The art of engineering [about bringing art back into public spaces (bus shelters in this particular case), in a bid to stop graffiti and vandalism] Natural Habitats green technology, [about green roofs and walls for buildings, and the benefits they bring]
The industry technical tour I attended was the Great Lake Taupo Infrastructure Tour. This included presentations about a new 25ML membrane water treatment plant, a recycled water scheme, and a new highway over thermally active areas. We then visited the infrastructure covered in the presentations. The WTP was on the edge of Lake Taupo, between a cliff and the shore. The roof of the WTP was designed to be public open space, and is a nice platform with benches to sit and enjoy the view.
One of the optional social functions was an evening at a Maori village. It started with a Pōwhiri, and we then learnt about different aspects of Maori culture, such as the significance of tattoos, aspects warrior training and the haka. All up there were around 750 delegates attending the conference, or 800 if you included partners.
It was an extremely valuable experience and I would encourage members to apply in future years.
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IPWEA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & IFME WORLD CONGRESS ON MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING-ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND, 7-11 JUNE 2015
Joshua Coates
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From the 7th to the 11th of June 2015 I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the IFME World Congress on Municipal Engineering and the IPWEA International Public Works Conference. I was given this opportunity by the Tasmanian IPWEA Division Foundation .
I was able to choose from 168 concurrent sessions to attend, listen to seven engaging key note speakers, network at four social functions and spend a day mountain biking as a part of a technical tour!
The conference allowed me to network with other young professionals in Australia and from across the world whilst also learning from a range of high quality speakers and professionals. Notable highlights from the conference were: City of Gosnell's challenge with on-site stormwater management in urban infill areas. This presentation gave examples of issues I have in my own work and; Infrastructure asset management - making everything as simple as possible but not simpler. This presentation gave great insight into the core principles of asset management and demonstrated how important personnel (asset managers) are.
I also attended sessions that I would not normally attend, for example 'optimising the gravel utilisation for unsealed roads'. I now have an appreciation the other components of public works that I am not directly involved in.
The conference was a great experience; I am still digesting all the information that was presented. I would highly recommend any young public works professional to attend the conference in the future.
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TASMANIAN WORKS & ENGINEERING CONFERENCE 2014
Resilience through Renewal
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20142014 Organising Committee: Shane Dillon Paul Medhurst Pete Donato Greg Fannon Heath Macpherson Darren Carlson Frank Chen Oliver Heyward Glen Popowski Phil Gee
The 2014 conference focussed on events that had happened in the southern region (Dunalley fire, flooding and a number of renewal projects) four topics were determined for each session - Emergency Management, Planning Reform, Climate Change and Infrastructure Renewal. The Technical Tour held on Saturday 8 October encompassed a sightseeing tour on an open topped double decker bus to the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS). A presentation and tour of the IMAS commenced the tour. The delegates were split into 3 groups that did a walking tour of Hobart, Tour of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) and a tour of the Macquarie Wharf 2 including the ports tower. The day ended with a three course lunch at Mures Upper Deck and a scenic bus tour back to the Casino.
Phil & Christine Gee Harry & Sharon Galea
Neil Family
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Conference 2014:
IPWEA FELLOWS PRESENTATION 2015
Friday 3 July Salamanca Inn
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The Tasmanian Division of the IPWEA welcomed 13 new Fellows to its ranks in 2015. The new Fellows were presented with their Certificates at a members and partners dinner on Friday 3 July 2015.
Congratulations to: Damion Beety, Paul Breaden, Darren Carlson, Harry Galea, Phil Gee, Mat Greskie, Heath Macpherson, Elspeth Moroni, Gary Neil, Ron Sanderson, Randell Stott, Geoff Webb and Ray Wright.
Members enjoying the networking at the Fellows Presentation
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YOUNG IPWEA EMERGING LEADER AWARD 2015
Joshua Coates ......
The Young IPWEA Emerging Leader Award seeks to inspire excellence and dedication in public works by recognising the achievements and potential of young public works professionals.
The winner of the 2015 YIPWEA Emerging Leader Tasmanian winner was Joshua Coates from Launceston City Council. Joshua joined other YIPWEA’s from Australia and New Zealand for the presentation of the National Award in Rotorua.
Awarded every two years the primary focus of the Award is on career service to the public works profession rather than on any one single event or project or service to the Institute.
The Award has been established to recognise and encourage young IPWEA members who have demonstrated commitment to the profession and the Institute. Their early endeavours show clear potential for future growth within the public works industry. The Award promotes the concept that length of career does not necessarily indicate leadership abilities or potential for service.
Partners Tour - Conference 2014
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2015 WORKS AND ENGINEERING CONFERENCE
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BURNIE ARTS AND FUNCTION CENTRE
OCTOBER 30 – 31 2015
Keynote Speaker, Geoff Dobson - Adventurer
Resourcefulness, Vulnerability and Pushing Through Hard Times. Geoff will recount his experiences from motor biking 5000km from Cape Town, South Africa to Victoria Falls riding through the Kalahari Desert, Caprivi Strip and along the notorious Skeleton Coast. Geoff will reveal how vulnerability creates strength, how extremely resourceful people can be and that life still exists without technology.
Conference Dinner, Friday 30 October - 7:00 for 7:30pm
Stay on for a fabulous night at the Burnie Arts and Function Centre Entertainment provided by The Sun Kings - playing all your favourite music
Join the Port and Rail Tour on Saturday 31 October 8:45am South Burnie Foreshore Highlights incude: Burnie Port Ulverstone Pontoon Don River Railway Bass Strait Maritime Centre Mersey Bluff The tour concludes around 3:30 pm at the South Burnie Foreshore Car Park
Contact Randell Stott [email protected], or Greg Osborne [email protected] for more information.
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