Engineering for Public Works - Issue 20, December 2020

ENGINEERING

FOR PUBLIC WORKS ISSUE NUMBER

20

www.ipweaq.com

#IPWEAQ20 HIGHLIGHTS Highlights of IPWEAQ Annual Conference. P 30

PROJECT OF THE YEAR – SUNSHINE COAST COUNCIL Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project. P 49

BEST PAPER AWARD John Tannock reflects on a personal project requiring epic stakeholder relations.

P 56

MEMBER PROFILE: SUZANNE BROWN Suzanne reflects on her career highlights and mentors. P 23

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

City of Gold Coast | Kurrawa Seawall Pictured: Giovanni Rapana (Beaches Team) and Ashley Rogers (Survey Services)

Every community needs an

Engineer

CALENDAR ENGINEERS PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT ENGINEERS ARE TRUSTED ENGINEERS BUILD COMMUNITIES ENGINEERS PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE ENGINEERS ARE LEADERS ENGINEERS ARE COLLABORATIVE ENGINEERS ARE INNOVATORS ENGINEERS ENGAGE AND PROTECT ENGINEERS KEEP US SAFE ENGINEERS ARE CREATIVE 3807

ENGINEERS ARE FUTURE-ORIENTED ENGINEERS CONNECT COMMUNITIES

   www.ipweaq.com

CONTENTS ISSN 2652-6050 (online) Dec 2020 Issue no 20 Cover: 2020 Project of the Year, SUNSHINE COAST EXPANSION PROJECT

From the Editor President’s Report CEO’S Report Community News Member News Crime and Corruption Commission Fact Sheet

4 7 10 13 17 18

Member Profiles Emerging Leader, Suzanne Brown Emerging Professional, Ben Staniford Member, William Green Member, Kym Murphy

24 26 28 30

Conference Feature #IPWEAQ20 Stats Thank you to our Sponsors Thank you to our Exhibitors Social Functions The Great Debate The Futures Challenge Student Reflections Tech Tours Emerging Professionals Workshop Women In Public Works Engineering Masterclass Keynote Speakers Panel Discussion Project of the Year – Sunshine Coast Expansion Project

31 32 33 35 37 38 41 42 45 56 47 49 50

Conference Papers Redefining The Road Authority Role Geoff Wilmoth Best Paper Award - The Installation Of Oivi/Gorari Battle Monument Cobbold Gorge Glass Floored Bridge Managing the Impacts of Large Resource Projects on Lower Order Roads Applying the Lessons from Dreamworld to Managing Structural Assets Lawful Point Of Discharge Managing Cyber Security Risks Keep It Open! New Regulations for Closing Council Meetings Have Commenced IPWEAQ Updates CQ Branch President’s Report NQ Branch President’s Report SEQ Branch President’s Report SWQ Branch President’s Report Public Works Professionals (Pwp) Facilities Workng Groups Update Professional Development Report Adac Report Ambassador Article, Ben Ash qldwater Ceo’s Report 98 qldwater FNQ Regional Conference, Atherton qldwater Water Industry Skilling Beyond 2020 New Team Members Meet the Teams Partners Subscribers Media Kit

54 57 63 67 70 74 77 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 97 100 102 104 105 108 110 113

COMING UP 1ST QUARTER 2021 Events 5 February President’s Breakfast, Brisbane REGISTER ONLINE 24-26 February SEQ Branch Conference, Caloundra REGISTER ONLINE 18-19 March SWQ Branch Conference, Chinchilla Public Works TV 17 February The Secret Job Market (Emerging Professionals) 24 February Managing Bridge Assets (TechTalk) 3 March Work-life Balance (Women in Engineering) 24 March Big Picture Thinking, Asset Management (TechTalk) REGISTER ONLINE Professional Development 3-4 February Demystifying Extended Design Domain (EDD) Applications, Brisbane 10 February Understanding and Diagnosing Bridge Defects, Brisbane 23-25 March Bridge Inspection Workshop, Townsville 17-18 March Bridge Maintenance and Repair Practices, Brisbane REGISTER ONLINE

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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FROM THE EDITOR Karen Farrell Editor

We are delighted to present Issue #20 of EPW! This issue highlights coverage of our flagship event, the IPWEAQ Annual Conference, #IPWEAQ20 which brought together 440 public works professionals and decisionmakers from the public and private sectors to listen and learn, network, exchange ideas and be inspired.

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We were fortunate to escape lockdown to connect in person (with a safety-first COVID Management Plan) over three days in November which this year featured a State of Origin Game night and Remembrance Day commemoration. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the event confirming our 4.6 star event rating.

In this issue of EPW, we feature highlights of #IPWEAQ20 including the Project of the Year, the Geoff Wilmoth Best Paper award winner and runner-up, excellence awards projects, keynote speakers, the Futures Challenge, Tech Tours, the Emerging Professionals Workshop, the Women in Public Works Engineering Masterclass, the Great Debate and the panel discussion on the role of public works professionals in community road safety.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

We have member profiles for Suzanne Brown (Bundaberg Regional Council), Ben Staniford (Tonkin) and William Green (George Bourne & Associates) plus a report from Kym Murphy (TMR) on her 110km Darkness to Daylight challenge.

Community News features promotions, graduations, awards and retirements. If you have any news to share with the IPWEAQ community, please be sure to send it in for the March issue.

I hope you enjoy this bumper issue of EPW. Stay safe this Christmas and we look forward to sharing more with you in the New Year.

Wishing you a safe and healthy Christmas and best wishes for 2021!

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS. NEW! CHOOSE YOUR OWN PATHWAY! Select ten modules of most interest to you from any Pathway.

Intake I 2021 starts 18 January 2021!

LEARNING HUB The Learning Hub is a mobile friendly e-learning platform delivering weekly evidence-based, practical, reflectionrich content and activities to enhance your career and general wellbeing.

Register online to earn up to 5 CPD hours and develop the skills and mindset to enhance your public works career.

Designed to fit into busy lives, each of the Pathways’ ten modules comprise: • a learning video from industry and business experts • a series of short, practical learning activities •o pportunities for interactions with other learners in the online forums • s upport from IPWEAQ staff through 1:1 messaging

Career pathways designed to provide breadth of knowledge relevant to any stage of your career:

High Potential Professionals

Senior Leadership

Men in Engineering

Women in Engineering

Choose Your Own Pathway

Included in your Pathway: ongoing 1:1 support regular reminders communities of practice Zoom meetings face-to face workshop

Register online to secure your place in the January intake!

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Emerging Professionals

Contact eLearning Coordinator Juliet.Schaffer@ipweaq.com

3632 6818

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www.ipweaq.com

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

2021 Events Program PRESIDENT’S BREAKFAST BRISBANE

5

FEB

24-26

SEQ BRANCH CONFERENCE CALOUNDRA

20-21

CQ BRANCH CONFERENCE MARYBOROUGH

2-3

RURAL ROADS REHABILITATION AND MAINTENANCE FORUM DALBY

FEB

SWQ BRANCH CONFERENCE CHINCHILLA

18-19 MARCH

APRIL

ASSET MANAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM BRISBANE

19-20 MAY

JUNE

NQ BRANCH CONFERENCE TOWNSVILLE

17-18 JUNE

12-14

3606

OCTOBER

ANNUAL CONFERENCE CAIRNS

Contact Events & Marketing Manager Monica.Robertson@ipweaq.com 07 3632 6802

2021 IPWEAQ EVENTS PROGRAM

PRESIDENT’S REPORT Craig Murrell

2020 has been a remarkable year for IPWEAQ. In the midst of a pandemic, we relocated to our impressive new facilities in Eagle Farm, a sign of how far we’ve come in recent times. We also delivered a net profit of $125,377 while other membership organisations across Australia were delivering losses. In May, we reached a milestone 1,000 members, the first of the seven entities in the IPWEA Group to achieve this.

2020 Excellence Awards with MC, Mark Lamont and IPWEAQ Ambassador, Jessica Kahl.

And our Annual Conference held in November this year was another successful event with 440 delegates gathering at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. The COVID-19 Management Plan had no effect on our enjoyment of the event and gratitude for being able to gather again, although years from now, we will look back on the event photos and wonder why everyone was standing apart.

While COVID-19 presented us with challenges for this event, it also presented some unique opportunities for example, we were able to host a State of Origin game night on Wednesday 11 November and to commemorate Remembrance Day. The excellence awards gala dinner and ceremony, held on the first night this year, again showcased what our people achieve for Queensland communities. When one chooses a career in public works, it is with a passion for making a difference.

Dean Ostrofski, President’s Award recipient for his contributions to Standard Drawings.

And I was pleased to present the 2020 President’s Award to Dean Ostrofski from the City of Gold Coast for his many years (almost 20) contributing to the Standard Drawings Working Group. The IPWEAQ Standard Drawings, like all our technical solutions, are highly respected and have over the years contributed to the standing and reputation of the Institute. Contributions of members like Dean, leads to a far more significant outcome than

just the quality and relevance of the Standards themselves.

Dean continues on the Standard Drawings Working Group and has since joined the Survey Standards. He is also the Chair of the CAD Standards Working Group. Thank you, Dean, for your contributions to the Institute and to our sector – it is much appreciated.

We were delighted to welcome Ray Moore, President of IPWEAQ

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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from 1974 to 1976 to the Annual Conference. Ray had some words of advice for us including, “if you make a mistake, don’t try to cover it up”. Ray also joined us at our offices in Eagle Farm to sit at the head of the table in the Moore Boardroom named in his honour.

At 94, Ray continues to live independently in Toowoomba.

I have enjoyed my first year as the 25th IPWEAQ President and look forward to what should be a very busy year as we endeavour to secure our economy post-COVID with infrastructure development across the state.

Michael Kasprowicz, the fashionable bowler for unfashionable tours.

Social distancing with Dwayne Honor, Bundaberg Regional Council.

The President’s Breakfast 5 February will launch our 2021 program which will be very hectic with four branch conferences between February and June, an Asset Management Symposium and a Rural Roads Forum. Several new courses are also under development for launch in the new year including a course for maximising the principles in the new Street Design Manual.

Enjoy Christmas and the New Year and I look forward to seeing many of you – in person and online – at the 2021 President’s Breakfast in February.

IPWEAQ Past Presidents (L to R): Dawson Wilkie, Seren McKenzie, Craig Murrell, Ray Moore, Ged Brennan, Joe Bannan.

John Tannock, Geoff Wilmoth Best Paper award recipient.

Neil Scales, Director-General, TMR

Ray Moore in the Moore Boardroom with the IPWEAQ Board and CEO.

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Martin Luna Juncal, Griffith University - Futures Challenge winner.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

2021 PRESIDENT’S

Breakfast Please join us for the 2021 President’s Breakfast to thank our Partners and sponsors for their contributions to our successes.

This is a members only event plus invited guests.

Friday 5 February 2021, 7.00am - 9.30am The Marquee, Victoria Park Cost: $50 plus GST Register now at: 2021 President's Breakfast Supporting the President’s Charity, Rural Aid.

RURAL AID

PRESIDENT’S CHARITY

CEO’S REPORT Leigh Cunningham

Another big year has come to pass and after a great start, we suddenly had to find new ways of entertaining ourselves without restaurants, bars, live music and walks along the river. At IPWEAQ, we were quarantined at home for just five weeks returning to the office as soon as restrictions were relaxed. And for some of us, that was not soon enough.

That all seems like a distant memory and doesn’t seem as bad as it felt at the time. The rest of the year evaporated.

In the December issue of the journal, we get to celebrate the people who made our Annual Conference a success and again this year, despite the influence of the C-word, 440 people from our community turned up in Brisbane grateful for the opportunity to reconnect. While other conferences all around us were cancelling, we stayed the course and enjoyed a unique event with State of Origin Game II, and we stood still at the 11th hour on Wednesday 11th to give thanks to the soldiers who fought and died for us.

One of my priorities since joining the Institute five years ago, was to ensure we left behind a welldocumented history so that those governing the Institute and our sector 50+ years from now will have an appreciation of our times. This journal was launched in March 2016 incorporating 100+ pages all about public works in Queensland, featuring articles

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about the issues and projects and also the activities of the Institute and our sector. The Excellence Awards Commemorative Book also documents the projects and people of our times, and we will soon be launching a series of individual Commemorative Booklets with all past winners for every award category – people and projects.

SOO Game II with Mike With Jessica Kahl, Brady supporting the IPWEAQ Ambassador and wrong team. fellow Rocky girl.

Executing the Dream Big cooperative agreement for 2021 with Jessica Kahl.

And about to be launched is our inaugural calendar, Every Community Needs an Engineer 2021 which features 12 varied projects from across Queensland from the Beames Brook Bridge in Burketown to the Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton to an artificial reef on the Gold Coast. The objectives of the calendar are to (a) highlight the variety of projects delivered for our communities by public works engineers and (b) attract the next generation of civil engineers to our sector, inspired

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

as they will be by these great projects. Each month will be accompanied by a campaign to highlight that particular type of project eg January is coastal engineering. The campaign will include promotions in regional and industry newspapers and newsletters, in schools and universities.

We are pleased to be continuing our collaboration with the Dream Big project executing an agreement with founder, Jessica Kahl earlier this month. The

With Ray Moore in the Engine Room at IPWEAQ’s new facilities in Eagle Farm.

STEAM Ahead program offers a developmental experience to support and prepare women to become more skilled, confident and qualified.

On pages 17-22 of EPW, we’ve published a Fact Sheet from the CCC (Crime and Corruption Commission) which arose from a PW-TV session to discuss what amounts to corrupt conduct for those delivering professional engineering services without registration as an RPEQ. It was clear there was a lot of confusion about what can and can’t be done. Ultimately, the solution is simple - become an RPEQ and you won’t need to worry if you are over-stepping the mark.

Since we moved to significantly larger premises in June better

Enjoying the Great Debate with the President and colleagues, Dr Neal Lake and Scott Britton.

equipped to accommodate our continuously expanding deliverables, we recruited two new Directors: Neal Lake, Director Engineering Practice (formerly at ARRB) and Scott Britton, Director Policy & Partnerships (formerly at LGAQ). Neal and Scott join our team of 24 (eight in water and 16 in engineering – all employees of IPWEAQ) who continued to deliver throughout 2020 in spite of the challenges we’ve all had to endure. Please see our team members on pages 116 and 117 of the journal) We are already well into planning mode for 2021 with the President’s Breakfast 5 February to recognise the contributions to our successes by our Partners and sponsors. The Breakfast will also launch the 2021 excellence

awards and two new awards in the category, Employer of the Year (Public Works Sector): Private and Government.

We are in for an extremely busy start to 2021 with four branch conferences plus activities surrounding the launch of the Every Community Needs an Engineer campaign but in the meantime, Christmas comes each year with a reminder that people are not replaceable. Have a wonderful day with your family and best wishes for 2021 – every community needs you.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us for the Annual Conference. Thanks for being a member of IPWEAQ and for being a part of our community.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

2020 IPWEAQ ANNUAL CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS The 2020 IPWEAQ Annual Conference hosted 440 delegates from 32 councils and 104 organisations with 45 exhibitors.

22.5 CPD hours available for just $26.66 per hour!

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS INCLUDED

If you were unable to attend #IPWEAQ20, you may wish to subscribe to the Conference Proceedings.

2020 Conference Proceedings

(plus GST)

Members

$600

Non members

$900

Peter Greste

SUBSCRIBE TO #IPWEAQ20 CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS JOIN IPWEAQ to receive a $300 discount on the 2020 IPWEAQ Annual Conference Proceedings.

Noel Whittaker

1/2 year membership fees now apply (plus GST): Member $290 Now $217.50 Graduates up to 5 years post-graduation $180 Now $135

Contact Events & Marketing Manager Monica.Robertson@ipweaq.com or

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3632 6802

Michael Kasprowicz

Professor Peter Greste is an Australian-born journalist, author, media freedom activist and academic. In 2011 he won a Peabody Award for a BBC documentary on Somalia before joining Al Jazeera as its East Africa correspondent later that year. In December 2013 he was covering Egypt on a short three-week assignment when he was arrested on terrorism charges. After a trial widely dismissed as a sham, he was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison.

In February the following year, after 400 days behind bars, and intense international campaign, he was deported under a presidential decree.

International bestselling author, finance and investment expert, radio broadcaster, newspaper columnist and public speaker, Noel Whittaker is one of the world’s foremost authorities on personal finance. Noel reaches over four million readers each week through his columns in major Australian newspapers all over in Australia, is a regular contributor to magazines and websites, and appears on radio and television. He is one of Australia’s most successful authors, with 23 bestselling books achieving worldwide sales of more than two million copies.

Michael Kasprowicz has uniquely established himself as a leading business professional specialising in the business of sport. Following his 19 year career as a professional cricketer, Michael completed his MBA at the University of Queensland and developed Venture India, a consulting company specialising in business with India. He is also on the DFAT appointed Board of the Australia India Council.

Michael is the youngest Director on the independent, skillbased Board of Cricket Australia and has been active in the governance of the national body for the last six years.



ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

www.ipweaq.com

3782

Conference Proceedings (videos, PowerPoint presentations and papers) including all keynote and plenary presentations, all presentations delivered across all 8 streams, the Great Debate and Futures Challenge, are now available for delegates and for subscribers.

COMMUNITY NEWS

AWARDS & REWARDS Jessica Kahl (IPWEAQ Ambassador), has commenced with Sunwater as Project Manager Corporate Development after four years with Aurecon.

Jessica has also been listed in The Courier Mail’s Queensland Business Entrepreneurs Top 20 under 40, and awarded the 2020 Griffith QBM MBA Responsible Leadership Scholarship.

Congratulations, Jessica!

Jim Baylis, previous National Sales Manager with Delnorth Group Pty Ltd has retired. You will have seen Jim at many of our conferences over the past few years. We wish you all the best in your retirement, Jim!

Jim Baylis (left) with colleagues at the 2018 IPWEAQ Annual Conference, Gold Coast.

Jessica Kahl at Sunwater.

Congratulations, IPWEAQ Ambassador Maddy Stahlhut, on graduating with a dual degree: Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (Honours) and Bachelor of Business and Commerce from the University of Southern Queensland!

Congratulations David Cameron, CEO Queensland Water Directorate - winner of the Australian Water Association Distinguished Service Award for his service to the water industry.

Congratulations, Dave!

SEQ CHRISTMAS FUNCTION Thank you to SEQ Branch members who joined us for the SEQ Branch Christmas function at IPWEAQ’s new facilities in Eagle Farm.

Congratulations to our President, Craig Murrell on taking out this year’s best-dressed competition.

Thank you for helping us celebrate the end of a challenging year and cheers to 2021!

IPWEAQ President, Craig Murrell, Best Dressed winner.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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COMMUNITY NEWS

RAY MOORE It was an honour to welcome Ray Moore, IPWEAQ’s second President (1974 – 1976) and founding member, to IPWEAQ’s new offices at Eagle Farm in November. Ray is pictured outside the Boardroom named in his honour.

In this interview, Ray says that he wanted to be an engineer from a young age, reflects on receiving an Order of Australia for services to local government and remembers the time he prophesied a bridge collapsing precisely 12 months before it happened.

View Ray Moore’s Interview

Ray with the IPWEAQ team enjoying morning tea in the Engine Room.

Ray Moore and IPWEAQ Relationship Manager, Johanna Vanling.

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BRANCH COMMITTEES Cameron has been a member for almost 12 years and was the 2010 Technical Officer of the Year. We look forward to Cameron’s involvement with the SWQ Branch committee.

Cameron with his wife, Nadia Ives, 2010 Woman in Engineering.

RPEQ ASSESSMENT BOARD Mike Brady of Toowoomba Regional Council and Craig Young of Somerset Regional Council have joined the RPEQ Assessment Board, filling vacancies arising from the retirement of Kev Bickhoff (Emeritus member) and Tony Jacobs (Fellow member). Thank you Kev and Tony for your contributions over the years. We look forward to working with Mike and Craig on the RPEQ Assessment Board.

Craig Young, Director Operations Somerset Regional Council.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

Mike Brady, General Manager Infrastructure Services Group, Toowoomba Regional Council.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Shelley and partner, Gerard at the awards ceremony.

Congratulations Shelley Burchett Assets Manager Proterra Group, IPWEAQ member and SWQ branch committee member on being a Future Leader of the Year Finalist at the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce 2020 Focus HR Business Excellence Awards!

This award recognises young business leaders who demonstrate outstanding entrepreneurial spirit, strategic direction and innovative ideas, while inspiring a new generation of upcoming young business people.

And congratulations to Proterra Group, IPWEAQ Partner on winning the Industry and Best Business categories!

CEO APPOINTMENTS IPWEAQ congratulates Emma Thomas , Kelvin Tytherleigh and Shane Gray on their new roles

Emma Thomas CEO of Sunshine Coast Council

Kelvin Tytherleigh Hinchinbrook Shire Council

Shane Gray Gympie Regional Council

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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COMMUNITY NEWS

THE IPWEAQ BELL You will no doubt be familiar with the IPWEAQ Bell which sounds loud and often throughout our conferences to signal the end of a break and a return to session.

In 2018 at the Annual Conference on the Gold Coast, our beloved bell mysteriously disappeared after its final outing at the conference. A short list of potential suspects is known to management. The bell was eventually returned to us but in an irreparable condition and was subsequently replaced by one of the suspects (Terry Scott from Boral) only to disappear again at the SWQ Branch conference in Gatton, March 2019.

Later that month, we started receiving emails from Bell (which has its own email address) and this continued until it was again returned to us at the CQ Branch conference in Rockhampton, May 2019.

At the conclusion of the 2020 Annual Conference in Brisbane, Bell once again disappeared and began a tour of Queensland sending us regular updates via email starting 17 November as follows: “Travels have started, and I was lucky to get back into Queensland yesterday from Byron Bay – my captors had COVID-19 border passes but forgot to get one me.”

We are hoping to see Bell before the first session tolls at the 2021 SEQ Branch conference in Caloundra, 24-26 February.

A reward is offered for any information pertaining to the culprits or Bell’s whereabouts.

“Go the Blues! I hope Cairns is nice at this time of the year - I think I’m on my way there now.”

To date, Bell has travelled to Banjo, Barcaldine, Bundaberg, Byron Bay, Hughenden, Julia Creek, Kyogle, Lismore, Mt Bartle Frere, Murwillumbah, Roma and Muttaburra to name just a few stops along the way.

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

COMMUNITY NEWS

MEMBER NEWS

MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES

YE ARS

50 20 • Peter Way

•D arren Shepherd

YE ARS

YE ARS

YE ARS

YE ARS

•S ean Fallis

•M atthew Reeves

•G lenn Alexander

•M ark Shaw

YE ARS YE ARS •A nthony Takken •R od Lindsay •C arl Hager Y EARS

•M ichael Shellshear •W ayne Parfitt •M anu Gravatt •H elen King •C raig Sleeman •M atthew Arnold •V ince Reitano •C hristopher Shields

Y EARS

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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Factsheet | December 2020

Corrupt conduct and professional engineering services This factsheet is based on a presentation given at the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland, November 2020.

During 2020, the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) received a complaint that employees in a local council were undertaking professional engineering services, but that they: • were not registered with the Board of Professional Engineers, or • were not being directly supervised by a practising professional engineer.

The CCC engaged with the Board of Professional Engineers, as the primary regulator of the profession, about this issue. The Board advised the CCC of some similar concerns they held that councils may be undertaking engineering work without the supervision of a properly registered engineer.

The Board confirmed that, in the most severe cases, it actively undertakes prosecutions, under section 115 of the Professional Engineers Act 2002, of offenders undertaking professional engineering services when not registered.

The CCC considers that conduct of this nature — undertaking such services without the required registration or supervision — may amount to corrupt conduct under the Crime and Corruption Act 2001.

This factsheet sets out: • When the work of engineers may be within the CCC’s jurisdiction • The definition of corrupt conduct • The application of the definition of corrupt conduct to engineers’ work • Advice for public sector agencies in relation to professional engineering services

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For further information visit www.ccc.qld.gov.au ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

What are professional engineering services?

The term “professional engineering services” is defined in the Professional Engineers Act 2002 as: an engineering service that requires, or is based on, the application of engineering principles and data to a design, or to a construction, production, operation or maintenance activity, relating to engineering, and does not include an engineering service that is provided only in accordance with a prescriptive standard.

A prescriptive standard means a document that states procedures or criteria: (a) for carrying out a design, or a construction, production, operation or maintenance activity, relating to engineering; and (b) the application of which, to the carrying out of the design, or the construction, production, operation or maintenance activity, does not require advanced scientifically based calculations.

Professional engineers and the public sector Engineers work in a variety of different fields and for a wide range of public sector agencies, including local councils, government-owned corporations, departments and statutory authorities. These types of agencies are called units of public administration (UPAs) and as such are within the CCC’s jurisdiction.

If your work for any UPA requires you to carry out “professional engineering services” (see the text box to the left) and the work is not under the direct supervision of a practising professional engineer, you must be registered or you may be: •

Breaching the Professional Engineers Act 2002; and

•

Committing corrupt conduct.

Exemptions However, you would not be committing corrupt conduct in the following circumstances: •

If the work you are doing for the UPA is not a professional engineering service.

•

If your work is a professional engineering service, but it is under the supervision or a practising professional engineer.

But how could I be corrupt?

I haven’t accepted a bribe or been dishonest!

Corruption, or “corrupt conduct” does not always or only mean dishonesty that involves, for example, accepting bribes, or appointing friends and family to public sector positions inappropriately.

You could potentially be involved in corrupt conduct if you are in breach of any of the legislation that governs your profession, such as the Professional Engineers Act 2002.

You may wish to get advice from a professional organisation or approved assessment entity as to whether your work involves “professional engineering services”.

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Corrupt conduct and professional engineering services | Factsheet December 2020

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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Professional Engineers Act 2002 Section 115 specifies the requirements for carrying out professional engineering services.

Section 115 - Who may carry out professional engineering services (1)

A person who is not a practising professional engineer must not carry out professional engineering services. Maximum penalty—1000 penalty units.

(2)

However, a person does not commit an offence under subsection (1) if the person carries out the professional engineering services under the direct supervision of a practising professional engineer who is responsible for the services.

(3)

A person who is a practising professional engineer must not carry out professional engineering services in an area of engineering other than an area of engineering for which the person is registered under this Act.- Maximum penalty—1000 penalty units.

(4)

However, a person does not commit an offence under subsection (3) if the person carries out the professional engineering services under the direct supervision of a practising professional engineer who is registered in the area of engineering and responsible for the services.

(5)

For this section, a person carries out professional engineering services under the direct supervision of a practising professional engineer only if the engineer directs the person in the carrying out of the services and oversees and evaluates the carrying out of the services by the person.

Therefore, if you work for a UPA that is within the CCC’s jurisdiction, such as a council or other government agency, and if your conduct is in breach of section 115 of the Professional Engineers Act 2002, or any other law, you may be committing corrupt conduct.

Let’s look now at the definition of corrupt conduct.

Corrupt conduct and professional engineering services | Factsheet December 2020

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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What is corrupt conduct?

Under the Crime and Corruption Act 2001 (CC Act), there are two different types of corrupt conduct, but either of these types: • must involve a UPA within the CCC’s jurisdiction, and • must satisfy criteria relating to the effect, result and seriousness of the conduct involved.

Type A corrupt conduct (section 15(1) CC Act) Type A involves conduct that affects, or could affect, how officers from a UPA perform their functions or exercise their powers, and that satisfies the three elements described below.

1. Effect of the conduct Type A corrupt conduct adversely affects, or could adversely affect, directly or indirectly, the performance of functions or the exercise of powers of— • •

a UPA or an individual person holding an appointment in a UPA.

2. Result of the conduct Type A corrupt conduct results, or could result, directly or indirectly, in the performance of functions or the exercise of powers mentioned above in a way that— (i) (ii) (iii)

is not honest or is not impartial or involves a breach of the trust placed in a person holding an appointment, either knowingly* or recklessly** or involves a misuse of information or material acquired in or in connection with the performance of functions or the exercise of powers of a person holding an appointment. In relation to a breach of trust.

* knowingly can be taken to mean that the subject officer knew that their actions were a breach of the trust placed in them ** recklessly can be taken to mean that, while the subject officer did not necessarily know that their actions were a breach of trust, they were aware that there was a real and apparent risk that the conduct would amount to a breach of the trust and they nevertheless without justification went through with the conduct.

3. Seriousness of the conduct Type A corrupt conduct would, if proved, be— (i) (ii)

4

a criminal offence or a disciplinary breach providing reasonable grounds for terminating the person’s services, if the person is or were a holder of an appointment.

Corrupt conduct and professional engineering services | Factsheet December 2020

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Type B corrupt conduct (section 15(2) CC Act) Type B corrupt conduct involves conduct that impairs, or could impair, public confidence in public administration. Type B recognises that the actions of people outside the public sector can result in a loss of confidence in UPAs. Type B corrupt conduct must satisfy the three elements described below.

1. Effect of the conduct Type B corrupt conduct impairs, or could impair, public confidence in public administration.

2. Type of conduct Type B corrupt conduct involves, or could involve, one of the following types of conduct: (i)

collusive tendering;

(ii)

fraud relating to an application for a licence, permit or other authority under an Act with a purpose or object of any of the following (however described)— (A) protecting health or safety of persons; (B) protecting the environment; (C) protecting or managing the use of the State’s natural, cultural, mining or energy resources;

(iii)

dishonestly obtaining, or helping someone to dishonestly obtain, a benefit from the payment or application of public funds or the disposition of State assets;

(iv)

evading a State tax, levy or duty or otherwise fraudulently causing a loss of State revenue;

(v)

fraudulently obtaining or retaining an appointment.

3. Seriousness of the conduct Type B corrupt conduct would, if proved, be— (i)

a criminal offence; or

(ii)

a disciplinary breach providing reasonable grounds for terminating the person’s services, if the person is or were the holder of an appointment.

Corrupt conduct and professional engineering services | Factsheet December 2020

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

5

Advice for all UPAs in relation to professional engineering services In relation to the complaint described at the beginning of this factsheet, the CCC assessed this complaint as suspected corrupt conduct and wrote to the Board of Professional Engineers, requesting them to deal with the allegations. The CCC also wrote to all council CEOs requesting that they conduct an audit of any positions that employed engineers, to ensure they were providing those services in a manner which was compliant with the Professional Engineers Act 2002.

Application of the definition of corrupt conduct to engineers’ work The definition of corrupt conduct could apply to you if: • •

You work for an agency that is within the CCC’s jurisdiction, and Your conduct is in breach of a law (e.g. the Professional Engineers Act 2002), and thus a criminal offence.

For example, you could be meeting the three criteria for Type A corrupt conduct: •

If you carry out your work – the function or activity you perform as part of your employment – in a manner that is contrary to the law, as the conduct could adversely affect that function. (Effect of the conduct)

•

If the manner in which you work results in the performance of the function in a way that is a breach of the trust placed in a person holding the appointment. (Result of the conduct)

•

Because a contravention of section 115(1) of the Professional Engineers Act is a criminal offence, so, if proved, it would be a criminal offence. (Seriousness of the conduct)

To prevent any recurrence of such complaints, all UPAs should: •

•

•

Review the registration status of employees undertaking engineering services, to ensure compliance with the Professional Engineers Act 2002 Take appropriate action to address practices, if any, contrary to the Professional Engineers Act 2002, and Flag such matters with their internal audit and risk units.

www.ccc.qld.gov.au

@CCC_QLD

Further information For further information about the CCC or the complaints process, go to: www.ccc.qld.gov.au For more information about professional engineering services, contact: •

Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland: www.bpeq.qld.gov.au

•

Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia, Queensland: www.ipweaq.com

•

Engineers Australia: www.engineersaustralia.org.au

•

Professionals Australia: www.professionalsaustralia.org.au

CrimeandCorruptionCommission

www.ccc.qld.gov.au/subscribe

© Crime and Corruption Commission (Queensland) 2020

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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MEMBER PROFILES

EMERGING LEADER Both Amana and Julie have fantastic energy and enthusiasm that has helped them progress far in their careers.

Suzanne Brown

Since 2019, Suzanne has been working for Bundaberg Regional Council as the Road Corridor Manager. In this position, she is involved in every aspect of the local road network operation, maintenance and preservation.

Previously, Suzanne had a longterm career in the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. From 2016 to 2019, Suzanne was a member of the Bridges Technical Committee of the World Road Association, investigating bridge structures’ rehabilitation.

Who or what has contributed most to your career progression to date?

I’ve had some formal and informal mentors who helped me negotiate the corporate world during my career. It’s important to find people who have skills and leadership styles you admire and seek their advice when needed.

As an introverted engineer who just wanted to do technical work when I started, I didn’t fully realise the benefits of networking and connecting with other engineers.

Over the last few years, I’ve enjoyed following the career of Amanda Yeates, Deputy Director-General Infrastructure Management and delivery, TMR. I’ve also received some great formal mentoring from Julie Mitchell, Deputy Director-General Policy, Planning and Investment, TMR.

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Closer to home, I received much encouragement and help from Peter Wilson, Principal Engineer (Project Planning), TMR in Bundaberg.

What have been your career highlights?

Working on the Bridges Technical Committee of the World Road Association (PIARC) and investigating the rehabilitation of bridge structures. I attended two of the meetings of the Technical Committee in person, thanks to TMR and Austroads. It was amazing to be able to work with engineers from all over the world and share information.

For the four-year term on the Technical Committee, I assisted with researching and writing a report on bridge rehabilitation’s economic considerations. All research reports and technical guides are available at no cost from the website: https://www. piarc.org/en/ There are many different technical areas of roads that are investigated. I highly recommend having a look at the website and the work of the association.

PIARC was established in 1909 as a non-political, nonprofit organisation that aims to develop international cooperation and foster progress in roads and road transport. The organisation brings together the road administrations of 121 governments and has members – individuals, companies, authorities and organizations – in more than 140 countries.

PIARC – Permanent International Association of Road Congress The name was changed to World Road Association in the 1970s but the PIARC name has stuck around.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

Suzanne Brown.

Another highlight is working on many historic bridges over the last 10 years. These bridges are a testament to people’s ingenuity in the late 1800s to build the amazing structures that still survive today. All of the bridges are listed in the Queensland Heritage Register and there’s plenty of information about them the Internet. I would highly recommend researching and visiting some of these structures such as Dickabram Bridge near Gympie, Kennedy and Burnett Bridges in Bundaberg, and Lamington and Granville Bridges in Maryborough.

I’m currently looking at Splitters Creek Rail Bridge near Bundaberg for part of the Bundaberg to Gin Gin Rail Trail.

The Project is for the construction of a pedestrian and cycleway on a closed rail line.

• The line that we’re using runs from North Bundaberg to Gin Gin. It is 45km long in total.

The Qld State Government announced funding for the first 23km of the trail on 19 August 2020.

• The rail line was originally constructed to bring copper from Mt Perry to North Bundaberg in the late 1800s and was finally closed to rail traffic in 1993. Although I did

MEMBER PROFILES

Cape Town.

read that the copper deposit was almost depleted by the time the rail line was built.

• Splitters Creek Bridge is approximately 6km from North Bundaberg. The funding includes the rehabilitation of the bridge and the provision of a deck on top of the existing structure for pedestrians and cyclists.

• The bridge is aproximately 295m long and consists of 25 timber spans and two steel spans.

I obtained the photo below from the John Oxley library collection.

I’ve attached a photo we took recently of the bridge using a drone.

directly to the community. Civil engineering infrastructure is a substantial portion of public assets. The assets have very large whole of life costs and any efficiency and improvement in management of the assets can significantly impact the cost to the community of the infrastructure.

What inspired you to join IPWEAQ and what services are of most value to you?

Coming from a long-term career in the State Government, I felt the joining IPWEAQ would provide me with the most relevant information and network for me to transition to local government.

I have used many technical guides and attended courses focused on local government roads and drainage topics.

What do you enjoy most about working as an engineer in public works?

Engineering in the public works sector can be an enriching career in terms of making a difference

What challenges have you encountered in your career to date and how did/do you overcome them?

Earlier in my career, I wasn’t given projects of any significance. As I’ve always worked in regional areas, the thoughts around

Splitters Creek Rail Bridge.

females being engineers were a few years behind what was happening in the state’s south east corner.

I’ve seen attitudes gradually change as older managers retired. The skills shortages in the sector have also assisted in advancing females as engineers.

It was also a challenge to work part-time after having children (19 years ago now). It just wasn’t the done thing for engineers in regional areas then. I had to try to manage a full-time workload in part-time hours. This resulted in me returning to longer hours much sooner than I wanted to.

I’m happy to see that it seems to be more accepted now.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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MEMBER PROFILES

EMERGING PROFESSIONAL

Ben Staniford

Ben Staniford is a senior civil engineer with Tonkin.

Originally from South Australia, Ben moved to Brisbane in September 2019.

Tell us about your career.

I am a senior civil engineer with approximately 12 years’ experience working with various local councils, government departments, water and utility authorities, and private clients.

My skill base includes design and project management of diverse public works infrastructure, including water and wastewater infrastructure, waste management infrastructure, irrigation schemes, as well as water and wastewater infrastructure planning.

What inspired you to study engineering and civil, in particular?

I’ve loved problem-solving from a young age. I have always been energised by people and enjoy working in teams. Engineering provided an opportunity for me to combine both interests.

While civil engineering may be somewhat unsung in the engineering world, I believe it is one of the most critical disciplines today. As a civil engineer, I can directly help our communities become more advanced by adapting the infrastructure to meet today’s challenges and future needs.

It’s a fulfilling way to serve the community.

What projects have you been involved with to date?

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Workshopping Leachate Basin Design options with colleague, Oliver Rabaya.

I have been fortunate to be involved in a diverse range of projects across various parts of Australia and lead large project teams to deliver complex multidisciplinary projects. The majority of the projects I have worked on are civil infrastructure projects in water, transport and waste.

Have any negative or positive experiences offered learnings that you won’t forget and will pass on to others?

As part of the job, occasionally there is a necessity to have difficult conversations. This has never been a natural thing for me to do, although I have developed a strategy that has worked for me

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

through practice.

• Have clarity and understand what the real issue is.

• Listen before speaking.

• Be open-minded to change my opinion.

• Say the hard things clearly and directly.

• Aim for truth and clarity (not comfort).

What do you enjoy most about working as an engineer in public works?

Working in public works provides an opportunity to work closely with the community on problems that directly impact them.

MEMBER PROFILES

Promoting STEM with kindergarten children at NIDO Woolloongabba Early School.

How has your membership of IPWEAQ been of benefit to you to date and what do you enjoy most about the community?

IPWEAQ provides an excellent platform for continual learning and provides a wonderful environment to develop networks within the public works sector. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend many technical sessions and networking opportunities that have supported my technical growth and fostered strong relationships.

I most enjoy the vibrancy and enthusiasm of the organisation and the support it provides for young engineers.

We have an excellent team culture at Tonkin, which certainly makes the challenging times a lot easier.

What has been your biggest challenge as you began your career and how did/do you overcome them?

Working on large complex projects with multiple stakeholders is often challenging.

Any other comments you would like to make that will help others developing their careers?

I like to surround myself with good people who buy-in and take ownership of the project and genuinely want the project to succeed.

I think that having a growth mindset is important for young people starting their careers. You will certainly get better if you are willing to learn.

I try to set a little bit of time aside every day to learn something new.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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MEMBER PROFILES

William Green

William is an Environmental Scientist with George Bourne & Associates based in Barcaldine. He grew up on a farm in NSW and worked in mining and construction before joining our sector.

Lunch break on the Diamantina River.

Tell us about yourself.

I grew up on the far south coast of NSW on our family farm. After completing high school, I attended ANU, where I studied a Bachelor of Science in Resource and Environmental Management. I have worked in a range of roles since the completion of my degree.

I commenced working in outback Queensland with landholders promoting and rolling out government-funded land management initiatives.

I then worked as a technical officer for the Department of Primary Industries. For the next few years, I worked in mining and construction in the NT, coordinating environmental management on a mine site. I then worked in construction on the Coal Seam Gas fields in the Surat Basin before taking a job with GBA in Barcaldine as an Environmental Scientist.

How did you become involved in public works?

I became involved in public works after joining GBA in Barcaldine.

GBA does a lot of work for local councils in central western Queensland. The decision to move to Barcaldine and work for GBA came after working in construction for several years, where I found there was limited job security. I had a young family and wanted a position with long term prospects, preferably in a country area where my kids could enjoy the benefits of growing up

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Enjoying the view over black soil plains near Winton.

in a close-knit community.

What projects have you been involved with which have contributed to your career progression into this area?

I’ve assisted councils in central west Queensland working on environmental approvals and environmental compliance in my current role with GBA. I assisted councils in gaining approvals or meeting compliance requirements associated with waste management,

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

quarry extraction, and sewage treatment activities in my time with GBA. Being one of only a few environmental professionals in our region, I’ve also been involved in project planning activities and identifying environmental impacts associated with new projects.

What have been your career highlights to date?

Living and working in a range of locations and working in different industries. Moving and working in

MEMBER PROFILES different roles has allowed me to live and travel in a range of areas while getting paid.

What do you enjoy most about working in this sector?

I enjoying working in sustainable practice and think it’s important to work towards sustainable outcomes for the future, whether it be protecting environmental values or implementing sustainable design practices. In my current role I’ve worked with local governments to provide practical outcomes that meet the client’s needs, the community and conditions specific to the local environment.

those involved. I have engaged in a couple of training programs and conferences facilitated by IPWEAQ which have been very beneficial.

What advice would you give to others about our sector and how to become involved?

The public works industry provides professionals with the opportunity to engage in practical work, where you can make a significant contribution to those living in the local communities through involvement in planning, design and construction of public assets.

What inspired you to join IPWEAQ and what services are of most value to you?

What challenges have you faced particularly in this sector and how did/do you overcome them?

I joined IPWEAQ to be part of the wider professional community and learn from

The biggest challenge I face working in the public works sector is meeting environmental

regulation requirements when representing local governments.

To develop effective solutions in these situations, it’s important to maintain open communications with all stakeholders. Often solutions can be developed when good working relationships are maintained.

Any other advice for other professionals who might consider a career in public works?

Stay positive. I think maintaining a positive outlook is vital in managing situations in the best possible way.

Gravel extraction site assessment.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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MEMBER PROFILES

AUSTRALIAN CEO CHALLENGE – RAISING FUNDS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Kym Murphy Regional Director (Southern Queensland) Department of Transport and Main Roads

During October, Kym Murphy embarked on the 110km Darkness to Daylight challenge to raise awareness and funds to make a difference in the lives of those affected

by Domestic and Family Violence and help end the cycle of violence.

“This cause is such an important one. Domestic and family violence touches the lives of many of us and anything I can do to let people know they are heard and I am standing with them in their day to day, is worth it”, Kym said. “I make sure I exercise regularly for my own mental health so it’s a double win, for me and the cause. I try to do a 5km run three times a week and then a walk with my golden retriever, Amber, on the other days. Amber loves being sociable so often the walks can take some time but it’s wonderful to get out, soak up the sunshine (or get blown away!) and just enjoy being outdoors.”

Darkness to Daylight is a symbolic 110km run or walk with each kilometre symbolising on average each year in Australia a life lost to domestic and family violence. The purpose is to run with a message that those affected are not alone, that our community cares, that we can all make a difference, that domestic and family violence must end.

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The event is held by Australia’s CEO Challenge (ACEOC), a not-for-profit organisation that partners with workplaces to end the epidemic of domestic and family violence in the community. ACEOC challenges CEOs and leaders to play their part in breaking the silence and bringing domestic and family violence into the light.

Kym says that her workplace, Transport and Main Roads (TMR), has proudly sponsored and encouraged the involvement of its people in Darkness to Daylight since 2015. “Our DirectorGeneral is TMR’s Champion for Domestic and Family Violence Awareness and clearly believes that we all have a role to play in preventing domestic and family violence, and actively encourages us to stand against it together, a fabulous role model for us all. Very recently, TMR has been inducted into the Queensland Government Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Honour Roll which is a huge honour and recognises our organisation’s steps to end domestic and family violence.

Our combined TMR team for 2020 had more than 160 employees participating and together we walked, ran or skipped a total of 11,532 kms and raised a huge $17,633 placing the TMR team 4th on the fundraising leaderboard and 6th on the distance board.

As a mum of three young men, Kym tells us how important it has been to her to raise her sons to value respect, kindness, and community. “Being respectful

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

and truly caring about one another are two of my core values. This 110km challenge has been a terrific opportunity to model making a difference in our community, but also the platform to have conversations around treating those around us with respect and what that looks like in our day to day lives. I’m very proud of the wonderful men my sons are becoming (I can’t call them boys anymore because my oldest is now 20years old and the twins nearly 18!); they each show a lot of “heart” in their own way, even if they don’t realise it, which is a terrific basis for their future choices in life.”

While the Darkness to Daylight 2020 fundraising event was for October, the opportunity to contribute to raising funds for domestic and family violence prevention is all year round through this link: https://www. darknesstodaylight.org/donateto-aceoc

#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

#IPWEAQ20 IN NUMBERS Great Debate live stream registrations

Conference attendance

440

(77 registrations)

21.4%

78.6%

Female

Male

Member attendance

440 +

39.8%

5

Keynotes

North Queensland

23.4% Central Queensland 48.1% South East Queensland

(*Includes 16 staff members and 110 exhibitors)

Members

9.1%

-

60.2%

Non-members

Days

Tech Tours

3

19.5% South West Queensland

3

Papers

40 Attendees:

Annual Conference Registrations 2011-2020

3.2% 7.3% 72.7% 15.5% 1.4%

600 500

North Queensland Central Queensland South East Queensland South West Queensland Other

North Queensland

400

Central Queensland South East Queensland South West Queensland

300 200 100

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

Thank you TO OUR SPONSORS!

PLATINUM

Without your support we would not be able to continuously deliver the premier event in public works in Australia. We look forward to seeing you in Cairns!

BRONZE

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION 1

INNOVATION

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS WORKSHOP

ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

GOLD YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

PLENARY STREAM WOMEN IN PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERING MASTERCLASS EXCELLENCE AWARDS GALA DINNER

WOMAN IN ENGINEERING

MORNING TEA ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

SILVER COFFEE CART

LANYARDS

FUTURES CHALLENGE

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

ASSET MANAGEMENT

PROJECTS OVER $10MILLION

#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

Thank you TO OUR EXHIBITORS! Thank you for taking the time to showcase your products and services tailored for our sector. Please join us again in Cairns, 12-14 October 2021!

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

SOCIAL FUNCTIONS We hosted two social functions at #IPWEAQ20 the Excellence Awards gala ceremony/dinner and a State of Origin game night.

360 delegates joined us for the 2020 Excellence Awards gala ceremony and dinner held in the Plaza Ballroom at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. It was another exceptional evening of celebration and networking.

Congratulations Sunshine Coast Council, Project of the Year for the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project. We look forward to learning more about this project at the 2021 President’s Breakfast.

We were delighted to welcome back, Premise as our awards night sponsor – thank you, Premise!

All nominees presented on the night are featured in the 2020 Commemorative Book which is available online.

Thanks to everyone involved – nominees, judges and delegates – for joining with us to celebrate the people and projects that make Queensland great.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE State of Origin Game II dinner and screening While COVID-19 presented us with many challenges, it also offered us a unique opportunity to host a State of Origin game night with game II screened live from the Plaza Room. Delegates donned their team colours with some surprises around who arrived in Blue, and in surprising numbers. They made the most of the night and their victory.

We were pleased to welcome back the City of Gold Coast’s band, The Waves who entertained us pregame and at half time with plenty of sport-related tunes.

Raffle tickets were sold to raise money for the President’s Charity, Rural Aid with Logan Mullaney, Managing Director, InQuick drawing first prize and choosing the Blues Legends jersey. Ray Hicks, Director, Brandon & Associates while drawing second in the raffle, took home the coveted Maroons Legends jersey.

The rest as they say, is history.

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

THE GREAT DEBATE not ^ Engineers are introverts and disconnected from the world around them The Great Debate – the muchanticipated grand finale to conference proceedings – was packed with humour, quips, props and some convincing arguments.

The debaters universally agreed that engineers can be introverts and take on extroverted behaviour when necessary. An early admission from the Affirmative team that engineers are neither fixed in an introverted or extroverted state, paved a winning pathway for the Negative team.

The Great Debate was broadcast via live streaming, which expanded the voting pool by 80 online voters watching live and saw the Negative team win by 64% of the vote.

Thank you to our teams for such an entertaining end to #IPWEAQ20!

If you would like to participate in next year’s debate or have a topic, please contact our CEO, Leigh Cunningham.

This year’s winners, voted by delegates onsite and online via the conference app, was the Negative team of Seren McKenzie (Southern Downs Regional Council), Trevor Dean (Fraser Coast Regional Council) and Maddy Stahlhut (GHD).

Delegates were swayed by the Negative team’s argument which illustrated historical examples of engineers being connected to their community and the world around them.

The Affirmative team comprising Dr Rob Fearon (qldwater), Moira Zellinga (Clear Idea) and Josh Flanders (St George Project Service), worked hard to propagate the myth of the socially awkward engineer but this didn’t hold up against the Negative team’s argument that engineers mysteriously metamorphosise into extroverts when aided by alcohol! And proved their point by sculling nips of Grey Goose regularly throughout the debate.

Introduced in 2016, the Great Debate, has now been won twice by the Affirmative team and three times by the Negative team.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

THE FUTURES CHALLENGE AND THE CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE

Martin Luna Juncal Griffith University

I am fortunate to have been voted as the 2020 Futures Challenge Winner at the IPWEAQ Annual Conference for my presentation, Application of Remote Optical Sensors for Real-Time Nitrate Monitoring and DecisionMaking Systems. One of the most significant reasons I participated in the event was to raise awareness of a growing issue that has widespread and global consequences: nitrate runoff and the pollution of our waterways.

To preface this article and my presentation, there has been a significant rise in agriculture production to cater to a growing population over the last fifty years. Consequently, more fertiliser is needed to accommodate this, leading to more runoff into rivers to cause eutrophication and subsequently lead to fish kill events.

As time goes on and the population increases, this becomes a more significant problem. Over the past few years, many waterways in different countries have had large numbers of fish kill events, which impacts local ecosystems and communities that depend

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on these waterways. In Australia, places such as the Great Barrier Reef and Murray Darling Basin have also been critically affected.

This poses a severe challenge for current and future generations, as, without action, environmental detriment cannot be mitigated or stopped.

the reach of the work our team at Griffith University had been doing to combat this issue. I was so willing to participate in the Futures Challenge because I was impressed by last year’s finalist presentations, which were interesting, creative, and academic.

As a result, when I applied for the IPWEAQ20 Futures Challenge, I saw an opportunity to broaden

The opportunity to speak in front of hundreds of public works professionals was an experience

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

I didn’t want to pass up. I was very grateful when I learned that my abstract was successful and that I would have the privilege to present to over 400 delegates from the public works sector.

It was great to meet two other finalists, Sally Williams and Craig Van Neuren, from the University of Southern Queensland, whose presentations were incredible.

Meeting other undergraduates provided an opportunity to make new connections, discuss our respective thesis’ and talk about how universities differ.

Following my presentation, the opportunity to present a poster to the IPWEAQ delegates enabled me to interact with a lot of different people from various parts of Queensland, some of which work in a similar field.

Overall, the full conference experience was very rewarding.

I am honoured that I had the chance to meet so many different people from a wide range of industries. Participating in the Futures Challenge was a great experience and one that I highly

recommend to undergraduate students to practice public speaking skills.

Highlighting the necessity of a project to protect the environment proved invaluable.

I am now hopeful that I can use the contacts I made and

the information I obtained to advance my pursuit further to protect environmentally sensitive regions.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

Sally Williams University of Southern Queensland

Participating in the Futures Challenge has been a rewarding experience.

After spending all year working on my thesis, it was a privilege to be able to present my finished work to a professional audience outside the university.

I found the IPWEAQ community to be warm and welcoming, this helped me overcome some of the nerves I had in regard to public speaking.

My thesis and presentation are titled Influence of Water-Grout Ratio and Curing Time on PullOut Load of Rock Bolt Systems. It

focused on rock bolts which are used to strengthen and support rock walls and tunnels in the mining and civil industries. As part of my project, I designed an experimental sample that would simulate real world conditions but could be used in the lab. Using a tensile testing machine, I conducted a range of experiments that allowed me to see the influence of the water/ grout ratio and curing time on the rock bolt system.

Attending the annual conference was also a great experience.

I enjoyed meeting lots of interesting people who had similar interests as me. I also enjoyed catching up various colleagues from my past job, many of whom I had not seen for a long time.

I attended many of the workshops, tours and presentations. Two of the stand out activities for me included the Cross River Rail and Queens Wharf tour and the presentation

by Seren McKenzie in regard to supply of water to Stanthorpe.

modern construction industry since the turn of the century.

Craig Van Neuren University of Southern Queensland

It was a great opportunity and honour to be a finalist in the Futures Challenge 2020. As a finalist, I had the chance to attend the annual IPWEAQ conference and present my thesis on Building Information Modelling (BIM), a South East Queensland perspective.

I believe that BIM is the most influential and emerging phenomenon to transform the

40

I want to acknowledge and thank the other two finalists whose work was fantastic. Martin’s project on nitrate monitoring in rivers after storm events from agricultural runoff and Sally’s project, which looked at the influence of water to grout ratio on rock anchors.

As the presentation coincided with Remembrance Day, I attended the presentation by John Tannock. John spoke about the challenges he faced when managing the installation of a war memorial/monument at Oivi/ Gorari in Papua New Guinea. A little known but important and major battle undertaken by Australian troops in WW2.

It was a presentation I could relate to; my Opa (grandfather) had also written his bibliography

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

I enjoyed the Cross River Rail and Queens Wharf tour because it gave me some insight into two huge projects that are going to change the shape the of Brisbane. It was interesting to see how both projects used virtual reality to help illustrate the project to the public and other key stakeholders.

I found the presentation about trucking water to Stanthorpe very interesting. I had heard a lot about Stanthorpe’s water issues but not in this detail. I had not thought about the many infrastructure decisions that needed to be made such as creating places for water trucks to drop off water and preparing roads for increased heavy vehicles. Meanwhile managing the lack of water with a bushfire season is something I’m sure no council envies.

Overall, I’m glad I participated in the futures challenge, I gained a lot from my experience and it is something that I recommend for all final year engineering students.

as a soldier in the Dutch Army/ Dutch Resistance in WW2. I cannot even begin to fathom what soldiers have had to and still endure in war.

A key observation that John made was that he didn’t have a great team, he had a team he could trust.

Looking at my own career and how I want to develop as a lifelong learner, I need to move forward as an engineering graduate to environments where acknowledgement of trust and respect are cultural norms.

Using the confidence gained from the opportunity provided by IPWEAQ to present my thesis, I can’t wait to develop my career as an engineer. We work in the best industry in the world and there isn’t a day that goes by where I’m not learning about myself or the industry.

#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

STUDENT REFLECTIONS Hans Moravej

Having recently finished my postgraduate study in Civil-Structural engineering at QUT, I am honoured to connect and collaborate with such a professional institute and observe engineering advancements in the real world. I found the opportunity to attend the IPWEAQ conference remarkably valuable.

The event began with a professional workshop, sponsored

by Dale Carnegie Training, which taught attendees about communication skills, which are imperative for developing your career.

As I’m in the early stages of job hunting, the workshop was worthwhile and came at the right time for me. The workshop taught me how to open the window to professionals such as engineers or managers to understand their requirements and goals better. It also provided tips on professionally presenting myself.

At the of end different sessions, the presenter asked the audience to apply techniques and we were able to see how the methods would work in the workplace.

This experience emphasised the importance of the art of communication. The workshop’s important message was that even if you have a distinguished skill in your field, you never fully achieve your capability without the ability to present it effectively.

After the workshop, a photographic session provided professional head shots to attendees.

In the afternoon section, a technical tour of Holcim pre-cast company was scheduled. It was an informative experience for me to watch pre-cast concrete’s systematic manufacturing for civil works that comprise preparing aggregates and cement, mixing, casting, curing, and testing. The site supervisor, Paul Adams, provided an insightful briefing during the visit.

Following the tour, we attended an exhibition in the main hall which comprises several stalls from different companies and organisations in engineering disciplines.

It was exciting to see a range of industry developments, especially those in the structural assessment, which are related to my background. I found it useful to talk to several representatives at stalls and be updated about new industry innovations. I could also share my university project findings and present how my skills and academic background would be beneficial. Fortunately, some delegates found my project interesting and asked me for further collaboration.

It is necessary for both students and university staff to attend this event to be updated about industry needs and get involved in projects. For instance, after networking, I learned what the latest gaps in my field are.

I enjoyed the papers presented on digital asset management, structural assessment and retrofitting which are wellmatched to my expertise.

The conference’s first day concluded with a gorgeous gala dinner ceremony and the Excellence Awards winner announcements. It was fascinating to see nominees and winners acknowledged for their projects in Queensland’s infrastructure, such as the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project.

I found this seminar to be one of the best ones I’ve ever attended.

It’s clear the event was organised by a high-quality events management team. The conference was informative and entertaining and I strongly recommend that students and young engineers attend future conferences. It’s a great opportunity to get involved in what is going on in the industry, to network and help secure their future professional careers.

We invite full-time civil engineering students and related disciplines eg urban planning, design and surveying to join us for the duration of their university studies.

Benefits of Student Membership A ccess to industry-specific

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content in our globallyrecognised Knowledge Centre including papers and videos of presentations delivered at conferences and symposia.

A ccess to our quarterly e-journal, Engineering for Public Works, valued for its technical and industryrelevant content.

R eceive regular newsletters with the latest happenings in our sector including jobs, placements and other opportunities for students and recent graduates.

S pecial student offers to attend our conferences and networking opportunities.

J oin us for a special Meet & Greet at our annual conference specifically for members under age 28.

J oin us for various opportunities and initiatives in our university engagement program.

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

TECH TOURS Maddy Stahlhut Civil Engineer, GHD Pty Ltd & IPWEAQ Ambassador

Historic Brisbane, Walking Tour On Tuesday afternoon we set off for King George Square to start our walking tour and because we were so good at walking, we ended up arriving early. After much deliberation of what to do with our spare 30 minutes, we decided to have a quick stop at the pub! The tour group was split into four smaller groups, and my group started with the historic Brisbane tour. Our tour guide from the Museum of

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Brisbane, Eamor, took us around many landmarks around the CBD including the Tattersalls Club, the Brisbane Post Office, ANZAC Square and the building which now houses the Treasury Casino Eamor was extremely knowledgeable of the city’s history, and it was interesting to hear about how the city would have looked like 150 years ago.

Our group then returned to Brisbane City Hall. Interestingly, the Brisbane City Hall site was first purchased by the Council in the late 1800s and before the hall was built, was the site of a rollercoaster and skating rink.

Construction commenced in 1920 and finished 10 years later and cost over 980 thousand pounds

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which was twice the original estimate. The materials used in the building include white marble from Italy, black marble from Belgium, brown marble from New South Wales, and sandstone from Helidon near Toowoomba. The City Hall tour took us throughout the building including the great circular hall which holds the Father Henry Willis Organ. We also stopped in at the Museum of Brisbane which is located within City Hall.

The afternoon was great for a non-Brisbanite to learn more about our state’s capital history.

The tour was also great for getting our steps up!

#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

Joshua Flanders Project Engineer, St George Project Services & IPWEAQ Ambassador

Holcim Pre-Cast Facilities Tour Another year, another range of great technical tours as part of the IPWEAQ annual conference.

This year, I was lucky enough to tour the Humes Ipswich pre-cast facility. Situated on over 128,000 m2 and containing state of the art machinery, technologies, and equipment, this facility is one of the country’s premier pre-cast facilities.

The tour commenced with a walk-through of the pre-cast manufacturing shed which included witnessing varying

sizes of reinforced concrete box culverts, headwalls, base slabs, and a range of other sewerage and drainage pre-cast solutions.

These were all in varying production stages ranging from steel work being formed, assembly in the moulds and steam curing.

We were then briefly shown the rear of the site and the amount of pre-cast pipes and varying other products, which are kept as stock items all year round. This volume of products is necessary due to councils’ continual demand and other customers without extensive plans on upcoming project works.

We were then taken to witness the pipe manufacturing equipment. I was amazed at the level of automation that the dry

cast technology systems have and the evident efficiency level. We were informed that approximately 22000 small reinforced concrete pipes (RCPs) with an internal diameter of 375 are produced on average each year.

The dry cast machinery utilises stiff concrete allowing the form to be stripped almost immediately.

The products can then stand under their weight in a matter of minutes before they continue to the next stage of production, curing.

I thoroughly enjoyed the site visit at the Humes pre-cast facility. I was amazed to see the scale of the operations and the hard work and level of detail behind the scenes before pre-cast products are delivered to construction sites all over Queensland.

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

Trevor Dean Executive Manager Engineering & Technical Services, Fraser Coast Regional Council & IPWEAQ Board Member

Cross River Rail & Queens Wharf The Cross River Rail and Queens Wharf Development Technical Tour was the first to fill up and for good reason. Representing $9 billion of investment in the city, clearly these are once in a generation infrastructure projects expected to provide long-term benefit to Brisbane’s residents and visitors.

While the projects themselves are impressive, it is the visitor centres’ standard that impressed IPWEAQ delegates the most.

Large three-dimensional models of the city, interactive displays, and historic artifacts retrieved from the construction sites had the delegates enthralled. Those

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responsible for these projects are clearly aware of these projects’ public and industry interest and will continue to create.

Significant investment has been made in a multitude of ways of satisfying stakeholder curiosity in the projects.

The entrance to the Cross River Rail Experience Centre (https:// crossriverrail.qld.gov.au/contactus/experience-centre/) is nestled between restaurants on Level 1 of 151 Elizabeth Street. Its entrance does little to prepare the visitor for the comprehensive and broad audiovisual and sensory journey participants will be provided with.

Staff at the centre did their best to jam as much content into their presentation as they could in the short time available and to be honest. I’m sure our group could have spent hours longer experiencing such things as the virtual reality station, reality theatre, & discovery table.

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Sitting adjacent to Parliament House, the interactive Queen’s Wharf Visitor Centre and stunning display suite (https:// queenswharfbrisbane.com.au/ media/queens-wharf-brisbanevisitor-centre-and-display-suiteopens-its-doors-to-the-public/) gave conference delegates a real appreciation for the sheer magnitude of the Queens Wharf project.

Through the 3D interactive model on the ground floor, delegates could get a real feel for how the project will change the Brisbane skyline. A quick trip up the elevator allowed the vising group to look over the construction site to check on its progress.

Rumour (unconfirmed) has it that IPWEAQ President, Craig Murrell, was so impressed that put a deposit down on the penthouse suite.

#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS WORKSHOP The Emerging Professionals Workshop opened day one of the Annual Conference and was brimming with new and seasoned industry practitioners keen to brush up on the artful ways of communication.

be successful throughout their careers, communication skills are equally as important as technical knowledge.

Engagement and Communication specialist and psychotherapist Annemarie Sage Wood, facilitated the workshop.

Annemarie has over 10 years experience consulting C Suite executives to deliver training covering a wide-range of topics including communication, interpersonal skills, leadership, and management.

The workshop on day one of the conference provided practical and informative ways to explore two specific components of communication including:

Communication is a crucial part of business and an essential skill for engineers. For engineers to

Yet engineers are seldom taught how this can be achieved and what techniques can improve them.

How to make meaningful connections when meeting someone for the first time (including teaching the ‘interview technique’); and How to understand one’s own communication style and to adjust accordingly to suit other people’s communication styles.

Through a series of interactive activities, workshop participants gained new capabilities and the confidence to adopt these skills in a social or work setting.

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

WOMAN IN PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEERING BREAKFAST The room was packed for the Women in Public Works Masterclass Breakfast on day two of the IPWEAQ Annual Conference.

Award-winning business woman and international keynote speaker, Alison Hill, reflected on the chaotic year that has been and provided tips on finding calm in the uncertain times we find ourselves in with the advent of COVID-19.

Alison is also a registered psychologist and CEO of three-time AFR Fast 100 company, Pragmatic thinking. A culmination of Alison’s expertise across leadership, culture and psychology is working with organisations to build better leaders by building better people.

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Alison helped delegates find ways to maintain calm amidst chaosand reconnect with things that matter.

Two key drivers of change explored in the Masterclass included implementing tools for setting boundaries that stick, and prioritising the things that matter.

The interactive masterclass provided tangible takeaways for delegates to immediately adopt these change drivers into their work and home environments.

We were delighted to welcome a large contingency of male delegates to the workshop.

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS We were thrilled to hear from three diverse keynote speakers during #IPWEAQ20 On day two, we welcomed Peter Greste. Peter, sponsored

by Komatsu, spoke about his harrowing experience in an Egyptian prison. In 2013, Peter was reporting from Egypt on a short three-week journalism assignment when he was arrested on terrorism charges.

After a trial widely dismissed as a sham, he was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison. In February 2014, after 400 days behind bars and following an intense international campaign, Peter was deported under a presidential decree.

Peter Greste

Peter discussed the psychological toll the imprisonment took and the different activities he adopted to pass the time. These included exercising in an eight-foot square cell with 16 men, meditating, making dice from pumpkin seeds, and receiving permission by the Egyptian authorities to start a Masters’ degree in International Relations.

To get through the incarceration, Peter needed to find a sense of purpose and meaning.

He focused on fighting for the freedom of the press to subsequently become an international symbol for press freedom. Peter considers himself an ordinary man who went through an extraordinary situation. He learned we are far stronger than we give ourselves credit for, a lesson learned when pushed to the extreme.

On day three, we heard from Michael Kasprowicz and Noel Whittaker.

Michael Kasprowicz became the fashionable bowler for unfashionable tours. He has uniquely established himself as a leading business professional

Peter Greste and John Tannahill

specialising in the business of sport. Following a 19-year career as a professional cricketer, he became the youngest Director on the Board of Cricket Australia and has been active in the governance of the national body for the last six years.

Michael spoke about about his career as a sportsman and the important life lesson that people will have an opinion about you without even meeting you. There is only one way to change this preconceived notion – behaviour and action.

Reflecting on his years of ‘living the dream’ while playing cricket for Australia, Michael applied four toolbox-baggy green life lessons - Pain, Pressure, Perception and Possession - to life beyond cricket.

Michael went on to study to become the first Australian cricketer to complete an MBA. He discussed how rebranding himself was the only way for him to make it in the business world.

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE International bestselling author, finance and investment expert, radio broadcaster, newspaper columnist and public speaker, Noel Whittaker, is one of the world’s foremost authorities on personal finance. Noel reaches over four million readers each week through his columns in major Australian newspapers.

He is one of Australia’s most successful authors, with 23 bestselling books. Delegates were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet Noel and purchase an autographed book during morning tea.

Michael Kasprowicz

Noel Whittaker

Noel discussed how to create wealth and save tax in uncertain times - a topic of interest after the year that’s been. Through his interactive presentation, Noel explained that to be wealthy, you need to be observant. The biggest problem facing the world (COVID aside) is life expectancy – we are living longer. “How long will my money last when I retire?” and “how much do I need to retire?” are the most commonly asked questions. With 80% of Australians disengaged with superannuation, Noel shared the secrets of wealth – save first, spend second. Delegates were also given Noel’s 20 commandments for wealth (ignore at your peril!) and his action plan to understanding assets and setting goals.

All keynote, plenary and presentations in all three streams are available to conference delegates in the Knowledge Centre or by subscription for those who were unable to attend.

Subscribe to #IPWEAQ20 Conference Proceedings

Noel Whittaker

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#IPWEAQ20 FEATURE

PANEL DISCUSSION – THE ROLE OF PUBLIC WORKS PROFESSIONALS IN COMMUNITY ROAD SAFETY Scott Britton Director, Policy & Partnerships, IPWEAQ

While there are well established road safety strategies, campaigns, and initiatives, those responsible for the planning, construction and ongoing operations and maintenance of transport networks often struggle to communicate how they improve road safety in their work activities.

The discussion highlighted that the role of public works professionals is extensive when it comes to a creating a broader sense of community in the road safety conversation. It’s these broader aspects that must be considered alongside traditional engineering responses when seeking to address road safety issues. While there are a wide range of often disparate views, a key challenge for the public works professional is to understand community aspirations and ensure these are fully considered as part of any response to road safety issues.

To challenge the thinking of public works professionals and how can they contribute to improved road safety, a panel discussion at the IPWEAQ Annual Conference in November explored the topic: The role of the Public Works Professionals in Community Road Safety.

Our panellists provided several examples including procurement decisions around the safest possible vehicles within corporate fleets, understanding that these decisions will flow onto the second-hand market at the time of renewal or following through on community-based

suggestions that provide recreational facilities that also provide an educational outcome.

The panel discussion challenged thinking about how they could more actively contribute, as individuals, to improving road safety. Ultimately, we’ve been left to consider the kind of communities we want to live in and how do we go about building safe and healthy communities.

Working with our communities to understand their expectations is an important part of the role public works professionals play in improving community road safety.

The community-based outcomes that we strive to achieve must bring the key aspects of road safety together in harmony – that is: safe people, safe roads, safe cars and safe speeds.

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PROJECT OF THE YEAR

SUNSHINE COAST AIRPORT EXPANSION PROJECT

Ross Ullman Project Director, Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project, Built Infrastructure Group, Sunshine Coast Council

Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion is IPWEAQ Project of the Year.

Sunshine Coast Council took out the top accolade at this year’s IPWEAQ Excellence Awards for the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Ross Ullman, Project Director Sunshine Coast Airport, recently presented at #IPWEAQ20 on some unique challenges associated with the airport operations environment, coupled with marine dredging, transportation and discharge to provide the embankment material for a new 2450 m long 45 m wide runway.

The first sod was turned on the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project in April 2018, marking the start of Sunshine Coast Council’s single largest infrastructure project and the realisation of a long-term plan to grow and the region’s passenger and freight connectivity to other destinations.

The $334 million project includes a new 2450m long by 45m wide north-west/south-east runway that is capable of servicing aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing B787, associated taxiways and the expansion of aprons at the existing terminal.

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The Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project represents the first time that a local government authority in Queensland has delivered a new international standard aviation facility in its own right.

Sunshine Coast Council entered into a landmark funding arrangement to provide the significant funds necessary for a project of this magnitude, without ratepayers having to foot the bill.

The new runway became operational on 14 June 2020 and the project is due for completion in December 2020.

Project: Planning Detailed planning for the new international-standard runway began with the Sunshine Coast Airport Master Plan, which was developed over two years between 2005 and 2007 and designed to de-risk airport operations into the future.

The size of aircraft has increased substantially since the first runway was built in 1961. The runway’s length and width posed a risk in terms of long-term passenger transport capabilities - an ongoing need driven by the region’s growing tourism industry.

As the existing runway was only 30 metres wide rather than the regulation 45 metres. Airlines required special approval from CASA to allow the current fleet of Regular Passenger Transport aircraft to operate.

Following the Master Plan’s adoption in 2007, work began on a Master Plan Implementation Project in 2010.This was followed by an Initial Advice Statement in 2011, which led to the declaration by the Coordinator-General

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of “significant project” status requiring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the requirements of the State Development and Public Works Organisations Act 1971 (Qld).

Simultaneously, the Australian Government decided the project to be a “controlled action” under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Australian Government determined that an EIS process was to be conducted under the bilateral agreement between the Australian and Queensland governments to satisfy both Commonwealth and Queensland legislation.

Terms of Reference for an Environmental Impact Statement were subsequently released in 2012.

Council, as the proponent of the project, identified all relevant environmental issues and undertook a thorough assessment of the potential impacts of those issues.

In Late 2014, the Environmental Impact Statement was released for public review and comment.

After consideration of the public feedback, the CoordinatorGeneral requested that the proponent undertake further investigations and publish additional information for public review and comment.

The Additional Information to the EIS was released for a second time in late 2015.

Following the consideration of the public feedback, the Coordinator-General released his findings in the CoordinatorGeneral’s Evaluation Report on 18 May 2016, and recommended that the project proceed, subject to the conditions stated in the report.

PROJECT OF THE YEAR

Council prepared and submitted applications for twenty-three separate permits, authorities and approvals from various federal, state and local government agencies.

The most significant of these was the Environmental Authority (EA) required to dredge sand from the Spitfire Realignment Shipping Channel at the northern end of Moreton Bay and place that sand on the runway alignment utilising hydraulic placement methods.

The project has delivered the scope as scheduled and to the standard and quality that was planned.

Project: Complexities The Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project is an extremely complex one involving significant embankment volumes from marine sand deposits in the Moreton Bay. This was accompanied by a range of environmental considerations associated with the dredging, delivery and hydraulic placement of the material. Notwithstanding the environmental impacts that accompany a civil infrastructure project with a footprint of more than 175 hectares in a coastal location, abutted by National Park to the north and south.

This complexity was compounded by the added

considerations associated with establishing new Controlled Airspace and Instrument Flight Paths to enable the new runway to operate under the regulatory requirements for domestic and international aviation passenger transport operations.

During the Environmental Impact Study preparation, matters of both state and national environmental significance were identified on or immediately adjacent to the project. Council carefully researched the various issues and offsets were identified to minimise the impacts of the project.

Council planners placed constraints on activities to ensure that there were no unintended consequences to the environment due to the works.

They also required fauna translocation and environmental habitat enhancement to protect threatened species within or adjacent to the project footprint.

Naturally, limitations were also placed on neighbourhood impacts such as flood levels and construction noise.

The Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project was undertaken over a three-year period that included several months of above-average rainfall in each year. This rain

fell at crucial periods during the works progress and presented significant challenges both to the construction contractor and to Council as the Principal.

Project: Technical Excellence & Innovation Both the domestic fleet of aircraft and the newer, more fuel-efficient wide-bodied aircraft favoured by the world’s airlines for medium-haul international flights require a runway that is 45 metres wide, centred in a 300 metre wide runway strip.

The original runway was only 30 metres wide. It was centred in a 150 metre wide runway strip, which places limitations on the type of aircraft capable of operating through the Sunshine Coast Airport.

The new runway, taxiways and aprons have been constructed to the exacting standards of the CASA Manual of Standards Part 139 and the ICAO Annexure 14 for new runways and are now capable of accommodating the current domestic fleet with no restrictions, as well as an extensive range of the newer wide-bodied aircraft up to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350.

The Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project has been delivered under a bespoke design and construct contract and includes several innovative

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PROJECT OF THE YEAR engagement associated with this project spanned ten years, commencing with the Sunshine Coast Airport Master Plan in late 2005.

Stakeholder engagement involved a targeted approach to the airline industry, airport tenants and state and federal government agencies and consultation with the Sunshine Coast Community for feedback on the Master Plan.

enhancements to deliver advantages in the ongoing operations.

Digital interface These include a new digital interface in the Air Traffic Control Tower to enable Traffic Controllers to control the Airport Ground Lighting through touch screens.

Trapezoidal grooving The runway saw the first use in Queensland of trapezoidal grooving of the runway surface.

The trapezoidal grooving prolongs the asphalt pavement’s life by reducing the potential for asphalt creep to close the grooves, thereby minimising regular high-pressure water jet cleaning and a reduction in the likelihood of dislodgement of the groove shoulders to form Foreign Object Debris on the runway.

Aerial laser survey Aerial laser survey was used to identify trees that penetrated the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces on the runway approach and control the selective trimming of those trees to provide a compliant runway approach.

The Aerial laser survey was also used to provide a digitised ground surface model every month to enable progress to be tracked and what-if scenarios to be considered as opportunities arose.

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Runway embankment The project sourced material for the runway embankment by dredging from the Moreton Bay marine sand deposits to allow for a much faster rate of placement and removed the impact of considerable road haulage from the local road network.

Project finance Undoubtedly one of the more innovative features of the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion project is the method of financing a project. The project was forecast to be almost ten times costlier than any individual project the Sunshine Coast Council had undertaken in its history.

Financing involved a competitive bid process by several bidding consortiums to secure the rights to operate the existing airport until the new runway was completed and then operate the new facility to balance a ninetyyear lease term.

This process yielded sufficient funds to cover the entire cost of the $334 million project.

Project: Community Given the Sunshine Coast Airport profile and the scope of the expansion works, the project generated considerable interest from the community.

The stakeholder and community

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In adopting the Master Plan in September 2007, council acknowledged that an overwhelming majority of the community did not support further development of the existing runway. The clearly preferred option was to develop a new runway with general southeast to north-west orientation, designated Runway 13/31. The final alignment was altered based on community submissions.

Work commenced on developing the Environmental Impact Statement after community feedback on the Terms of Reference had been received.

Stakeholder engagement continued throughout the EIS process and culminated in the draft EIS release for public comment.

As a result of the public consultation, Sunshine Coast Council undertook to deliver sixty-three proponent commitments to address concerns raised by the community.

The engagement associated with just the EIS process alone was extensive and comprehensive.

It involved paid advertisements in local, state and national newspapers and television and radio stations during peak hours.

A letterbox drop accompanied this to 32,000 residents.

Council representatives also presented an outline of the information and advice regarding how to access the information at twelve community group meetings, to all seven local Members of Parliament, at six

PROJECT OF THE YEAR community meetings, three community information sessions and pop-ups at six shopping centres across the Sunshine Coast.

Project: Environment Through the EIS process, a wide range of potential environmental impacts were identified and analysed, and management plans established to mitigate or minimise the impacts or offsets identified to address residual impact.

Areas of the site that had not been cleared for sugar cane retained remnant vegetation characterised by low-lying areas and seasonally moist conditions and included Melaleuca forest, closed heath and a small open forest area.

The site is bordered to the north and south by sections of the Mt Coolum National Park.

Ground Parrots (Pezoporus wallicus wallicus) listed as Vulnerable under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 are known to occur near the existing runway.

Various wallum frogs include the Wallum Froglet(Crinia tinula) and the Wallum Rocketfrog (Litoria freycineti), which are listed as vulnerable under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 exist in the habitat along drain lines and localised depressions on the site. The Wallum Sedgefrog, (Litoria olongburensis) is listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The Mt Emu Sheoak (Allocasuarina emuina), listed as Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 was also located within the site.

A Biodiversity Offset Strategy was developed, outlining the measures to be undertaken to mitigate or minimise the impacts with offsets identified for residual impacts. These were formalised through relevant agreements with the regulatory authority.

They include replacement habitat of over 65 Ha, enhanced habitat of 8 Ha, plus more than 40 Ha in a conservation corridor linking the northern and southern sections of the Mt Coolum National Park.

Approximately 4.8 Ha of Mt Emu Sheoak forest was identified for translocation to an alternate location within the overall site.

The approvals associated with the mitigations and offsets require ongoing monitoring of the planned activities for up to 20 years after completing the project’s construction phase.

Ongoing surveys have already indicated that significant success has been achieved in the habitat enhancement activities, with recruitments to both the Wallum Frog and Ground Parrot populations since the original surveys were conducted.

The Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project is the largest aviation project delivered by any local government in Queensland and the most momentous project Sunshine Coast Council has ever undertaken or is likely ever to undertake again.

The project is forecast to deliver an economic benefit of $4.1 billion and create 2230 new fulltime, direct and indirect, jobs for the Sunshine Coast region over the next 20 years.

While the project encountered unprecedented challenges, it achieved many great milestones and will service the Sunshine Coast’s air travel demands for the next 100 years.

To date, the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project has been delivered on time and on budget.

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CONFERENCE PAPER

REDEFINING THE ROAD AUTHORITY ROLE

Neil Scales OBE

As Director-General, Neil leads the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), with an annual budget of almost $10 billion, including capital expenditure of $3.5 billion and managed assets worth in excess of $80 billion.

Neil recently presented at the IPWEAQ Annual Conference on redefining the road authority role.

2020 has been a very challenging year. It has been a year of change and adaptation, a year of learning, a year of success in the face of adversity and, ultimately, a year of building and relying upon resilience—within ourselves and within our communities.

In this article I want to share some of the journeys that the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has undertaken this year toward redefining the road authority role—embracing our roles as economic driver, technology and innovation leader, and sustainability guardian, to ensure we continue to successfully lead into the future.

Resilience in a time of uncertainty In Australia, and Queensland in particular, we are well versed in responding positively to natural disasters, but COVID-19 presented some new challenges and a new lens to assess our operations—a health lens.

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Our focus during COVID-19 has been on slowing the spread of the virus, maintaining the transport network and keeping Queensland moving—ensuring everyone can access essential goods and services.

In this environment, we worked to make appropriate policy changes to support the Chief Health Officer’s public health directions. We worked quickly and early to protect our ports by monitoring vessels entering Queensland waters and engaging with the maritime industry to share relevant updates. We have actively supported border restrictions through the deployment of 133 of our Transport Inspectors and implementation of traffic management arrangements on a scale never seen before.

We changed medical certificate requirements so our more vulnerable community members could stay home, implemented cashless transactions on public transport in South East Queensland and automated pedestrian crossings to minimise contact with high-touch surfaces.

Within TMR, we mobilised our own workforce to work remotely where possible and implemented measures for our frontline teams who didn’t have that option.

We also worked hard to continue to support the transport industry.

This support ranged from assistance packages for the hardest hit parts of our industry, including regional transport operators and taxi and limousine operators, to temporary changes to registration cancellation processes and training requirements. We remained firmly focused on the continued delivery of the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment program (QTRIP), including the acceleration of works

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where reduced traffic volumes allowed, to ensure minimal impacts on projects and to keep Queenslanders in their jobs.

All of these changes were made in an effort to protect Queenslanders—our stakeholders and partners, our people and the general public. The fantastic, and somewhat unexpected, outcome has been the incredible resilience we’ve seen across the board at a time when very little was certain. We are still working to fully understand what we have learned and how we can capitalise on this moving forward but, for me, one of the most significant outcomes will be the shared sense of purpose and togetherness.

Taking a lead in recovery As COVID-19 cases in Queensland began to stabilise, our focus turned to recovery.

The Queensland Government’s economic recovery plan includes a focus on infrastructure in the short and medium term. The support for the transport industry has been significant and, for the most part, comes in the form of stimulus or accelerated works.

To date, the stimulus packages announced include: • $185 million Roads of Strategic Important (ROSI) early works package, jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments • $400 million roads stimulus package funded by the Queensland Government • $415 million roads stimulus package jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments.

In addition to the packages listed above, the Queensland Government is partnering with the Australian Government

CONFERENCE PAPER to invest a further $2.1 billion towards infrastructure projects in Queensland, including: • $1.5 billion for the Coomera Connector Stage 1 (Coomera to Nerang) • $248 million for the Beams Road level crossing, including the Carseldine park ‘n’ ride upgrade • $224 million for the Centenary Bridge Stage 1 Upgrade • $95 million for the Riverway Drive Stage 2 (Allambie Lane Dunlop Street) • $53 million for the Mt Lindesay Highway - Johanna Street to South Street • $20 million for the M1 Pacific Motorway Upgrade Program Exit 45 • $4 million for the Currumbin Creek Road-Bienvenue Drive Intersection Upgrade.

A $2 billion National Road Safety Program has also been announced by the Federal Government of which $522 million has been allocated to Queensland.

Our preparation and planning over recent years put us in a good position to be able to fast track shovel ready projects, which will provide critical opportunities for industry and jobs for Queenslanders over the coming years. Equally, the transport connections we are building through these packages will support Queensland’s economic recovery and growth for many decades to come.

Technology and innovation TMR has a long history of introducing and advocating for emerging technology and innovative solutions, but it is now more important than ever. The pace of technological change is not likely to slow down so we must match its speed as we take advantage of these opportunities with our industry partners.

We are also facing a significant shift in customer expectations. As a population, we are prioritising safety, hygiene, service frequency and connectivity in a way we haven’t before.

Mobility as a Service is one of the exciting ways, we are pursuing technology and innovation, and examining our role in the transport ecosystem. Also known as MaaS, Mobility as a Service is a shift away from personally owned transport options to aggregated mobility solutions consumed as a service. MaaS relies on shared journeys and assets, factors which can be challenging in the current environment.

However, MaaS presents a range of new opportunities in the provision of accurate, timely information where customers can personalise their journey based on detailed travel information such as public transport crowding levels and frequency of cleaning services.

Our Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative, or CAVI, continues to go from strength to strength, with a number of trials currently underway across Australia and New Zealand to improve our readiness for cooperative and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies.

One of the trials underway in Queensland is the Ipswich Connected Vehicle Pilot which is testing C-ITS technology temporarily fitted to vehicles owned by local residents over a 300sqkm area—including arterial and motorways. In an Australian first, the Ipswich pilot utilises a ‘system of mutual trust’ to ensure safe communication between participant vehicles, infrastructure and the cloud system.

The Queensland Government is delivering the Ipswich pilot in partnership with the Motor Accident Insurance Commission, iMOVE Australia, Telstra, QUT’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q), the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and the City of Ipswich as well as many industry suppliers.

Another trial underway in Queensland is the Cooperative and Highly Automated Driving

Pilot (CHAD) which has demonstrated CAV on South East Queensland roads using trained drivers, as well as in training facilities using public participants to showcase automated vehicle technology.

My department has introduced two vehicle prototypes in partnership with QUT, iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre and French institute VEDECOM, a conglomerate of vehicle manufacturers, research and industry.

In March this year, our purposebuilt level 4 automated research prototype vehicle – known as ZOE2, provided 72 public participants with an opportunity to experience self-driving capabilities on the Ipswich public roads in real traffic. ZOE2 travelled at speeds of up to 50kmph in real traffic utilising existing road infrastructure and negotiated roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, car parks, U-turns and several left/right turns.

While the work underway on MaaS and CAVI are preparing us for tomorrow’s transport network, we are also delivering critical technology to improve our network and our customers’ experience today.

We have recently expanded the Queensland Electric Vehicle Super Highway to ensure we capitalise on the benefits of electric vehicles including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved electricity and grid utilisation, reduced transport costs, reduced oil dependency and improved public health. We are also looking to support the introduction of more models of hydrogen vehicles to the Australian market and the development of the hydrogen industry locally.

Hydrogen vehicles will be introduced to the Queensland Government fleet as part of the government’s commitment to moving away from petrol-only cars by 2028.

Looking ahead, we must always be testing and learning

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CONFERENCE PAPER to find new innovations. Our continued efforts in research and development, as part of the National Asset Centre of Excellence (NACOE)—a partnership between TMR and the Australian Road Research Board—puts us in good stead.

Now in its seventh year, NACOE will focus on around 60 projects over the 2020-21 financial year with a budget of over $6 million.

The current projects focus on a range of areas including pavements, asset management, structures, sustainability, road safety and more.

This snapshot of activity gives some insights into how we are leveraging emerging technology and pursuing innovation to ensure we are at the forefront of our industry.

Sustainability guardian TMR continues to contribute to finding solutions for local, national, and global sustainability challenges through NACoE. The tangible outcomes of our research and development means we have been able to deliver significant environmental benefits through our projects by reducing landfill, contributing to a circular economy, and reducing emissions while also delivering cost savings and improved network performance.

In Queensland, we have introduced several measures to ensure we build sustainable roads through the use of: • Glass: 10-20 per cent recycled glass can be used in roads • Crumb rubber: we forecast to save 1.1 million tyres from landfill by June 2021 • Hot-in-place asphalt recycling (HIPAR): 2 million m2 of pavement has been recycled using HIPAR • Reclaimed asphalt recycling (RAP): up to 40 per cent RAP can be used in new asphalt • Insitu stabilisation: up to 6000 tonnes of raw material could be saved per kilometre of road • Construction and demolition waste: up to 8000 tonnes of

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waste diverted from landfill per kilometre of road • Rubblisation: we have completed the first rubblisation trial in Queensland • Fly ash and blast furnace slag: up to 70 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fly ash.

Like many jurisdictions, we are legislatively obligated to plan and report about waste management. In Queensland, this falls under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011. However, simply reporting isn’t enough to make an impact. We have introduced the waste and recycling calculator—a circular economy tool for transport infrastructure.

The calculator provides waste estimates during preconstruction enabling improved planning of waste management, provides visibility of costs associated with landfill disposal, enables consistent and efficient waste data collection at an organisational level, and captures data on recycled materials uptake—where, what, how. This allows projects to minimise waste generation and maximise opportunities for reuse and recycling throughout the project.

In future, we’ll be able to tell which sections of the network contain which recycled materials and in what quantities. Hopefully this will lead to advances in the use of waste materials in infrastructure projects.

There are all important steps towards better environmental outcomes and, while we have been on this journey for a while, it is important we enthusiastically continue. Without a shared commitment across all levels of government and industries, we risk leaving our natural environment worse than when we found it—not something anyone would feel proud of.

Conclusion While ‘unprecedented’ seems to be the word of the year for 2020, as well as the phrase

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“you’re on mute”, the challenges and disruptions presented have forced us all to consider how we operate and our role in the transport world from a new perspective.

I’ve always considered our department a leader in many of the areas I’ve mentioned above but the work we have done this year, the resilience and agility we have displayed and the success with which we have supported Queensland has reinforced this for me. It has also helped to bring our many and varied roles to the forefront of our own minds as well as the minds of our stakeholders and partners.

Ultimately, our people, their willingness to adapt and their drive for innovation—as demonstrated throughout this article—is what has positioned us so well. It has never been clearer to me that the true legacy of my time with TMR and in Queensland will be the people.

The future is bright in the sunshine state and I look forward to continuing to play a part in it, along with the TMR team, our partners and stakeholders— of which IPWEAQ is a very important one.

CONFERENCE PAPER

GEOFF WILMOTH BEST PAPER AWARD FOR THE INSTALLATION OF OIVI/GORARI BATTLE MONUMENT

GEOFF WILMOTH BEST PAPER AWARD

John Tannock Principal Engineer, Pavements Ipswich City Council

John Tannock is currently the Principal Engineer – Pavements with Ipswich City Council. John recently presented a paper on the installation of a monument in Papua New Guinea to commemorate the Battle of Oivi/Gorari, at the annual IPWEAQ Conference.

John shares some of his experiences on the topic of stakeholder engagement and how important it was in contributing to the successful delivery of the project.

Abstract: This paper outlines the story behind the installation of a monument in Papua New Guinea to commemorate the Battle for Oivi/Gorari. Most Australians have never heard of the battle despite it being one of the biggest battles of the New Guinea campaign up to that point. An American professor of military history identified Oivi/Gorari as the most significant land battle

in the Pacific theatre in WW2 – which is interesting because no Americans took part in the battle. The battle took place in November 1942 in the vicinity of the village of Gorari in PNG. It spanned an eight-day period and cost the lives of 133 Australian Soldiers with an additional 225 soldiers wounded. One of the injured in that battle was my father.

The journey started when I visited PNG in 2016 and attempted to locate the site near Gorari where my father was wounded. It dawned on me that, while there were many excellent monuments and plaques at less significant battle sites, there was nothing at Gorari to acknowledge the battle and remember the young diggers who lost their lives there.

rewarding and at the same time, has been the most emotionally draining. How did it all happen? Good question! I never expected that I would be project-managing and funding the installation of a military monument in a foreign country.

The process probably originated when, in the 1980s, my father was talked into documenting his war experiences. The family knew he had fought in the Middle East in WW2 and then in New Guinea – but that was all we knew. We also knew he was wounded in New Guinea because his steel helmet had two bullet holes.

The presentation will outline the many challenges that arose in designing and installing a monument in the village of Gorari. Among the many project challenges were: • Identifying the process of installing a monument in a foreign country.

• Stakeholder engagement.

• Communications.

• Geotechnical.

• Sourcing of funding.

Paper: In my long involvement in delivering projects, this project, while not being the most technically challenging, has undoubtedly been the most

My father was reluctant at first to put pen to paper. Although, in the late 1980s he finally agreed on the condition the document not be circulated outside the

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CONFERENCE PAPER family until his passing, which occurred in 2013.

The family then passed the baton to me to put the book together and arrange publication. It was only then, in studying his book, that I became aware of the Battle for Oivi/Gorari. It was in this battle that he was wounded.

The Battle The Oivi/Gorari Battle lasted from 4 November until 11 November 1942. It involved 3,700 Australian troops and approximately 2,800 Japanese troops. For the first time in the NG campaign, the Australians were able to engage the Japanese in a relatively open country. It is important to understand that the Australians were exhausted after the rigours of the Kokoda Track. They were malnourished and riddled with malaria, dysentery and other tropical illnesses. Australian military records at the time describe the condition of the Australian troops as pitiable.

The military strategy used by General Vasey was extremely risky. He threw all his available troops at the Japanese. He also copied the Japanese tactic of engaging and encircling the enemy. On 9 November, with the 16th Brigade engaging the enemy at the Oivi Pass, General Vasey committed the 25th Brigade to circle around behind enemy lines and attack the enemy on three fronts from the rear.

The battle concluded on 11 November 1942 with the Japanese suffering severe losses and in full retreat to the coast. 133 Australian soldiers were killed in the battle and 225 wounded.

Australians, for the most part, have never heard of the battle.

Yet an American professor of military history nominated the Battle for Oivi/Gorari and the most significant land battle in the Pacific theatre in WW2.

Noted American historian Professor Eric Bergerud, suggested that Oivi -Gorari was a turning point in the Pacific War:

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‘Japan did not lose the ground war in the South Pacific in any single place.

There was no equivalent of Waterloo or Stalingrad… Yet if I were to pick one place where the war turned irrevocably against the Japanese, it was Oivi-Gorari on November 5, 1942. The Australians inflicted a massive defeat on crack Japanese troops at small cost to themselves. Rarely would the Japanese fight Australian troops in open battle in the future. When they did the result was defeat.’

Eric M. Bergerud is an author and professor of military and American history at Lincoln University in San Francisco.

The Project The project consisted of five phases: • Phase 1 – Identify the need for a monument.

• Phase 2 - Gain support of the Gorari village people.

• Phase 3 – Delivery of the project by designing and casting the monument and informing relatives of deceased soldiers.

• Phase 4 – Unveiling of the monument.

• Phase 5 – Maximise benefits to the Gorari people.

Phase 1 – Identification

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In 2016, against my better judgment, I was persuaded to walk (or should I say climb) the Kokoda Track. On the way to Kokoda, our group passed through the Gorari village. While there, I made an unsuccessful attempt to locate Gorari battlefield section where my father was wounded. I also noted there were no monuments or plaques to commemorate the battle or remember the 133 young Australian soldiers who lost their lives there. As we walked the track, it was obvious that there were monuments and plaques providing information on the battle that had taken place at each of the other significant battle sites across the track.

In summary, despite the Oivi/ Gorari being the most significant land battle in the Pacific Theatre in WW2, it was the one battle that has never been properly recognised or commemorated.

We therefore decided we would set about installing a monument in Gorari.

An incident which brought home to me the losses incurred by many families, occurred shortly after my father documented his experiences. In describing the events on the morning he was wounded, he wrote of seeing his mate Alf Sorensen from Kingaroy, killed beside him. I was Shire

CONFERENCE PAPER Engineer at Esk Shire Council at the time. The CEO was Gordon Sorensen. One day I asked Gordon, “Did you have a relative in New Guinea during the war?”

“My Uncle Alf was killed in New Guinea” was his reply. “He was right beside my father,” was all I could say in response. Gordon and I had worked together for nearly 20 years and weren’t aware of the connection.

Phase 2 – Gaining Support of the Gorari Villagers Because of the then lack of proper communication with the outside world, we decided we’d visit Gorari in person to outline our proposal to the people of the village. We would aim to gain their consent to erect a monument in the village.

We sought permission to stay overnight in the village on 10 November 2017 and to conduct a Remembrance Day service in the village the following day. This timing’s significance is that this would be the 75th Anniversary of the final day of the battle.

We arrived by truck in Gorari at approximately 2 pm on 10 November. To our astonishment, there several hundred villagers were waiting, many dressed in native costume. We were greeted with a welcome dance and then led through an arch of flowers to a specially erected shelter where lunch was provided. Several locals spoke with the consistent message being that they were proud to welcome the sons and the daughters of the men who had given them their village back, many years previous.

Kila Eddie (CEO of Adventure Professionals in PNG) responded on our behalf in the local dialect.

I couldn’t understand a word Kila was saying but when he mentioned the word monument the place instantly erupted in clapping and cheering. Glenn Azar and I exchanged looks – while hadn’t asked the question about installing the monument we already had the answer!

Our challenge was to ensure it happened.

Throughout the project, we received the enthusiastic support of the people of the village of Gorari. They even formed a Gorari Village Monument Committee to manage the project on behalf of the village.

Phase 3 – Delivery I had no idea of the process of installing a monument in a foreign country. I sought advice from various government departments and defence related organisations. Everyone I spoke to was very polite and helpful, but would then pass me on to someone else. After several weeks of being listened to and passed on, I suddenly realised that the person I was talking to was the first person I had contacted some weeks earlier.

[There is a lesson for Local Government in this. Only a few weeks previous I had been chatting to someone who does business in two major local governments in Southern Qld. They are like chalk and cheese – the culture at one council is to listen and pass you on, effectively sending you around in circles. At the other, if the officer can’t help you, he/she will take your number and get the right person to ring you back - usually within 30 minutes.]

I happened to have a vent to my brother about the lack of progress. He then informed me that Bruce Davis, the Australian High commissioner to PNG was a classmate of his at school. I was subsequently able to obtain Bruce’s private email address.

Within 24 hours, Bruce had appointed one of his staff to guide us through the process.

Within a short space of time, we put our team together and it all flowed from there.

The Team: Ross Bastiaan – The High Commission Staff suggested Ross would be ideal to project manage the design and casting.

Ross has spent more than 30 years designing monuments in PNG, the Western Front and at Gallipoli.

Kokoda Memorial Foundation – led by Eric Winn, this organisation consists of retired Army vets who spend their time installing infrastructure (water supply systems, housing etc.) in developing countries such as PNG. Adventure Professionals – led

by Glenn Azar and Kila Eddie from PNG, their responsibility was to handle the logistics of moving the party of relatives to and around PNG. Australian High Commission – essentially, they played a watching role. They were included in most correspondence and would alert me to any issues or cultural sensitivities I needed to be aware of.

National Museum of PNG – at the suggestion of the High Commission, Dr Andy Connelly from the museum, joined the team. His brief from the Museum was to develop a framework within which monuments such as ours could be designed and installed. At the time, there were no controls on the types and location of monuments or any controls to ensure the text’s historical accuracy on the monuments.

Mailing Group – As the project morphed from publishing my father’s book, Quilpie to Kokoda, to installing the monument, I collected a group of contacts who have a keen interest in military history, and this project.

There are currently around 150 on my direct list and I am aware of some who then forwarded the information to 30 to 40 others.

This group has proved very useful in solving problems that arose from time to time. For example, one family requested to take soil from the family cattle property to spread on their relative’s graves at Bomana. The challenge was how to get the soil through customs.

One of the mailing group, whose grandfather had fought at Gorari, works for Qld Biosecurity and advised us on the process.

Gorari Village Monument Committee – led by Cornelius

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CONFERENCE PAPER Giles, this group were enthusiastic supporters of the project. While there is understandably a commercial edge to their enthusiasm, there is also an overwhelming sense of gratitude, towards the young Australian soldiers who gave their lives to return the village to its people in 1942.

Team Communications Model I have found, particularly for complex projects, a communication model can provide a useful tool in setting out who should give information to whom, who can give directions to whom, etc. The communications model for the Oivi/Gorari Monument is outlined here: Geotechnical Issues One of the major issues we faced, was the geotechnical challenges around the site chosen for the monument. We became aware that there are two separate clans within the village. It was agreed that the monument be installed on land common to both clans.

The site chosen consisted of wet silt to a depth of around five metres located adjacent to the river. We would need to remove this material and refill the site with better quality material, while installing vertical concrete-filled pipes to support the plinths for the monument. Even with this approach, we weren’t confident that the monument would survive the next major flood in the river.

At this stage, our one comfort was that the Chinese Hydro Company working nearby had offered to donate machinery and materials to assist in the construction. On the morning that construction commenced, I received the first of several bad news phone calls from PNG. The staff at the Chinese Hydro company advised that their superiors had overturned their decision to contribute to the project in China – they would provide the machinery but we would have to hire it at full price.

With the options being to either proceed and potentially outlay an additional $30k from my own

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pocket, or pull the pin on the whole project, I had no option but to proceed.

I then received the second bad news phone call from Eric Winn (Kokoda Memorial Foundation).

The village elder had visited the site to observe the construction.

After watching proceedings for a short while, he then directed that work cease while convening a monument committee meeting.

This time however, the outcome was good news. The village elder could see that the site was not suitable and advised was agreed to relocate the site to a more suitable location in the village.

From there, the Kokoda Memorial team with the assistance of many of the young men from the village were able to complete the construction of the castings’ plinths and attachment.

Contact with Relatives of Fallen Diggers There was no point in what we were doing if the relatives of the diggers killed at Gorari, weren’t

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made aware of the project. I initially attempted to obtain a list of the fallen from the Australian War Graves Commission, DVA and the Australian War Memorial.

The advice given to me was that their databases were not robust enough to provide that sort of data. To me, this was one of life’s mysteries as they were able to quote the exact number killed in the battle, but not the names.

Fortunately, I was able to obtain

CONFERENCE PAPER a list of the names from a private publication.

On the evening prior to the unveiling, Glenn Azar and I met with the village elders to discuss ways in which the project could bring benefits to the village. At the end of the discussions, it was agreed that:

While I still have a long way to go, I have succeeded in contacting a significant number of relatives of diggers killed at Gorari to let them know of the installation of the monument. Many of the telephone discussions have been very emotional with many relatives breaking down entirely on the phone (I wasn’t far behind them). Even after 70-odd years, the losses are still raw in many families. Some of the diggers whose families I have been able to contact are listed here: • The Simmonds brothers. Two brothers from Forbes in NSW were killed less than a minute apart by the same sniper on the afternoon of 10 November 1942. I have met their sister who is now in her nineties. She was a 16-year-old girl, at home on her own when two separate telegrams arrived advising of the death of her brothers.

• Lt. Ralph Fletcher. Ralph was a Stanthorpe boy. He was riddled with machine gun fire just near my father on 10 November 1942.

He was one of three platoon commanders that my father’s platoon lost in 30 minutes during an attack by D Company of the 2/25th Bn. During that attack, the company lost nearly one-third of their men in advancing about 100 metres into the Japanese positions.

• Cpl. Ralph Davidson. Ralph was a 23-year-old bank teller from Warwick. He died of wounds on 11 November. I’ve had no luck tracking down his relatives.

However, I did receive a letter from the son of Capt. Donnan, the battalion medical officer at Gorari. Capt. Donnan was in the process of operating on Cpl Davidson when a party of Japanese broke through the Australian lines and attacked the first aid station. Capt.

Donnan lost his arm in the skirmish and was unable to save Cpl Davidson.

• Adventure Professionals will hire and train young men from the village as porters • The village will charge tour operators a fee for viewing the memorial and having a welcome feast with dancers.

• A museum is established adjacent to the monument.

There is a bountiful supply of relics from the battle lying in the bush around the village.

We can supply letters, maps, photographs etc to support the museum. I understand the village has subsequently held talks with the PNG Museum to advance this project.

• Establish a trekking tour around Gorari battlefield.

Phase 4 – Unveiling of the Monument The unveiling was originally scheduled for Remembrance Day in 2018. However, the decision to hold an APEC Leaders Summit in Port Moresby that week caused us to re-schedule. The unveiling proceeded on 1 November with representatives of the Australian High Commission, the PNG Museum and other dignitaries present. Approximately 20 relatives of diggers who were killed or wounded at Gorari, also attended. Most importantly, the unveiling was attended by more than 100 Gorari villagers and people from surrounding villages. The actual unveiling was done jointly by a niece of the Simmonds brothers and the Gorari Village Elder.

Phase 5 – Maximising benefits to the people of the village It was important that we didn’t just install the monument and walk away. The kindness shown to us by the villagers on each of our visits and their generosity in allowing the monument to be installed in their village needed to be acknowledged.

Sequel The journey to install the monument probably started with locating the spot on the battlefield where my father was wounded. We had two unsuccessful attempts previously.

On the last occasion I had left my battle maps with the Gorari villagers who promised to do their best to locate the spot. True to their word, when we arrived for the unveiling of the monument, we were advised that they had found the site of the battlefield. It was located at the village of Waju.

The following morning, they took us to Waju where the villagers of Waju put on a reception.

When we walked into the area they’d set up for the reception, I was blown away – there on a pole adorned with flowers, was a photo of Lt Ralph Fletcher, the boy from Stanthorpe. I have no idea how they obtained the photo, but there it was on display - and probably only about 200 metres from the spot where Ralph had killed 76 years earlier.

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CONFERENCE PAPER in Port Moresby, effectively closing the city down to other travellers.

Acknowledgements • Australian War Memorial • Gorari Village Monument Committee • Australian High Commission to PNG • Ross Bastiaan • Kokoda memorial Foundation • Adventure Professionals Pty Ltd

Following some welcoming formalities, the locals led us to the site where my father’s company had slept in their weapon pits on the night of 9 November 1942, before launching a costly attack on the Japanese positions at 0900 hours the following morning. The weapon pits were still clearly visible after 76 years.

• Eric M. Bergerud - author and professor of military and American history at Lincoln University in San Francisco References Tannock J, 2015 Quilpie to Kokoda, Toowoomba, Cracker Printing & Paper Pty Ltd

Project Evaluation In terms of ticking the usual boxes, the project was: • Within budget – it had the potential to blow out significantly when the Chinese Hydro Company reversed its decision to contribute machinery and materials.

Fortunately, the decision the village elders to relocate the site, brought us back on track.

• On time – we originally planned the unveiling for 11 November.

Because we were ahead of schedule, could bring the unveiling forward when the APEC leaders decided to meet

Remembrance Day Commemoration The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month marks the moment the guns fell silent on the Western Front after the bloodshed of World War 1.

On Tuesday 11 November 2020 at 11 am, conference delegates joined together for a minute silence to remember those who have served and sacrificed in all wars and conflicts.

Our thanks to the ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee for supplying red poppies for our first Remembrance Day commemoration.

Lest we forget.

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CONFERENCE PAPER

COBBOLD GORGE GLASS FLOORED BRIDGE

BEST PAPER RUNNER UP

Paul Steele Director Trinity Engineering

Paul Steele is a Senior Engineer at Trinity Engineering and Consulting in Cairns.

Paul is passionate about regional Queensland and proudly assisted to deliver Australia’s first glass bridge at Cobbold Gorge in north west Queensland near his childhood hometown of Georgetown. Paul recently presented a paper on the bridge to the IPWEAQ Conference.

The glass floored bridge at Cobbold Gorge near Forsayth in north west Queensland is believed to be Australia’s first glass bridge. The bridge spans just over 13 metres across the narrow sheer sided gorge and is approximately 17 metres above water.

Located approximately 500km by road from Cairns or Townsville and 1800km from Brisbane, the remote gorge is situated on Cobbold Creek, named after pioneering Gulf pastoralist Francis Cobbold, who held numerous large cattle stations in the region. Cobbold Gorge is located within the Etheridge Shire Council Local Government Area and is accessed via Georgetown and Forsayth.

Cobbold Gorge is considered Queensland’s youngest gorge at only 10,000 years old with

its narrowness an indicator of its extreme youth. The water is slowly eroding through the ancient landscape with undercuts evident within the gorge. These features highlighted the need for careful selection of the crossing location and required site-specific geotechnical design to anchor the bridge to the escarpment.

The project commenced in 2018 with a phone call from the client, Cobbold Gorge Tours, seeking to develop a concept and costing for a funding submission to the

Outback Tourism Infrastructure Fund associated with the Year of the Outback planned for 2019.

Trinity Engineering and Consulting’s (TEC) Director, Paul Steele, was born and bred in Georgetown within the Etheridge Shire, attending school in the same year with one of the owners, Gaye Terry. At that time, Georgetown’s three teacher school was attended by approximately 60 students from years 1 to 7.

Paul and TEC jumped at the chance to be involved with an

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CONFERENCE PAPER

Images showing the resolution from the 3D image compared with the aerial photo.

iconic project close to where he grew up.

The concept was developed for the funding submission by TEC with key team members CMG Engineers and John Hyde Glass Innovations. It was one of 15 successful projects under the State Government’s funding scheme.

Once approved, the design process was quickly underway.

The upcoming 2019 wet season and the potential for access to be restricted by the adjacent Robertson River, saw a quickly arranged site visit in January 2019 to beat the wet.

Due to the sites remoteness, timeframe and the difficult terrain to be captured, conventional survey was not practical or cost effective.

Therefore, a drone survey was conducted in early in the design phase and a 3-dimensional surface was produced for the gorge and escarpment. This digital elevation model was used to confirm the crossing location and validate the bridge span, abutment locations and walkway approaches.

TEC has used drones for remote sites with exceptional results. The data capture is extensive and of high resolution. Importantly the drones provide the ability to capture data for difficult terrain

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or inaccessible topography and this data allows for evidencedbased decision-making and ultimately better engineering outcomes.

Detailed survey was subsequently used to set out the abutments, validating the initial drone survey’s accuracy and ensuring that the bridge foundations and hold downs were constructed to very tight tolerances required for the glass components.

The team then had to consider the construction of a glassfloored bridge, at heights, in a remote area with a construction site inaccessible to vehicles. The closest point that delivery trucks could get was approximately one (1) km from the site with smaller four wheel drives able to get within approximately 300m of the site.

The lack of vehicular access made materials delivery challenging, prohibiting access for conventional construction equipment (cranes). Given the logistics of constructing across a natural gorge in a remote area inaccessible to vehicles, this project’s design and installation required detailed planning and ongoing consultation between the Project Team.

Numerous meetings were held as the design evolved with the key team members, including

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Photo of the Bell Huey helicopter lifting a second aluminium walkway into place for a crossing of a side gorge as part of the approach walkway.

the project manager, civil engineer, structural engineer, glass supplier and steel fabricator and later in the project with the helicopter operator to ensure a successful project outcome.

The project team had to consider innovative construction

CONFERENCE PAPER

techniques and careful materials selection to deliver a project where the individual component sizes were restricted to what could be lifted by helicopter.

So tight were the constraints that the steel fabricator was required to calculate the beams weight with all cleats, welds and the painting system to ensure that the overall beam weight remained less than the nominated lift weight limit.

A Bell UH-1 (Huey) heavy lift helicopter capable of lifting 1.5 tonnes was mobilised to lift the main components and a smaller Robinson R44 was used for lifts of up to 250kg. The smaller helicopter was utilised to mobilise the drilling equipment for the micro piles. The drilling equipment was taken apart and re-assembled on-site to keep the weight as low as possible.

The R44 was also required for delivery of the concrete for the abutments. The abutments had to be constructed before the main bridge beams being delivered to site on the main lift day so that the heaviest elements (1.5 tonne beams) could be placed in their final location.

The concrete was batched 1km from the site and delivered by the R44 helicopter using an underslung hopper. The quantities per load were limited to the weight able to be delivered by that machine. The expert pilot was able to achieve 5-minute cycles, completing a pour in approximately 1 hour.

Due to the cost of the heavy lift helicopter and its support team of approximately $50,000 per day, a carefully considered lift plan was developed in advance to ensure the time on site could

be limited to a single day. This required the components to be packed in lift size bundles then secured for flight. For management of the construction site, including handling and sequencing, the lift bundles for specific components needed to be placed on-site in a particular order.

The project team was also confronted with the safety and logistical challenge that some components were extremely heavy and not able to be installed while the helicopter was on site.

The individual glass panel weigh approximately 360 kilograms and were one of the last components to be installed.

Due to weight restrictions and the need to break the bridge build into manageable components, the project team created an assembly plan at the

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CONFERENCE PAPER

start of the design process to ensure that the project could be safely constructed on the topographically challenging site.

The assembly plan was developed in close consultation and with significant input from the glass supplier and steel fabricator. To handle and manoeuvre the heavy glass panels the construction methodology included temporary aluminium A frames supporting an aluminium I-beam assembled on site to create a girder trolley system across the top of the bridge. These lightweight elements could be managed on-site by the team working at heights with safety harnesses.

Positioning the 120kg cross members and 360kg glass panels 17m above the gorge was a key project risk. A trial build of the bridge and gantry system was completed in the workshop to confirm and refine the system before delivery to site.

The trial build was completed before painting so that any additional brackets or cleats

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could be added to assist with assembly on site. Several additional construction aids were fabricated from the lessons learned during the trial build.

All elements, including the temporary assembly frames and guides were pre-drilled and numbered so that the assembly team working in harnesses at heights had the simplest job possible.

Remarkably, not a single hole had to be redrilled on-site and all members went together as intended without any need for additional fabrication on site. The program had adopted a ten-day construction window. Due to the trial assembly and refinement of the process, the works were completed in six days.

This project could only be delivered with the exceptional commitment from all team members and the extensive planning undertaken to consider and address the site constraints and logistics of this build. TEC acknowledges its project team

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partners and their significant contribution to the success of the project.

The project was selected as Best Paper Runner UP at IPWEAQ’s Annual Conference. It is also a Queensland finalist for the 2020 Australian Engineering Excellence Award (AEEA). It has also been nominated for the Australian Glass and Window Association (AGWA) awards for 2021.

The glass floored bridge was an initiative delivered as part of the 2019 Year of the Outback initiative and has allowed the owners to boost their visitors experience and support their eco-tourism business.

With the international and interstate travel restrictions of 2020, and the additional draw card of the glass floored bridge supporting the existing award winning gorge tours experience, visitor numbers for the year have set new records though lockdowns impacted the start of the season.

CONFERENCE PAPER

MANAGING THE IMPACTS OF LARGE RESOURCE PROJECTS ON LOWER ORDER ROADS

Sean Robinson

Sean Robinson is the Manager Galilee & Bowen Basin Operations for the Isaac Regional Council, Sean recently presented at the IPWEAQ state conference on managing the impacts of large resource projects on local government roads. Sean shares the learnings from dealing with multiple largescale projects to provide insight into some key mitigation strategies As the resource industry’s development expands throughout Queensland, local governments need to have a clear understanding of the relevant legislation and appropriate application to ensure that the general rate payer is not negatively impacted. This impact can be across several key individual areas to ensure accurate assessment and mitigation. These key areas may be considered under: • Social Licence; • Reduced efficiency/safety of the surrounding transport network; • Financial.

The impact of a large resource project needs to be considered across five key factors. These

enable a local government to recover the representative costs associated with the construction and operation of a resource project because a rate payer should not be impacted. These include: • Current legislation.

• Existing funding arrangements.

• Current assessment practices.

• Whole of project impacts and risk.

• Monitoring framework.

Current Legislation The legislative framework that provides guidance on the assessment of impacts associated with resource projects is complex and spread across several pieces of legislation. These include: • State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (QLD) (SDPWO).

• Environmental Protection Act

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CONFERENCE PAPER 1994 (QLD) (EP).

• Mineral Resources Act (1989) (QLD) (MRA).

• Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Act 2014 (QLD) (MERCP).

• National Heavy Vehicle National Law 2012 (QLD).

• Local Government Act 2009 (QLD).

The SDPWO introduced several key concepts including nearby regional communities and assessing the cumulative social impact that resource projects have on communities.

The SDPWO further requires a resource project to provide a net benefit to an impacted community. When considering the impact on the transport network, it is reasonable to consider a project’s impacts on the transport network beyond a strict infrastructure impact and consider the resulting social impacts as required to be assessed under the SPDWO. From a local government perspective, projects must comply with various pieces of legislation. There is a dilemma where local governments are heavily reliant on the conditioning from the Coordinator General or Department of Environment and Science (DES) in response to any issues raised by local government in submissions made during the EIS process.

Existing Funding Arrangements Without considering project proponents’ contributions, local government has several mechanisms to receive income to provide its community’s required services. These include: • General rates • Financial assistance grants • Resource communities infrastructure fund.

However, it is noted that rates revenue derived by a local government relate to its assets as a whole, with rates applicable to resource projects considered to be cash flow associated with council’s broader assets and services supplied not specific

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or directed to that particular projects impact. While the Financial Assistance Grants include an Identified Roads Grant, the calculation is heavily based on the resident population.

For local governments where resource projects currently heavily rely on a non-resident workforce, the workforce’s associated impact traveling to and from the region is excluded from the funding allocation.

Current Assessment Practices Generally, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) Guide to Traffic Impact Assessment (GTIA) is accepted as the assessment framework for impacts associated with resource projects. This provides some risks and limitations when related to local government transport infrastructure.

The GTIA relies on assumptions that are made by the proponent or their engineering representative. These assumptions are often affected by the project’s commercial decisions and the ability to accurately predict how a project will function in future years and for some recent approvals as far as 90 years into the future.

This includes the impact of light vehicles associated with a nonresident workforce.

While the SSRC Act eliminates the opportunity for a 100% Flyin fly-out [FIFO] workforce, the workforce should be provided a choice to relocate and live in the region. When provided with genuine choice there will always be an element of non-resident workforce and the location and travel requirements/impacts for this non-resident workforce should be considered.

The GTIA is based on six fundamental principles, one of which being, no reduction in net efficiency of the network.

However, this allows for individual elements of the road and transport network to reduce inefficiency as a result of a resource project (Department of Transport and Main Roads,

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2018). This reduction in efficiency results several unintended consequences including: • Road user frustration • Road user fatigue • Delays to heavy vehicles including livestock movement.

These factors all impact the overall safe operation of the transport network. The first principle of the GTIA is that the project should not compromise the safety of the transport network.

Whole of Project Impacts and Risks To ensure the project’s impacts are identified holistically across the community, including the road and transport assets, a vital requirement is a clear understanding of what constitutes project-related traffic.

The definition adopted by Isaac Regional Council is: Project Traffic Means the aggregate of all vehicle movements on roads generated by the construction and operation of the Project, including but not limited to: a) L ight Vehicles b) H eavy Vehicles c) Vehicles for access to and from site d) W orkforce buses e) Private vehicles f) C onstruction deliveries g) M ining equipment deliveries h) H eavy wide loads i) Fuel deliveries j) H azardous materials deliveries k) S ervice vehicles, and l) OSOM Vehicles.

Works associated with impact mitigation should be considered in three areas: • Safety • Ongoing Maintenance, and • Upgrade requirements.

Where a project triggers a need to upgrade a local government’s asset, the long-term financial impact to local government should be considered, specifically depreciation.

Local governments are required to fund the depreciation of their assets. Rates and charges are

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ordinarily the primary cashgenerating unit to fund the required depreciation. On this basis, any increase in measured value of an asset following an upgrade specifically required for a project would, in the absence of another mechanism, ordinarily be required to be funded through general rates burdening all ratepayers.

An example in the Isaac Region is where the upgrade works associated with a large resource project would have resulted in a general rates increase of approximately 3% to cover the value of specific constructed works upgraded to meet the operational requirements of a resource company. The general ratepayer should not be negatively disadvantaged as a result of a large resource project and any works triggered solely to benefit that project.

It is considered reasonable to pass the financial burden of the

depreciation contribution onto the relevant resource proponent.

assessment independent of the resource proponent.

Monitoring Strategies

As a further development to improve the accuracy of the allocation and identification of cumulative project impacts, Isaac Regional Council is investigating the opportunity to establish an Intelligent Transport System through point to point vehicle monitoring.

Local governments generally undertake to monitor across their road and transport network utilising traditional tube counters.

The risk with this methodology is that it is a point in time evaluation and lacks the capacity for intensive data validation and assessment to identify specific project impacts. Isaac Regional Council is transitioning to a monitoring strategy requiring a resource proponent to install a traffic counter that may include traffic monitoring cameras on roads which are approved to use.

This is of benefit to council as footage from traffic monitoring cameras can then be relied upon to validate Project Traffic.

However, the risk remains where council is not able to access the raw data to undertake any interrogation, modelling or

Assessing Heavy Vehicle Access to Bridges

Resource proponents and local governments need to work collaboratively in ensuring all impacts are adequately assessed and mitigated. Mitigation can come from various areas which each party is responsible for including accurate asset registers and up-to-date traffic count data. It also includes the ability to reassess project impacts throughout the life of the project with realistic assumptions based on technical engineering standards.

Up to 7 CPD hours

With the ever-increasing drive to improve the productivity of our road freight network, road agencies are continually being asked to assess requests for access to their road and bridge network. Bridge access is a critical link in this productivity improvement drive but understanding how to assess access requires a level of specialist knowledge and understanding.

Contact Professional Development Manager |

Kate.O’Riordan@ipweaq.com

07 3632 6807

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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CONFERENCE PAPER

APPLYING THE LESSONS FROM DREAMWORLD TO MANAGING STRUCTURAL ASSETS

Dr Neal Lake Director of Engineering Practice, IPWEAQ

BEng(Civil)Hons, PhD(QUT), CPEng(Civil and Structural), RPEQ(Civil and Structural) Neal is the Director of Engineering Practice at the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasia (IPWEAQ). With a passion for focusing on outcomes that make a difference, Neal recently reviewed the Dreamworld Thunder Rivers Rapid Ride tragedy to understand what lessons could be learnt and applied to the field of management of civil engineering structures.

The events that unfolded at Dreamworld on 25 October 2016, where four people died while riding the Thunder Rivers Rapid Ride (TRRR), have resulted in wide-reaching ramifications for the amusement ride industry.

Whilst this tragedy was related to an amusement park ride, there are many parallels to managing civil infrastructure, particularly structural assets.

Examining the incident, the findings of the Coroner, along with the resulting industrial

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manslaughter legislation, provides an opportunity to explore these parallels. The goal is to provide insight into the potential vulnerabilities that may exist in the structural asset management industry and how a case may play out in the courts if a similar incident occurred in Queensland involving a civil engineering structure.

The incident was found to be multicausal with the primary cause related to the south pump failure due to a recurring earth fault, causing a rapid reduction in water level. This resulted in the Number 5 raft becoming stranded on the steel support rails in the unloading area.

With the conveyor mechanism continuing to operate, the Number 6 raft collided with the Number 5 raft, resulting in Number 6 raft being tripped into a vertical position and subsequently drawn into the conveyor mechanism. Two young occupants were able to free themselves, making it to safety.

Another two occupants were pulled directly into the conveyor mechanism, while two other occupants fell into the conveyor after the Velcro restraints gave way. All four ride participants suffered major crushing injuries and died at the scene.

In February 2020, the coronial inquiry found that safety systems, maintenance, inspection, training, risk assessments, lack of adherence to Australian Standards, recordkeeping, engineering qualifications and engineering oversight, were key issues that led to the tragedy. The Coroner’s summation indicated

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that it was a “systemic failure

by Dreamworld in relation to all aspects of safety”, ruling that the accident had been “only a matter of time”, and that the safety systems in place were “frighteningly unsophisticated” (Queensland Courts, 2016). In the subsequent legal action brought by the Work Health and Safety prosecutor, the board of Ardent Leisure did not dispute the facts and pleaded guilty to three breaches of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) and were fined $3.6 million, being the largest work, health and safety fine in Queensland history.

This event, along with the death of two workers at the Eagle Farm racecourse also in 2016, contributed to the subsequent passing of Queensland legislation provisions to cover industrial manslaughter offences. These provisions are targeted at senior officers where they negligently cause the death of a worker.

Companies could face penalties of up to $13m, while individuals found guilty could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment.

With the changing face of accountability and liability, it is timely to examine the ramifications of the tragedy and discuss the issues and impacts of applying the findings to the management of civil engineering structures.

Qualifications and Training The qualif ication and training of operators, inspectors and maintenance staff were found to be critical issues that led to the Dreamworld tragedy.

Operators were trained in

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a very short period, with no formal testing of competence.

New operators were involved in running rides without suff icient opportunity to read and understand the operator’s manual. Additionally, no emergency response scenarios were ever carried out for the TRRR, despite previous recommendations to do so. This therefore, did not translate into adequate training of operators and/or engineering staff.

Two critical issues emerge related to the management of structural assets: • Qualification, training and assuring the competence of inspectors • Qualification and registration of individuals providing professional engineering services The lack of engineering oversight was clear from the investigation into the Dreamworld incident and of note was a lack of oversight from engineers registered with the Board of Professional Engineers Queensland (BPEQ). The BPEQ is responsible for administering the Professional Engineers Act 2002 (Qld) (the PE Act), which defines what constitutes a professional engineering service and the responsibilities associated with conducting professional engineering services in Queensland. The PE Act states that all professional engineering services must be undertaken by, or under the direct supervision

of, a registered professional engineer of Queensland (RPEQ), who is responsible for the service and competent and registered in the relevant area of practice.

The PE Act and the accompanying code of practice highlight the critical need for RPEQs to be employed by an organisation, and/or for staff of that organisation to be under the direct supervision of an RPEQ. It points to the need to have adequate knowledge of services required to be able to engage appropriate consultants to undertake professional engineering work and have the capacity to evaluate services that appropriately consider consequences and risks associated with engineering decision making.

The attraction and retention of RPEQs is a significant challenge for many councils, particularly in rural and remote areas. However, for many councils this challenge is compounded considering the assertion from the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) that councils may be deemed to be operating in a corrupt manner by not engaging RPEQs in the delivery of professional services related to council operations.

Ensuring suitably skilled and qualified persons are engaged to conduct asset inspections also needs to be considered by road managers responsible for structural assets, particularly considering the highly variable practices around specification of relevant qualifications for

inspectors in request for quote (RFQ) documentation. As a sector it is important that we define reasonable practice, otherwise we may learn what is considered appropriate when an incident/ failure goes before the Coroner as was the case in the Dreamworld incident.

Analysing risks, controls and control effectiveness One of the critical aspects that contributed to the tragedy was the fact that a formal holistic risk assessment had never been carried out on the ride. The code of practice issued by the BPEQ regarding appropriate conduct of a RPEQ makes it clear that the role of a RPEQ is to take reasonable steps to safeguard the health, welfare and safety of the community.

This includes identifying hazards, assessing micro and macro risks and implementing appropriate controls to manage identified risks. Clearly, risk assessments should have been at the core of any professional engineering service related to the ride.

If we consider the current state of practice related to managing structural assets, key areas that need to be improved upon include: • systematically undertaking risk assessments of either individual structures or families of structures • extension of corporate risk assessments through to the more operational aspects of an organisation

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• ensuring a focus on the precautionary principles and the use of SFAIRP (So Far as is Reasonably Practical) controls, control effectiveness, risk responsibility and corporate governance over risk processes.

Adequacy of Inspections An important finding of the investigation was the assertion that visual inspections carried out upon visible parts only, is not considered a detailed visual examination and is likely to lack sufficient detail to accurately identify issues, particularly elements that are submerged.

There was also significant criticism of the focus and quality of the inspections.

There are many parallels to the inspection of structural assets.

Key practices that need to be considered include: • ensuring underwater inspections are carried out at a suitable interval and that there is a policy regarding inspection of difficult to access components and the timeframes between inspections • the use of “at arm’s length” inspection practices. Most state road authority Level 2 structures inspections manuals require this, however current practice has been largely driven by cost and leaving access provisions to providers who are compromised by the need to be competitive. This is resulting in on foot inspections, reporting

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of uninspected elements without addressing a way and need to inspect all elements.

• Pre-planning of inspections need to be considered to ensure appropriate access to all elements is possible, particularly related to debris removal.

• Safety on-site is often an issue.

Consideration needs to be given to ensuring inspectors are not on site alone and that access methods are safe.

At the heart of all these issues is the need for the asset owner to drive the requirements of inspections including appropriate access methods, inspection methods and safety on-site using appropriate RFQ contract requirements. Consideration needs to be given to focusing on outcomes rather than focusing on contractually transferring risk.

The Dreamworld incident makes it clear that the outsourcing of risk to third party certifiers was not a viable strategy to release Ardent Leisure’s duty of care.

Recordkeeping and Demonstrating Due Diligence At the heart of the tragedy was a company-wide issue of poor record-keeping practices that ultimately meant that critical historic issues were not considered during later inspections, audits and decision making. Significant events in 2001 and 2004 foreshadowed the ultimate tragedy in 2016.

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The historic performance of a structure, the maintenance regimes, and the decisions made during the life of a structure are all critical inputs into safe and cost-effective decision making. In the recent decade, there has been a concerted effort to improve inspection practices and collection of important condition data related to structures, however, more work is needed to ensure that this data is effectively collated.

Coupling this with maintenance records, expenditure data and risk assessments, is important to ensure that this data is comprehensively available at the point of decision making.

These decisions also need to be recorded to ensure structures managers can demonstrate due diligence and the efficient management of structural assets.

Organisational Culture and Decision Making Nearly all the issues identified in the Coroner’s report can ultimately be reduced to issues of culture. The Coroner found that “Whilst the evidence of each of these staff members shows that they performed their roles to the best of their abilities, it is clear that there was a broader systemic problem with the lack of qualified oversight of the procedures and practices in place by management’, (Queensland Courts, 2016).

Company cultural issues around training, recordkeeping, siloed departments, communication, use of low-cost providers, unqualified personnel, uncomprehensive engineering services, selection of low-cost options and complacency, were all prevalent in the circumstances that led to the incident.

The tragedy at Dreamworld coupled with an incident at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane around the same time, led to the introduction of Industrial Manslaughter Laws in Queensland in 2020 which hold senior officials of an organisation personally liable in situations where it can be proven they have operated in a negligent way

CONFERENCE PAPER leading to the death of a worker.

These laws were specifically introduced to address the issue of organisational culture and how it affects appropriate decision making. It is argued that only senior management has the power to influence culture and it is their job to ensure appropriate governance over the actions and decision-making processes used within an organisation. In the light of the other issues identified in this paper, it will be important for councils to address many of the exposures currently evident in typical practice. Some may argue that some practices are fairly typical for councils and road managers, however in the event of legal proceedings, the courts will execute a case using the precautionary approach, testing whether all reasonable steps were taken to avoid damage to people (R2A, 2017). Using this approach, the typical legal test is, what would a reasonable person do or expect from an organisation providing services.

Where to next?

What is clear from the preceding discussion is that there are clear parallels between the tragedy that unfolded at Dreamworld and the potential for similar issues to be realised in the event of a

failure of a structural asset. The discussion highlighted several critical issues that represent a high level of exposure for road managers with the potential of not being able to demonstrate due diligence in the operation and maintenance of structural assets. These include: • Adequate inspection and training • Appropriate qualifications and assurance of competence • Adequate identification and management of risk • Development of appropriate organisational culture that supports open and transparent decision making.

The IPWEAQ would welcome the opportunity to engage with our members to facilitate discussions around how to respond to the issues raised in this article. If you’re interested in contributing to these discussions, please contact, Neal Lake, Director of Engineering Practice (IPWEAQ), neal.lake@ipweaq.com

The issues raised in this paper are complicated and ideally should be considered as an industry. If we can respond as an industry it will provide more weight and certainty to defining reasonable practice that can be pointed to in situations where incidents have occurred. More importantly, discussing and defining reasonable practice can provide a solid basis for educating new staff appointed to roles involving the management of structural assets.

The starting point, however, is engaging in discussion regarding current practice, potential exposures and ways to respond.

Professional Engineers Act 2002, (Qld), https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/ html/2014-11-10/act-2002-054.

Understanding and Diagnosing Bridge Defects

References AS 3533.1-2009 AMDT 1, Amusement Rides and Devices - Operation and Maintenance, Standards Australia.

Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland, 2013, Code of Practice for Registered Professional Engineers, https://www.bpeq.qld.gov.au/resources/ code-of-practice/.

Queensland Courts, (2016). Inquest into the death of Kate Louise GOODCHILD, Luke Jonathan DORSETT, Cindy Toni LOW, & Roozbeh ARAGHI, (File No. 2016/4486, 2016/4485, 2016/4480, 2016/4482), https://www. courts.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/ pdf_file/0004/641830/10545784-finaldreamworld-draft-6-for-upload.pdf.

Robinson, R., Francis G. & Proctor T., 2017, Engineering Due Diligence, 10 ed., R2A Due Diligence Engineers, ISBN 978-0-9875016-1-5., Melbourne, Victoria.

Up to 7 CPD hours

A key task of the bridge manager is to ensure the ongoing integrity of assets by undertaking appropriate inspections at regular intervals. These inspections are used to identify emerging or progressed defects that may affect the safety risk or asset integrity risk of structures on the network. While defects often present in obvious ways, this is not always the case, and the causes are not always as obvious.

Contact Professional Development Manager |

Kate.O’Riordan@ipweaq.com

07 3632 6807

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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LAWFUL POINT OF DISCHARGE

Alesia Shard and Sarah Hausler

Alesia is a governance, planning and environment lawyer at McCullough Robertson, focussing on planning and environment litigation and infrastructure and governance advisory.

Sarah is a Partner in the Planning and Environment team at McCullough Robertson and carried out the legal review for the current version of QUDM. Sarah is also a member of the IPWEAQ Board.

Alesia and Sarah recently provided a presentation at the annual IPWEAQ Conference on the lawful point of discharge ‘test’. They consider the lawful point of discharge ‘test’ and share some case studies and lessons learnt.

Case studies and learnings 1. How stormwater from a proposed development is dealt with is often a contentious issue, given the potential for adverse impacts if an appropriate arrangement is not implemented. Given this, Councils and the Planning and Environment Court (Court) are often called upon to resolve disputes about the discharge of stormwater from a development. Disputes between neighbours or about Council infrastructure can take up substantial Council resources.

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2. The Court may be required to consider such issues in the context of an appeal about a proposed development, or declaratory or enforcement proceedings about existing development where the stormwater arrangements have been changed or were not adequately addressed and subsequently cause damage.

3. This article considers the lawful point of discharge ‘test’ before providing some case studies.

The lawful point of discharge test 4. The term ‘lawful point of discharge’ has no prescribed legal meaning. Its commonly understood meaning is often informed by the test under the Queensland Urban Drainage Manual (QUDM) to determine whether a particular discharge location is ‘lawful’.

5. The QUDM establishes a three-tiered test to determine a lawful point of discharge, which reflects the common law position. The lawful point of discharge test focuses on whether the new discharge requires consent of the downstream landowner. This is determined by whether the development alters the characteristics of the stormwater in such a way as to cause damage or a nuisance to third party property.

6. Discharge to an adjoining property is lawful provided, amongst other things, it does not result in nuisance.

7. In addition to the lawful point of discharge test, any works or change to stormwater infrastructure must comply with other laws such as any applicable development approvals and easements.

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8. T he three-tiered test for determining the lawful point of discharge is: Step 1: Will the proposed development alter the site’s stormwater discharge characteristics in a manner that may substantially damage a third party property?

Step 2: Is the discharge to land owned by the State or local government?

Step 3: An authority to discharge over the affected properties will be necessary.

9. If the answer to Step 1 is no, then no further steps are required to obtain tenure for a lawful point of discharge.

Similarly, if the answer to Step 2 is yes, no further steps are required. An authority to discharge under Step 3 may be in the form of the dedication of a drainage reserve or park, the registration of an easement for stormwater discharge/works or written discharge approval from the landowner.

Changes to stormwater discharge characteristics 10. Changes to stormwater discharge characteristics that may give rise to legal issues include: a) t he diversion stormwater; b) t he concentration of stormwater flows; c) changes to other flow characteristics such as frequency, duration, velocity, volume or quality of regular flows; and d) a dverse impacts on the future use or value of land.

11. Any change in the stormwater discharge characteristics must be such that it may substantially damage a third party property, i.e, cause a nuisance.

CONFERENCE PAPER 12. A private nuisance is a substantial and unreasonable interference with the private right to the use and enjoyment of land. To establish a cause of action in nuisance, the plaintiff must demonstrate the interference was both substantial and unreasonable and caused quantifiable damage to the plaintiff. Mere annoyance is not sufficient. It is not necessary to show that the defendant’s actions were intentional or negligent.

13. The potential for nuisance is very site-specific. There are a number of situations in which scour or erosion may cause damage to a person or their property including: a) the movement of watercourses ‘taking’ land from landowners; b) gardens, landscaping or productive agricultural land close to or in the riparian areas being disturbed or destroyed; or c) structures close to watercourses being undercut or damaged (likely smaller structures like sheds or fencing).

Case study 1 – Marino & Ors v Southern Downs Regional Council & Anor JVY Pty Ltd (JVY) lodged a development application for a retirement facility out at Stanthorpe. The application was supported by a stormwater management plan (Stormwater Management Plan) which proposed to capture and manage both the external catchment flows and site-generated runoff internally before discharging onto the Marino’s land (Marino’s Land).

14. Council approved the development application, however, the stormwater management plan was not included as an approved document. Rather, the development approval included a condition (Condition) which effectively required a stormwater system

servicing the development to be constructed and stormwater disposed of to a lawful point of discharge in accordance with the QUDM. The Condition gave legal effect to QUDM, which is otherwise a non-binding guideline.

16. The Marino’s, onto whose land the stormwater was proposed to be discharged, appealed against council’s approval of the development application. The Marino’s primary argument was that the approved plans conflicted with the Condition because the proposed stormwater arrangements would have an unacceptable impact on the Marino’s Land and therefore no lawful point of discharge could be established.

17. When a development application is appealed to the Planning and Environment Court, it is common practice to engage a new expert team who was not involved in the development application process to provide an independent and fresh view on the proposal.

18. JVY’s expert hydrologist undertook an initial peer review of the Stormwater Management Plan and then carried out additional modelling for the development. This work assisted the parties in understanding the concerns, flow scenarios and risks of the proposed development.

19. JVY’s hydrology expert devised an alternative stormwater proposal (Alternative Proposal) that would collect the majority of roof-water, a portion of the site surface runoff from the development and a portion of the external catchment runoff and discharge it to land to the south, which was used as an orchard (Southern Land).

The owner of the Southern Land was happy to receive the additional water to use for

his orchard and ultimately a discharge easement would be obtained over the Southern Land.

20. The remainder of the roofwater, site runoff and external catchment flows were to be captured and either stored on-site for internal re-use or discharged to the Marino’s Land.

21. The Alternative Proposal was presented to the Marino’s and council at a without prejudice conference and was then considered by each of the parties’ stormwater experts in two joint expert reports.

22. In the first report, the experts agreed the Alternative Proposal demonstrated that an engineering solution could be achieved for the selection of events that were modelled, however the Marino’s engineer and the council’s engineer considered that a broader range of design events should be modelled.

23. Additional modelling to reflect all design events (Additional Modelling) was prepared and considered in a supplementary joint expert report prepared by all parties’ stormwater experts.

The experts agreed that the Alternative Proposal would not cause substantial damage to the Marino’s Land and therefore complied with the QUDM. 24. The Court ultimately issued a development permit for the amended proposal.

25. In our experience, this level of detail is not usually required at the MCU stage of the application process but the Additional Modelling assisted in resolving the appeal.

26. Ultimately, issues with the original stormwater arrangements would have become apparent at some stage. However, by bringing the issue forward and dealing with it at the material change

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CONFERENCE PAPER of use stage (compared to the operational works stage), it avoided the need to change the development approval down the track and streamlined the subsequent approval of an operational works application.

Case study 2: 27. A culvert (Culvert) had been constructed under a road (Road), prior to the area being developed for rural residential purposes.

28. The Road was a rural road and there was no kerb and channel. The Road was steep and stormwater flowed along the Road via a natural waterway (Waterway) that ran parallel to the Road. The overland flow passed under the Road via the Culvert, discharging back into the Waterway on the other side of the Road. The discharge point of the Culvert (and therefore that part of the Waterway) was located in private property.

29. The steepness of the Road increased the velocity of the overland flow as it flowed down the Road and discharged into the Waterway.

There was engineering analysis that confirmed that the Culvert did not materially alter the characteristics of the overland flow in any way. It simply enabled the overland flow to continue flowing in the Waterway under the Road.

30. Over time however, the stormwater discharge begun to cause the banks of the Waterway located in the private property to erode.

31. The Waterway was properly characterised as a ‘drainage feature’ under the Water Act 2000 (Water Act). This was primarily because: a) it was not mapped on any watercourse identification map under the Water Act (although this is not necessarily determinative);

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b) there was no riparian zone along any part of the Waterway, and vegetation along the banks of the Waterway was the same as that in the surrounding area; c) any flow of water in the Waterway was a direct result of rainfall, and was infrequent and short.

32. As a drainage feature that part of the Waterway located on the private property belonged to the owner of the private property. If the Waterway had instead been characterised as a watercourse, then the property rights to the underlying land would have been held by the State.

33. Despite the status of the Waterway as being located on private land, no lawful point of discharge approval was required because the Culvert had not altered the stormwater characteristics of the area and the erosion was the natural and ordinary course of the overland flow travelling down the Road.

Case study 3: 34. Similar to our previous example, a culvert (Culvert) had been constructed under a road (Road) prior to the development of the area for residential purposes. When the area was developed for residential purposes, the Road did not have any kerb and channel. Rather, overland flow from both ends of the Road flowed to a low point in the Road, and into a privately owned parcel of land (Land).

35. After the Land was developed and a dwelling constructed on the Land, kerb and channel was constructed along the higher side of the road (Higher Kerb and Channel Works). An inlet pit was also installed along the higher side of the Road (Inlet Pit), which connected to the Culvert and discharged to the Land.

36. Later, kerb and channel were also constructed along the

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lower side of the Road (Lower Kerb and Channel Works), including the installation of another inlet pit which also connected to the Culvert and discharged to the Land (Lower Inlet Pit).

37. While the Land always experienced some level of overland flow, both the Higher Kerb and Channel Works and the Lower Kerb and Channel Works increased the volume of stormwater travelling through the Culvert and discharging onto the Land.

38. T his increase in stormwater discharge caused the Land to flood in a way that affected the useability of the Land and consequently the value of the Land.

39. In these circumstances, the Culvert was originally a lawful point of discharge, however the Higher Kerb and Channel Works altered the stormwater characteristics for the Land, resulting in damage to the Land that constituted a nuisance. The Culvert therefore was no longer a lawful point of discharge, and the consent of the owner of the Land should have been obtained prior to the works being undertaken. The Lower Kerb and Channel works exacerbated the damage and the nuisance.

CONFERENCE PAPER

MANAGING CYBER SECURITY RISKS by foreign state-sponsored hackers and criminals targeting Australian Government entities.

Security of critical water infrastructure

David Toma

David Toma is a Senior Director at the Queensland Audit Office (QAO). He recently provided a keynote presentation at the annual IPWEAQ Conference on managing cyber security risks. He shares some lessons from QAO’s audits of cyber security relevant to entities responsible for protecting critical infrastructure assets.

Protecting critical infrastructure assets with secure systems is critical to our state’s economic and security interests. There is increasing pressure on those charged with governance to understand their risks and know if their businesses are doing enough.

QAO has conducted three audits that included authorised simulated attacks on audited entities’ systems. The aim was to identify and share learnings on how entities could improve the protection of their critical systems and data. The reports to parliament on the results of our audits parliament include: Managing cyber security risks (report no. 3 2019-20)— we examined whether entities effectively manage their cyber security risks. We did this at a time when media reports showed an alarming trend of growing cyber security attacks and corporate espionage

(report no. 19 2016-17)— we assessed the ability of the entities to respond to, and fully recover from, security breaches relating to water control systems. We performed this audit ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games to give entities time to address any security issues.

Traffic management systems (report no. 5 2013-14)— we assessed whether the systems used to operate and manage traffic control infrastructure were secure and cost-effective. We performed this audit ahead of the G20 meeting in Brisbane to give entities time to address any security issues.

What’s occurring Security organisations have observed a significant increase in attacks by criminal hackers attempting to take advantage of the extraordinary circumstances the COVID-19 crisis presents.

They have observed an increase in scams and phishing attempts related to COVID-19. Phishing is a fraudulent scamming attempt to obtain sensitive information from an end-user (username, passwords, and credit card information). For example, by asking a user to click on a link that results in malicious software being installed.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre, in its 2020 threat report, stated that Australia’s critical infrastructure sectors, including electricity, water, health, communications and education represented around 35 percent of the cyber security incidents it responded to.

The Australian newspaper reported on 27 November 2020: ‘The Australian can reveal two new cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, including a regional Queensland water provider that repelled an intrusion that could have inflicted a catastrophic impact­ across water supplies and farms.

If the attack had been successful, the impact on water quality would have affected human and livestock consumption and dispersed chemicals into crops.’

An attack that compromises an entities’ security can affect not only the security of corporate and personal information it can also affect the continuity of government services to the community. For example, a successful cyber attack on: • traffic systems could result in reduced road safety and road network capacity, traffic disruption which results in economic loss and lost productivity, public inconvenience, or the ability of emergency services to respond to an emergency • water systems could affect citizens’ health, the environment, and business that rely on water control systems.

In 2000, a security breach caused sewage overflow in a local council. This incident was an act of revenge from a contractor who implemented the system. He changed the system control remotely causing approximately 800,000 litres of raw sewage to overflow into local rivers and parks.

QAO found through all three of its audits that entities need to do significant work to improve the strength of their information and cyber security.

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CONFERENCE PAPER

Several issues can make it easier for cyber attackers to compromise an entities’ ICT environments and gain access to sensitive or non-public data or compromise the availability of critical infrastructure assets. This includes: • poor physical security • poor password practices • known password breaches • multi-factor authentication not used on external-facing services or to authenticate sensitive internal servers • administrators using their accounts for business-as-usual activities • networks not being segmented, which allows attackers to move laterally across an entity’s network • outdated systems with known vulnerabilities (for example, Windows XP) • descriptive subdomains that indicate services the entity uses or an environment that is not well secured (like development and test environments) • insecure encryption channels for online applications.

In the following sections, I provide some thoughts on some of these key risk areas.

Physical security Entities need more than technical security controls to protect their data from cyber security risks.

In all three audits we exposed weaknesses in physical security controls. In our most recent report we stated: ‘At one of the three entities we audited, our security consultants gained initial access to the network through poor physical security controls.

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Our security consultants were not prompted for identification at any point when accessing facilities. It was possible to walk from the lifts, past the reception desk, and tailgate employees into the entity’s offices. Upon accessing the office, our consultants could sit down at employee desks and connect a malicious device to the network.

This facilitated direct access to the entity’s internal assets and increased the available ways to target the entity.’

Protecting data from cyber security risks requires all staff in an entity to be aware of the threat of someone following them into their office area.

Once someone has gained physical access to an entity’s premises, they can connect their own devices to the network, capture user log on details and/ or download advanced security tools, which they can use to access cleartext passwords of user accounts. They could then use those credentials to access sensitive systems and data.

So how can entities address this threat? Here are some thoughts: • Ensure that physical security controls are addressed in a cyber security framework.

The framework should set the overall objectives for managing cyber security and reference the control standards the entity will apply to protect its data and systems. Alongside network security and other technical controls, entities should also have standards for managing physical access to their site(s) and systems.

• Include physical security in security tests. For example, a red team engagement tries to find the quickest method to access an entity’s security mechanisms and compromise its sensitive applications and data. Doing so, considers the target and resources available, and may attempt social engineering, physical entry, and data exploitation.

• Educate and increase staff

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awareness of the risks of physical security compromises, and what they should do if they suspect someone has obtained or tried to obtain unauthorised physical access to their site.

Poor physical security can be the weak link in an entity’s line of defence against cyber threats. A breach in physical security can start a chain of events that results in data theft, data manipulation and severe effects on reputation.

Entities should take this risk seriously and include it as part of their cyber security program.

Password controls Entities should ensure they make their staff aware of their responsibilities in managing cyber risks. Poor password practices unnecessarily expose entities to attack. Easily guessable passwords such as ‘welcome’, ‘password’, and ‘newuser’ make it simpler for hackers to compromise user accounts and use these accounts to gain control over an entities’ networks.

At one entity, our consultants were able to crack and recover clear text passwords for over 6,000 user accounts. They cracked the majority of these in about three minutes.

Our consultants also found over 500 user accounts, associated with three entities’ email addresses to have passwords that have been compromised and disclosed in multiple data breaches that are publicly available. These passwords were associated with services such as Adobe, Dropbox, LinkedIn, and MySpace (and other unattributed breaches).

These user account and password leaks do not indicate the entities’ accounts were, or could be, breached. However, a persistent attacker could find valid passwords that the entities’ users reuse across multiple accounts. Suppose users use their corporate email address on online services and have the same password as they do

CONFERENCE PAPER

on their corporate network. In that case, an attacker could use breached user accounts and passwords (which are publicly available on several sites) to access an entity’s network.

Entities should make their staff aware of the risk they create for their entities when using the same user account and passwords on multiple online services.

Multi-factor authentication Among many other things, COVID-19 has brought about a fundamental change in how we work. Working from home brings the obvious challenges of untrusted networks and insecure residential environments.

To support employees to work from home securely, entities should ensure they enable multifactor authentication to prevent users from remotely logging into an entity’s internal network without requiring two-factor authentication (for example, a username and password, plus a code sent to a mobile phone).

This makes it much harder for cyber criminals to compromise sensitive information and systems.

Our consultants found users

could remotely gain access to the entity’s internal network without two-factor authentication for one of the entities we audited.

Our consultants found staff and administrators were allowed access to sensitive internal servers for two of the three entities without having to supply multi-factor authentication.

The combination of easily guessable passwords and the lack of two-factor authentication for: • external-facing services (such as a website that enables a user to log in to an entity’s service) could enable an attacker to gain access to the entity’s network through password guessing • internal services could enable an attacker to gain access to a valid, highly privileged username and password to use those login credentials to gain access to sensitive internal network servers.

Outdated systems Entities using systems running outdated applications and operating systems that have not been supported by vendors in several years have an increased risk exposure because security vulnerabilities are likely to exist

and unlikely to be fixed by vendors.

For example, Windows XP and Server 2003 has not been supported by the vendor for several years. This infrastructure has several known critical vulnerabilities that allow unauthenticated users to execute arbitrary code remotely, grant full system access, and further attack internal services from trusted locations. This malicious code is publicly available and distributed as default packages within commonly used hacking tools.

Microsoft ended support for Windows 2003 on 14 July 2015 and Windows XP on 8 April 2014. Software and operating systems that are out of support will no longer routinely receive new security patches. As a result, security vulnerabilities are likely to be present and unlikely to be fixed by vendors.

Further information To hear more about our insights, wider learnings and tips refer to: www.qao.qld.gov.au/blog www.qao.qld.gov.au/ reports-parliament Follow Queensland Audit Office on LinkedIn.

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LEGAL

KEEP IT OPEN! NEW REGULATIONS FOR CLOSING COUNCIL MEETINGS HAVE COMMENCED On 12 October 2020, new regulations under the Local Government Act 2009 (Qld) (LGA) and the City of Brisbane Act 2010 (Qld) (CoB Act) commenced. The Local Government Legislation (Integrity) Amendment Regulation 2020 (the New Regulation) makes various amendments in line with the changes to the LGA also commenced on 12 October 2020.

Of particular note, the New Regulation includes changes to the management of council meetings and restricts the ability of a council to close meetings to the public. Currently, a local government meeting or committee meeting may close (by resolution) to discuss: a) the appointment, dismissal, or discipline of employees; b) industrial matters affecting employees; c) the local government’s budget; d) rating concessions; e) contracts proposed to be made by it; f) starting or defending legal proceedings involving the local government; g) any action to be taken by the local government under the Planning Act, including deciding applications made to it under that Act; or h) other business for which a public discussion would be likely to prejudice the interests of the local government or

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someone else or enable a person to gain a financial advantage.

Under the New Regulation, paragraphs (a) to (d) above remain the same, but: • t he ability to close to discuss legal matters has been clarified to include ‘legal advice obtained by the local government or legal proceedings involving the local government including, for example, legal proceedings that may be taken by or against the local government’; • t he broad power to close to consider ‘contracts proposed or made by’ the local government has been narrowed to ‘negotiations relating to a commercial matter involving the local government for which a public discussion would be likely to prejudice the interests of the local government.’ This is a significant narrowing and would seem to only include the final step of contract negotiation, not (for example) consideration of tender applications prior to contractual negotiations; •a new ground to close, ‘matters that may directly affect the health and safety of an individual or a group of individuals’ have been introduced; and • t he ground to close to consider any action taken by the local government under the Planning Act has been removed completely, but a new ground to close a meeting for negotiations relating to the taking of land by the local government under

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the Acquisition of Land Act has been included.

The changes introduced by the New Regulation also provide for additional requirements to the way council must handle meeting agendas and associated reports. This includes: • r equirements for agendas and associated reports to be published on council’s website by 5pm on the day following the day it is made available to councillors; and • t he publication of reports on council’s website as soon as practicable after they are made available to councillors during the relevant period for the meeting.

The key test for determining whether a report is subject to public disclosure is one of confidentiality, specifically, whether or not information in the report is confidential information. This is one issue our Council clients are currently working through from a policy perspective, given most tender processes involve some level of disclosure of information which would be regarded, if not more, at the very least ‘commercially sensitive’.

It remains the case under the New Regulation, that the decisions made during Council meetings must be justified in meeting minutes where they are contrary to what was recommended by an adviser of the council (e.g. an employee) when concerning:

LEGAL •e ntering into a contract with a value exceeding $200,000 (excl.

GST); or •d eviating from a policy or standard approach of the council in handling the matter.

This provision is likely to become a more prevalent one, given the greater transparency now generally required around tender deliberations.

Councils we are working with are balancing some competing concerns, including the need to obtain critical information from tenderers to properly evaluate proposals and also the inherent concerns (competition law, privacy, intellectual property, etc.) which are associated with a more transparent model.

As such, we are currently advising a number of councils on the impacts of this New Regulation,

including:

Key Contacts:

a) proving guidance on the nature of the changes and legal issues; b) assisting councils with legal review and commentary on their policies and procedures and potential amendments to those in light of the New Regulation; c) advising on broader disclosure issues: such as confidentiality, intellectual property, probity and competition concerns; and

Michael Rochester Partner McCullough Robertson mrochester@mccullough.com.au 07 3233 8643

d) conducting training and workshopping sessions with councils.

The intention of the New Regulation to reduce the grounds for closing meetings to promote transparency is clear, but the implications in practice will be interesting to see.

Joseph Jones Senior Associate McCullough Robertson jjones@mccullough.com.au 07 3233 8652

IPWEAQ Knowledge Centre The IPWEAQ Knowledge Centre is a vital resource for anyone working in the public works sector in Queensland.

The Centre is fully searchable by title, speaker/author, subject, keyword, event or date. Resources available in the Knowledge Centre include: 1. Podcasts of state and branch conferences (accessible only to paid conference delegates or conference proceedings subscribers). The podcasts are accompanied by the presenters’

PowerPoint presentation so you can follow the presentation while listening to the podcast.

2. Podcasts with accompanying video of all other IPWEAQ events 3. Papers submitted for the Annual state and branch conferences 4. Articles published in our quarterly e-journal, Engineering for Public Works 5. Articles of relevance to Queensland practitioners sourced by our Information Resources Manager from other states/territories and internationally.

6. IPWEAQ technical publications including Standard Drawings (accessible only to subscribers) 7. Podcasts of interviews of delegates taken at state and branch conferences 8.

Photos of delegates taken at state and branch conferences Note: some sections in the Knowledge Centre are restricted.

PW-TV is accessible to members and paid subscribers. Conference Proceedings are accessible to delegates and subscribers. Technical publications are accessible to subscribers.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

CQ BRANCH PRESIDENT’S REPORT Celisa Faulkner, Branch President Manager Asset Planning, Gladstone Regional Council

Well that is it for another year and one that will be remembered for the challenges it presented to us in local government including cordoning off our public spaces and managing teams remotely.

And while we were forced to cancel our CQ Branch conference in Maryborough earlier this year, the IPWEAQ Annual Conference rolled into November and against all odds, delivered an exceptional event.

440 people were in attendance at the gala awards ceremony and dinner to witness the presentation of awards for excellence with four recipients from CQ including: • Central Highlands Regional Council – winner, Innovation award for the Emerald Airport Runway Rehabilitation and Overlay Project • Isaac Regional Council – joint winner, Environment & Sustainability for their Water & Waste Directorate IMS • Remote Area Planning and Development Water and Sewerage Alliance (RAPADWSA), joint winner, Environment & Sustainability for RAPADWSA Sewerage Treatment Plant Regulatory Investigation Project • Central Highlands Regional Council, Highly Commended, Projects under $1 million for the Nogoa River Trail.

Please take a moment to review the projects and people

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Martin Crow, Manager Infrastructure Planning, Rockhampton Regional Council with Scott McDonald, Manager Asset Design, Gladstone Regional Council.

nominated, and winners, in the 2020 Commemorative Book And congratulations to all nominees representing CQ – we hope to see more CQ projects featured in next year’s awards program.

Trevor Dean, Executive Manager Engineering & Technical Services, Fraser Coast council, IPWEAQ Board member and CQ Branch committee member, joined the negative (and winning) team for this year’s Great Debate to dispel the myth that engineers are introverts and disconnected from the world around them.

The Debate was livestreamed and is available in the IPWEAQ Knowledge Centre. Be sure to check it out!

Conference delegates can now access the Conference Proceedings in the Knowledge Centre which includes the audio/visual recording, the PPT presentation and conference paper (if supplied) of all keynote and plenary presentations, all presentations delivered across all four streams (including the three streams you couldn’t attend), the Great Debate, Futures Challenge and panel session plus photographic evidence

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

Trevor Dean in the 2020 Great Debate arguing that engineers are not introverts and are not disconnected.

of the great time we all had at #IPWEAQ20.

If you were unable to attend, you can still participate belatedly by subscribing to the Conference Proceedings [link inserted] which offers 22.5 CPD hours at just $26 per hour for members ($40 per hour for non-members)

IPWEAQ UPDATES

Chris Whittaker receives his prize from Huesker Australia.

Sean Robinson, Isaac Regional Council presenting at #IPWEAQ20.

Presentations from CQ Branch at #IPWEAQ20 • Scott Cramer, Mackay Regional Council| James Esson, Assetic Transforming business operations: Implementing an efficient mobile solution at Mackay Regional Council

CQ Ambassador, Ben Ash presenting the award for Innovation & Sustainability in Water to Logan Water.

• Sean Robinson, Isaac Regional Council Managing the impact of large resource projects on remote local government transport infrastructure • Chris Campbell, Central Highlands Regional Council From Data to Information to Decision-Making • Darren Shepherd, Shepherd | Carmen Smith, Gladstone Regional Council Gladstone Regional Council Gets Mobile with Online Works Program

Corporate Partner, George Bourne & Associates at #IPWEAQ20.

Next up, Christmas in less than 20 days, the President’s Breakfast (join via livestream) 5 February, and then we reconvene in Maryborough 20-21 April for the CQ Branch Conference. The Call for Papers will be released early in 2021 so please submit your projects, successes and failures so we can all learn for all our experiences.

Thanks to you all for supporting IPWEAQ and your CQ branch over the past year. Have a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to seeing you in person or via live streaming for the President’s Breakfast in February to kick off another successful year.

Branch Conference MARYBOROUGH 20-21 APRIL 2021

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

NQ BRANCH PRESIDENT’S REPORT Glenda Kirk, NQ Branch President Director Infrastructure Services, Mareeba Shire Council

It was great to see so many NQ Branch members in Brisbane for the 2020 IPWEAQ Annual Conference with delegates in attendance from the following councils: Townsville City Council, Whitsunday Regional Council, Charters Towers Regional Council, Cairns Regional Council, Flinders Shire Council, Douglas Shire Council, Burdekin Shire Council and Mareeba Shire Council. NQ firms represented include Trinity Engineering & Consulting, St George Project Services, Brad Finegan & Associates, all.PM plus TMR and the FNQROC. On behalf of Mareeba Shire Council, I was delighted to accept the 2020 Asset Management excellence award for our project, Bridging the Gap between Engineering and Accounting.

I encourage you to consider submitting awards for 2021 as it is an excellent platform for showcasing the great work we do in the north. All nominees are featured in the Commemorative Book.

Congratulations to Paul Steele, Partner, Trinity Engineering & Consulting who was runnerup for the Best Paper award (by a mere 0.05%) for the impressive Cobbold Gorge glass bridge project. Paul’s presentation is available online

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2020 Excellence Awards dinner/ceremony.

Sponsor of the Asset Management award, Stephen Hegedus from SHEPHERD presenting the award to Mareeba Shire Council.

The accompanying PowerPoint presentation is also available in the Conference Proceedings.

If you were unable to attend #IPWEAQ20, 22.5 CPD hours are available by subscribing to the Conference Proceedings For delegates, access is available now in the Knowledge Centre including access to the presentations for the three streams you were unable to attend in person.

Some of our NQ projects and past winners of an excellence award, are also featured in the inaugural Every Community Needs an Engineer calendar including:

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June: Whitsunday Regional Council & Mackay Regional Council, Mirani Water Recycling Facility/Bowen Sewage Treatment Plant October: Cairns Regional Council, Shields Street Heart December: Department of Transport and Main Roads, Beames Brook Bridge, Burketown Please be sure to print each month of the calendar and hang it on a wall in a public space in your council or organisation to draw attention to the role of public works engineers in our communities.

IPWEAQ UPDATES

NQ Ambassador, Josh Flanders arguing that engineers are introverts and disconnected from the world around them.

NQ Branch Vice President, Natasha Murray.

Women in Public Works Engineering Breakfast/Workshop.

The first IPWEAQ event for 2020 is the President’s Breakfast, Friday 5 February, 7am to 9am. Mackay Regional Council arranged a satellite breakfast to watch this livestreamed event last year and we would like to see more NQ Branch councils and organisations participating in 2021. It’s a great way to stay connected, listen to great presentations and enjoy breakfast with colleagues. If you would like to participate, please contact Monica Robertson Thank you to all our members, Partners and sponsors for contributing to our ongoing growth and successes, and to the wider public works sector for being a part of our community.

Best wishes to you and your family for a healthy and COVIDfree 2021. And please also stay safe on our roads this Christmas.

Paul Steele, runner-up Best Paper award.

Branch Conference TOWNSVILLE 17-18 JUNE 2021 Mitchell Redenbach, Water Modelling Solutions presenting at #IPWEAQ20.

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

SEQ BRANCH PRESIDENT’S REPORT Raad Jarjees, Branch President Technical Lead – Infrastructure, Cardno

The SEQ Branch ended the year with a Christmas function in the Engine Room at IPWEAQ’s new facilities in Eagle Farm with the prize for the best Christmas outfit going to Craig Murrell. Thanks to everyone who joined us!

We were also fortunate that we were able to gather for the Annual Conference last month and it was clear from the level of excitement (even for engineers) that everyone was pleased to have the opportunity to catch up once again. It was great to learn how well our community had adapted to the challenging times and how we overcame the many obstacles.

As a war veteran, I saw some similarities with everyone pushed to the next level of performance and achieving the desired outcomes to keep people safe.

Once again, the Annual Conference was a very well organised event with high quality papers, a holistic program (not just the ‘technical’) and excellent speakers. Thank you to the IPWEAQ CEO, staff and everyone involved for their extraordinary efforts at this extraordinary time.

The excellence awards celebrated our sector further with a number of awards presented to SEQ Branch councils and organisations including Project of the Year for the Sunshine Coast Council’s airport expansion project. This was a complex project with an array of environmental considerations.

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2020 Excellence Awards dinner/ceremony.

2020 Excellence Awards dinner/ceremony with Chi-Kin Yip, Kathi Jeyandran and Larry Griffiths.

City of Gold Coast won the inaugural Coastal Engineering award for the Palm Beach shoreline project, designed to protect one of our most vulnerable beaches and included an artificial reef.

The City of Gold Coast also took home two of the major people awards: Woman in Engineering was presented to Tiffany Parker, Senior Structural Engineer, and Dean Ostrofski, Executive Coordinator Drafting Services, Infrastructure Delivery, Transport

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

and Infrastructure at City of Gold Coast was awarded the prestigious President’s Award for his contributions to the Standard Drawings Working Group over a significant period.

Not long into the new year, the SEQ Branch will host its first branch conference since 2017 where we expect to learn more about the adaptability, sustainability, resilience and agility of our sector. The Call for Papers closes Friday 11 December so please make your

IPWEAQ UPDATES

Other award winners from SEQ Branch • Projects under $1 million - Winner Noosa Botanic Shade Garden Canopy Noosa Council • Projects $1 - $2 million Highly Commended Coplick Footbridge Replacement City of Gold Coast

With Megan Kraft, Senior Civil Engineer, Cardno.

• Asset Management Highly Commended Footpath / Shared Path Functionality Assessment (Copy) Logan City Council • Projects $5 - $10 million Highly Commended Luggage Point STP FST Distribution Channels Settlement Mitigation Project Urban Utilities & Fulton Hogan

Presenting at #IPWEAQ20.

With Craig Murrell, winner best Christmas outfit, SEQ Branch function.

• Projects over $10 million Winner Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project Sunshine Coast Council • Innovation & Sustainability in Water Winner Cedar Grove Environmental Centre: ‘On the Nose’ Project to Community Showpiece Logan Water • Futures Challenge Martin Luna Juncal Griffith University

With SEQ Ambassador, Jessica Kahl and IPWEAQ e-Learning Coordinator, Juliet Schaeffer.

submissions as soon as possible.

We’ll get together in Caloundra for a Technical Tour Wednesday afternoon 24 February followed

by Welcome drinks with a full day of presentations Thursday through to Friday lunch time.

You may wish to consider a long weekend on the coast – perhaps bring your family.

On behalf of the SEQ Branch Committee, I would like to wish you all very happy and safe Christmas. I hope to see you at the President’s Breakfast in February and we look forward to welcoming you to the SEQ Branch conference in Caloundra, 24-26 February 2021!

Branch Conference CALOUNDRA 25-26 FEBRUARY 2021

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

SWQ BRANCH PRESIDENT’S REPORT Andrew Johnson, Branch President CEO, Somerset Regional Council

It was great to see such a high representation from the SWQ Branch at the 2020 IPWEAQ Annual Conference with 99 of the 440 delegates from our region. Thank you to everyone who supported the event after also supporting our Stanthorpe conference in February (the only IPWEAQ Branch Conference delivered this year) with a record attendance.

Our branch also took home some major awards at the awards ceremony and dinner including Young Engineer of the Year for Brianna Barnett, Senior Works Manager, Western Downs Regional Council (WDRC), and Lenny Wright (Program Coordinator Construction) was the recipient of the Team Member of the Year award. They are obviously doing something right at Western Downs (pardon the pun).

WDRC was also announced the winner for Projects $5 $10 million for the Chinchilla Parklands (featured in the new Every Community Needs an Engineer calendar for March with the slogan, Engineers Build Communities). It was a clean sweep in this category with Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) receiving a High Commendation for the Empire Theatre Refurbishment Stages 1 & 2 with just three points separating the two projects.

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Scott Pomerenke wins in the exhibitor business card draw, with thanks to Humes.

Daniel Robb, LGIA Super with winner of their business card draw, Suraj Dewaj.

Mike Brady was back on stage for TRC for the Emu Creek Hall Road Bridge which was the winner for Projects $1 - $2 million.

Southern Downs Regional Council also had a big night winning two awards plus a High Commendation for: • Winner, Projects $2 - $5 million - Supplying Water to Over 5000 People When the Dam Runs Dry - The Stanthorpe Water Supply Story

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

Shelley Burchett, SWQ Branch committee member presenting at #IPWEAQ20.

• Winner, Road Safety - Learn to Ride Pathway in Australiana Park, Warwick

IPWEAQ UPDATES • Highly Commended, Innovation & Sustainability in Water - Supplying Water to Over 5000 People When the Dam Runs Dry - The Stanthorpe Water Supply Story And last but certainly not least, the 2020 Engineer of the Year award was presented to Ged Brennan after many decades of providing exceptional engineering services for our sector, in his consultancy business, GenEng Solutions and as a past President.

John Tannock, who won the Best Paper award at the Stanthorpe conference in February went on to win the Geoff Wilmoth Best Paper award at the conference.

Congratulations, John!

By all accounts, it was another exceptional gathering for our sector despite the influences of COVID-19, and an excellent way for us to end a challenging year.

It’s just over three months until the next SWQ Branch conference in Chinchilla (18-19 March 2021) with the Call for Papers to be issued in the New Year so please submit your projects, services and lessons learned. Please also encourage your younger professionals to submit an abstract – it’s a great way to hone communication skills presenting to an audience of 200+ engineers – it’s a safe crowd. 12 Thank you for supporting IPWEAQ over the past 12 months.

Have a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to seeing you in what will hopefully be an ordinary year!

Angela Fry attending the Women in Public Works Engineering Masterclass.

Presentations at #IPWEAQ20 by SWQ Branch members Drones, AI and the Future of Asset Data, from Zero(s) to Hero Shelley Burchett, Proterra Group No time to waste! Critical project delivery at Goondiwindi Regional Council Michael Shellshear, Proterra Group No worsening is not a thing Tony Loveday, RMA Engineers

John Tannock’s award winning presentation at #IPWEAQ20.

Supplying over 5000 people with water when the dam runs dry - the Stanthorpe water supply story Seren McKenzie, Southern Downs Regional Council Tony Loveday presenting at #IPWEAQ20.

Branch Conference CHINCHILLA 18-19 MARCH 2021 Councillor Carol Taylor addressing issues for street traffic and design management.

Ged Brennan enjoying the Great Debate.

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TRAINING FACILITIES • ROOM HIRE • RECORDING STUDIO • FUNCTION SPACE Level 1, 6 Eagleview Place, Eagle Farm QLD 4009

Public Works Professionals has a space to suit all your corporate requirement. Centrally located close to Brisbane Airport our fully equipped training rooms can cater for up to 80 attendees with our meeting rooms available for smaller groups of up to 8. We have two large boardrooms as well as a Video Studio available to record testimonials, promotional videos etc.

Our guests can enjoy use of workstations, booths, our visitor’s lounge, phone charging station and dining facilities (the Engine Room and balcony). We have high speed Internet with unlimited data and symmetrical speeds up to 1Gbps (1000Mbps). There is onsite and street parking available.

Functions can be accommodated in any combination of the three training rooms, the Engine Room or Reception Area, with catering options available to suit a multitude of tastes and budgets.

All prices include water, mints, notepads and pens, AV equipment, whiteboard and flipchart. Half day rates at 50% of full day rates available. * Capacity based on classroom style set up of room.

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Meeting rooms

PAX

Cost per day plus GST

Boardroom (Abbiss)

14

$400

Boardroom (Moore)

10

$400

Meeting Room (Reilly)

8-10

$250

Meeting Room (Kilmister)

6-8

$200

Training rooms (single)

PAX

Cost per day plus GST

Room 1 (Stringfellow)

24

$500

Room 2 (Haussmann)

24

$500

Room 3 (Holmes)

32

$500

Training rooms (combined)

PAX

Cost per day plus GST

Room 1 (Stringfellow) & Room 2 (Haussmann)

48

$700

Room 2 (Haussmann) & Room 3 (Holmes)

56

$800

Room 1 (Stringfellow) & Room 2 (Haussmann) & Room 3 (Holmes)

80

$1,000

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

Matthew Hann Leadership Facilitator, Airbus Australia Pacific “I have been delivering 9-day leadership programs at IPWEAQ training rooms since September 2020. The brandnew training facilities are fantastic with top-quality audiovisual equipment. The kitchen offers a bright space to enjoy lunch with the option to sit inside at the high-top tables or outside in the fresh air. There are several break-out spaces including cubicles to do some work on your laptop, to a lounge area if you want to relax.

Darren Shepherd, Stephen Hegedus and Les Edmistone

The team at IPWEAQ ensure the room is set up before arrival and that everything is in working order. The service from the staff is first class and I would highly recommend IPWEAQ as a great venue to hold your next training program”.

Partners, Shepherd Services Pty Ltd “The state-of-the-art Public Works Professionals building is our venue of choice for SHEPHERD partners meetings and strategic team workshops.

Spacious and welcoming, this beautifully appointed professional space makes hosting functions, training and meeting events a breeze by taking full advantage of the latest technology and offering flexible options – from room configuration to catering.

The events team at Public Works Professionals are brilliant to work with and we highly recommend this impressive new IPWEAQ members’ facility”.

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

WORKING GROUPS UPDATE Craig Moss, Director, Professional Services

2020 has presented many challenges to our working groups. Traditionally, all our groups have met face to face to work through strategic objectives.

COVID-19 has not only prevented these inperson meetings, but group members have also had to deal with the changing priorities of their organisations. While there have been some significant obstacles to overcome, we have been able to progress these technical products throughout the year.

Standard Drawings The Standard Drawings Working Group is progressing towards the release of an updated suite of drawings. These drawings will have a new look thanks to an updated title block and a more consistent approach to linework and text. The group has also adopted a more rigorous governance process that identifies the changes to any drawing and the reasons the changes have been made and how the issue has been addressed, such as RPEQ involvement. A change register will be published to provide an overview of each change.

A major change will be a new numbering system. The current numbering is a legacy of the original 1995 drawings. As the numbers of drawings have increased, and the different classes of asset types expanded, the existing numbering convention is rapidly becoming unworkable. The working group has adopted a new 1000 series of numbering that will allow a more logical collation of drawing types

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that can be expanded upon in the future.

To support the end-user, a reference document will be published that maps the old numbers against the new.

Looking forward, IPWEAQ is seeking to set up a Technical Reference Committee to review all new and updated drawings to ensure they align with current engineering practice. If you would like to be a part of this committee, please email Craig.

Moss@ipweaq.com.

Survey Standards The Survey Standards group has completed the new standards’ development, with trials successfully conducted by several councils. The capture guide is nearing finalisation, with both the Standard and Capture Guide published in early 2021. Please keep an eye out for this product.

CAD Standards The CAD Standards group has been closely following the Survey Standards group to ensure consistency is maintained. The team from 12D has provided valuable input, with their customisation adopting the same colours for both sets of standards.

The new standard has been successfully trialled, with the User Guide being the last piece of work required prior to publishing.

Street Design Manual The Street Design Manual: walkable neighbourhoods was successfully released in August after significant input by the working groups. It was an incredible effort by all involved, with the published documents a credit to the steering committee and working parties. The manual will be reviewed in early 2022, with an updated edition published soon thereafter.

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The next part of the journey is developing nine other precincts that were identified during the project. These precincts are: •T ransit-oriented Activity Centres •N on-transit-oriented Commercial Centres (such as District Centres) •M ain Streets •M ulti-use Precincts •B usiness Parks • I ndustrial Precincts •R ural Villages •R ural Residential Neighbourhoods •L ower-density Private Residential (where internal roads are common property) We will be looking for suitably skilled volunteers to help contribute to this process.

Supervisors Handbook The Supervisors Handbook is currently being reviewed and updated to reflect current practice for public works supervisors. The group is also writing new content for topics such as: •R ecord Keeping •L eading Others •M achine Guidance •P lant Management •T raffic management •F ootpaths and driveways To support the handbook, topicspecific workshops will provide field staff with the underpinning knowledge to read, interpret and apply the handbook’s contents.

IPWEAQ would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all of our working group members and thank them for their contributions throughout the year. We are proud that our public works community is willing to provide input into products and services that benefit the wider sector. Thank you all.

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

Street Design Manual for Practitioners

IPWEAQ’s Street Design Manual: Walkable Neighbourhoods (the Manual) is a contemporary guide for the design and development of Queensland’s residential neighbourhoods. Developed for industry by industry, the Manual recognises streets as an essential connector to multi-purpose social spaces in our neighbourhoods. It offers access options for active transport delivering safer neighbourhoods and a sense of community.

This program will provide a detailed understanding of all aspects of quality contemporary residential land development that promotes healthy and safe communities, and provide a more coordinated approach to neighbourhood planning and design for councils, developers and the community.

Outcomes

Participants will gain a sound understanding of the intent and application of the Street Design Manual to assist in planning and design applications that complement current regulatory requirements.

Who should attend

This program has been designed for Industry Practitioners working in the Planning and Design of contemporary residential neighbourhoods, including those working in both private and government organisations. Typical attendees include: Planners, Designers, Engineers, Development Managers, Technicians

Learning Strategies

Lectures, Case studies, Group Discussions, Practical Activities

Topics

Part 2  Element 1: Introduction  Element 2: Active Transport  Element 3: Public Transport  Element 4: Motor Vehicles  Element 5: The Residential Street  Element 6: Design Detail – Related Infrastructure Part 3  Practice notes

Facilitators

Introducing the Street Design Manual: Walkable neighbourhoods, An overview of the need, intent and strategies that led to the development of the SDM.

Contact Professional Development Manager Kate.O’Riordan@ipweaq.com 07 3632 6807

Part 1  Element 1: Community Design  Element 2: Movement Network – Concept Design  Element 3: Neighbourhood Open Space Network  Element 4: Lot Design  Element 5: Activity Centres

The program will be facilitated by experienced Planning and Design professionals.

Attendees will be provided with a complementary hard copy of the Manual

   www.ipweaq.com

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Streets and pathways are the building blocks of every residential neighbourhood.

Along with our built environment, well-planned streets and neighbourhoods influence how people move and interact, access parks and open space, walk and cycle for leisure, recreation, exercise and transport.

Up to 8 CPD hours

IPWEAQ UPDATES

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT Craig Moss Director, Professional Services

While 2020 has presented significant challenges for the IPWEAQ Professional Development program, we seized the opportunity to review our delivery strategies and investigate different ways to engage with the sector with increased digital offerings and online learning platforms for members.

The Public Works TV (PW-TV) broadcasts have been wellreceived with regular programs addressing technical and nontechnical topics relevant to our members. The mini-conferences, a collection of 18 topic-specific presentations that run for approximately 90 minutes, have also been favourably received.

The Learning Hub, a digital learning platform designed for public works engineering professionals to develop nontechnical skills (essential soft skills) to enhance their careers, has rolled out five pathway programs: • Emerging Professionals • Senior Leadership • Women in Engineering • Men in Engineering • High Potential Professionals These ten-week programs are the start of a suite of self-paced online courses that will make learning more accessible. Please keep an eye out for the new Presentations Skills program which will be available before the 2021 IPWEAQ Branch Conferences.

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New programs Street Design Manual The Queensland Government’s new mandatory provisions and model code for the design of residential neighbourhoods came into force on 28 September 2020. In announcing the new mandatory provisions and model code’s commencement, the Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, the Hon. Cameron Dick MP, also welcomed the launch of IPWEAQ’s Street Design Manual for Walkable Neighbourhoods (the manual).

The Street Design Manual is a contemporary guide for the planning, design and development of Queensland’s residential neighbourhoods.

Developed for industry by industry, Street Design Manual recognises streets as an essential connector to multi-purpose social spaces in our neighbourhoods.

Importantly, the manual supports the new mandatory provisions and model code by providing guidance on active transport options that will deliver safer neighbourhoods and a sense of community.

IPWEAQ has developed a professional development series designed to ensure that councils, engineers, planners, and other decision-makers involved with the planning and design of walkable neighbourhoods gain a comprehensive understanding of the intent and application of the Manual and Accompanying Practice Notes. Two specific programs have been developed: Street Design Manual for Policy Makers (half day) program provides a high-level overview on the Street Design Manual application to the planning and design of residential

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neighbourhoods. This program is ideally suited to elected members and senior executives.

Street Design Manual for Practitioners (full day) program builds upon the Policy Makers program by adding a detailed understanding of all elements of the Street Design Manual, in particular, how to apply the methodologies and achieve the objectives and strategies of the guidelines. This program is ideally suited to planners, designers and other professionals at an operational level.

Assessing Heavy Vehicle Access to Bridges With the ever-increasing drive to improve our road freight network’s productivity, road agencies are continually being asked to assess requests for access to their road and bridge network. Bridge access is a critical link in this productivity improvement drive but understanding how to evaluate access requires a level of specialist knowledge and understanding.

This one-day program is designed to provide the participant with a solid grounding in the fundamentals and various ways of assessing heavy vehicle access to bridges including industry terminology and nuances. The differences between heavy vehicle access assessments and bridge assessments will be covered, along with approaches to rapid assessment and managing consultants.

Heavy vehicle access assessment uses engineering principles. As such, knowledge of engineering statics is needed to undertake assessments. However, the program will provide an excellent overview of the process suitable

IPWEAQ UPDATES for any professional involved in the management of bridges.

Understanding and Diagnosing Bridge Defects To ensure the ongoing integrity of assets by undertaking appropriate inspections at regular intervals. These inspections are used to identify emerging or progressed defects that may affect the safety risk or asset integrity risk of structures on the network. While defects often present in obvious ways, this is not always the case, and the causes are not always as obvious.

Understanding what causes defects and how to diagnose them is a crucial skill set of the asset manager to ensure the safe, appropriate and optimised management of structures. This skill set is equally important for personnel undertaking investigations to ensure effective and appropriate investigations from service providers.

This one-day program is designed to provide the participant with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of the causes of bridge defects, and how to investigate and diagnosis them. This program is targeted at those involved in, or responsible for, the decisionmaking around bridge and structures management.

more difficult or more costly to fix if left too long. Ignoring maintenance activities can also result in higher safety risks and asset integrity risks.

This two-day program is designed to provide the participant with a solid grounding of the fundamentals of maintaining and repairing bridges to ensure good decisions around the management of bridge infrastructure can be made. Reactive and preventative approaches will be explored along with different scenarios with the appropriate situation where one is selected over the other, using a structured decision-making process.

This program is targeted at those who are involved in or are responsible for bridge maintenance activities.

Tell us what you need If there is a specific topic or task you would like added to the professional development program, contact Craig.Moss@ipweaq.com.

For further information about our existing program, please contact Kate.O’Riordan@ipweaq.com or visit our website: www.ipweaq.com/courses

Bridge Maintenance and Repair Practices Maintenance and repair are critical to maximising the life of bridge assets. Without appropriate and timely maintenance, bridges will often prematurely degrade and develop defects that may be

NEW COURSES INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

Assessing Heavy Vehicle Access to Bridges

Kate O’Riordan

Understanding and Diagnosing Bridge Defects

07 3632 6807

Bridge Maintenance and Repair Practices

Kate.O’Riordan@ipweaq.com

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

ADAC REPORT

Mark Lamont, Director, Information Resources IPWEAQ ADAC INDUSTRY DAY IPWEAQ is planning an ADAC industry day for early in the new year. We look forward to using the event to catch up with representatives from all consortium members and to facilitate interactions between the various stakeholders across the ADAC platform. Software providers and the development industry will be represented and have the chance to discuss their needs with the core ADAC membership.

The tool generates a report that shows where the file has and has not met compliance and identifies the changes needed to align it to the schema. It will save time for all parties and alleviate the frustration of having submissions rejected based on a simple input error.

ADAC EXPANSION The COVID hiatus has prevented us from visiting councils to implement ADAC as their data capture standard and bring them on board as part of the consortium. The borders restrictions have now eased and already we are receiving requests for help. NSW has been a real growth market for ADAC over the past couple of years and our first step is Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. We welcome them as our newest ADAC consortium member. (see photos)

XML FILE VALIDATION TOOL

COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE PROGRESS

We will also use the opportunity to officially launch the ADAC validation tool IPWEAQ has developed. All consortium members have been given early access to the tool as part of their subscription. We received some useful feedback and recommendations on ways to maximise the tool’s user value.

Those suggestions have been taken on board and passed on to the developers. The validation tool will allow surveyors and consulting engineers to run their XML files through the system before submitting to council.

Not long before the virus turned normal process on its head, we had initiated a group of seven communities of practice-based around the asset types covered

by ADAC. The Strategic Reference Group approved a decision to establish those groups and use a communication platform called Basecamp as their primary activity space. This proved invaluable during the isolation time and allowed CoP members to continue working on additions and amendments to the schema within their designated asset area. The seven groups are:

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

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ADAC VALIDATION TOOL JUST LAUNCHED!

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• • • • • •

Buildings Cadastre Electrical/Telecommunications Open Space, Stormwater Transport Water and Sewerage.

There is a standing invitation for consortium members to contribute to any and all of these groups. If your council or utility has a particular interest in being involved in the ongoing development of the schema in any of these asset areas, please contact me at the details below.

We will add a representative from your organisation to the working groups. Given the variance in implementation stages across the membership group, these forums are also an excellent way for councils to share information.

For those beginning their ADAC journey, it will offer the chance to seek advice from those with a long affiliation with the platform.

A major benefit of being part of the consortium is the interaction with other councils. It provides the opportunity for new members to emulate successes and avoid any pitfalls, based on the advice from those who have already travelled down the same path.

Information on attending the ADAC industry day will be forwarded to all consortium members closer to the event.

Non-consortium members who would like to attend or who would like to discuss any other matters around ADAC please contact me at mark.lamont@ ipweaq.com or on (07) 36326811.

IPWEAQ UPDATES

AMBASSADOR ARTICLE Ben Ash

In September, I was fortunate to observe a GPS Stabiliser in operation on Lilyvale Road, just 20 minutes out of Emerald QLD. I attended the construction site purely out of curiosity as it was the first time a GPS stabiliser had been used for road construction in Queensland.

Over the years, I had seen the number of GPS graders in operation grow, although I’d never heard about or seen a GPS Stabiliser before. This experience allowed me to step back and reflect on how GPS technologies assisted in civil engineering projects and further, helped in road construction.

The United States Department of Defence initially put GPS satellites into orbit for military use in the 1970s and were subsequently made for public use in the 1980s.

GPS is a satellite-based navigation system. It initially consisted of 24 satellites orbiting the earth and can consistently operate in all weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day (GARMIN 2020). As of September 2020, 30 operational satellites orbit the earth every 12 hours (GPS.gov 2020).

These satellites are spread out so that any point on earth will most likely be covered by four satellites via a direct line of sight at any given time (TechTerms 2020). Each satellite sends a signal through radio waves at the speed of light, which allows the GPS receiver to determine how far away it is from the satellite by measuring the amount of time for the signal to travel from the satellite to the receiver.

This is why four satellites must

GPS Stabiliser in action on Lilyvale Road, Emerald.

pinpoint the receivers coordinates (latitude, longitude and altitude) (Greatest Achievements 2020).

GPS technology is commonly used in most engineering projects as survey is generally required. However, over the last several years, the use of GPS technology has been increasing in road construction in earthmoving equipment such as dozers, graders, excavators and now even stabilisers.

The traditional method for constructing a road without GPS required a survey team to work closely with the earth movers.

(Primera 2016).

GPS antennas are mounted either to the top of a mast on the grader’s blade, at the back of an excavator, or the cabin’s roof for the newer mastless machines.

The grader’s machine sensors include tolt sensors, rotation sensors and mainfall sensors, which work together to deliver an accurate 3-dimensional position of the machines cutting edge using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems).

A control box is located inside the machines’ cabin, which gives the operator live information about where the machine is positioned relative to where it needs to be based on the 3D designs.

A base station or RTK network is also often utilised to provide an accurate cross-reference for the machines GPS antennas. This is because the base station is fixed and can continuously relay information from the satellites to the machine’s GPS which improves the accuracy of the machines positioning. (Position Partners 2017). It is estimated that the cost of fitting out the earth moving equipment with GPS, training the operators and preparing 3D plans is equal to the survey crew’s cost during the initial year. After this, cost savings increase dramatically while also covering the cost of maintenance and updating. (Primera 2016).

Stabilisers are not the only ones to receive GPS treatment.

Summers-Taylor, Inc located in Tennessee USA, was one of the first contracting companies to implement GPS technology to their concrete kerb and gutter

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

(GPS.gov 2020)

paver. Summers-Taylor was nervous at first when using the GPS kerbing machine, and as a result, the contractor still ran stringlines in front of the machine. The client originally wanted the contractor to use stringlines. When the inspectors saw the machine run perfectly, the contractor stopped using stringlines and the client removed all their inspectors but one.

By implementing the GPS technology to the kerbing machine, the contractor improved both the accuracy and speed of the project and virtually removed the need for sections to be reworked (Machine Guidance 2013).

The implementation of GPS technology will continue to expand and improve road

construction in Australia and around the world. It won’t be long until earth moving, kerbing machines and other road construction machines will be required to be kitted out with GPS technology.

References GARMIN, (2020). What is GPS?. [online] Available at: https://www.garmin. com/en-US/aboutGPS/ [Accessed 1 November 2020] GPS.gov, (2020). Space Segmet. [online] Available at: https://www.gps. gov/systems/gps/space/ [Accessed 1 November 2020] TechTerms, (2020). GPS. [online] Available at: https://techterms.com/ definition/gps [Accessed 1 November 2020]

Greatest Achievements, (2020).

The Global Positioning System. [online] Available at: http://www. greatachievements.org/?id=5088 [Accessed 1 November 2020] Primera, (2016). Global Positioning System Usage in Road Construction. [online] Available at: https://primeraeng. com/posts/gps-usage-in-roadconstruction/ [Accessed 1 November 2020] Position Partners, (2017). What are the Options for GPS Machine Control. [online] Available at: https://www. positionpartners.com.au/positionpartners/what-are-the-options-forgps-machine-control/ [Accessed 9 November 2020] Machine Guidance, (2013). Stringless Curbs and Gutters. [online] Available at: https://www.machineguidance.com.au/ Stringless-Curbs-Gutters [Accessed 1 November 2020]

Native Title & Cultural Heritage Portal and Record Keeping Tool IPWEAQ’s native title and cultural heritage portals help you comply with the law and avoid acts that will impact on cultural heritage and native title including impairment and extinguishment. The portals establish a methodical, documented, robust process and establish that an appropriate level of thoroughness was applied in determining whether or not to proceed with works.

Contact Director, Information & Resources |

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Mark.Lamont@ipweaq.com

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07 3632 6806

QLDWATER

QLDWATER REPORT Dave Cameron CEO, qldwater

In the new COVID-19 era, business is starting to return to normality for qldwater although some things seem likely to be fundamentally different forever. There has been significant budget pressure on some larger councils and as such we have temporarily provided an array of offerings to members such as free events and webinars. If the recent conference in Atherton is anything to go by, people are appreciating the opportunity to connect and network.

Our next event will focus on small communities in Goondiwindi in February, where we will explore the limits of technology with a hybrid in-person/online offering.

We have secured some funding to support new initiatives including micro-credentials and the production of task videos to support our member resource library plus delivered some big projects including a significant reef program. We are looking at significant investment in our State-Wide Water Information Management (SWIM) system tools to take the next step towards a more complete browser-enabled tool and visualisation/reporting options.

While the state has been quiet during the caretaker period, at a strategic level we have completed several joint federal submissions with WSAA and other Water Directorates. The state election will lead to at least one significant

change with the departure of the incumbent Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy. We are developing our targeted advocacy materials and setting up meetings as key appointments and machinery of government changes are announced.

On 4 November, I had the opportunity to participate in my first serious experiential learning scenario around managing an emergency, with an invitation from Seqwater to observe Exercise Hydra, which included escalating dramas around a pandemic and floods.

It wouldn’t have been too long ago that the prospect of two disasters occurring at once would have been laughed at, although forecasts certainly suggest that severe weather events in the next few months are likely, including localised flooding in the region.

At my home we experienced two hailstorms recently – this a first in the 15 years’ I’ve lived there.

expertise and prior planning. The whole exercise was conducted in an online environment and while this wasn’t perfect it was surprisingly effective.

This experience gave me plenty to think about, particularly around how we raise our profile with other essential service providers and to ensure that our communication channels are open when they are needed.

Along with our regulators, we are ramping up messaging around preparedness. Most industry practitioners are aware of the impacts of things like wet weather overflows, although big events challenge drinking water systems as it gets harder to treat and the correlation between rainfall and incidents like E.coli detections is extremely high.

Wishing you all a safe summer season.

I know plenty of our members get involved in disaster management planning and exercises but the chance to be a fly on the wall for something which involved all the main SEQ water utility players and other stakeholders recently provided an interesting experience for me. qldwater has taken a role in member support in many disasters over the years but typically in providing linkages in the recovery phase, rather than during a live emergency.

It’s great to see this level of sophistication in trying to ensure the continuity of critical services.

The way the utilities responded to the scenario was amazing and demonstrated a high degree of

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QLDWATER

qldwater FNQ REGIONAL CONFERENCE ATHERTON

Dr Louise Reeves Program Coordinator / Technical Writer qldwater

Queensland Water Directorate (qldwater) staff were excited to attend their first in person event since the COVID-19 lockdown came into effect back in March. Each year qldwater organises a program of three to four events hosted by regional Queensland councils, along with another two to three more events hosted in Brisbane including the qldwater Annual Forum. This year the events program has been dramatically disrupted by COVID-19, which has both restricted travel and put extra pressure on council budgets. As an alternative to live events, qldwater has been hosting the Essentials and Fundamentals Webinars series, with speakers on broad-ranging industry topics that are of interest to qldwater members. qldwater was delighted at the response to the call for papers for its first regional conference of 2020, with a program that filled quickly and was packed with interesting and informative content. The conference was held on 8 October as a hybrid event, with around 30 in-person

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participants and streamed live to an online audience. The conference was hosted by Tablelands Regional Council at its state-of-the-art Local Disaster Coordination Centre in Atherton.

As the host council, Tablelands Regional Council kicked off proceedings with two presentations focused on the big steps that the council made through its Water Quality Improvement Program which began with catchment evaluation using the WaterVal tool. As a result of the WQIP a new water treatment process

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was delivered for Atherton in March 2020 with further improvements planned for the Ravenshoe regional scheme to be implemented over the next two to three years. A third presentation described the lessons learned from COVID-19 that will be incorporated into the council’s Business Continuity Management Roadmap.

Another theme of the conference was collaboration in water and sewerage research. The proximity of the region to the Great Barrier Reef provides challenges for water and sewerage businesses

QLDWATER

due to the environmentally sensitive receiving environment.

Several councils have initiated collaborative projects with their neighbours to research local issues such as biosolids and emerging contaminants.

The session wound up with a panel discussing collaboration to facilitate research for council service providers. The panel consisted of Dr. Lynne Powell from Cairns Regional Council, Anna Whelan from Townsville City Council and Professor Allan Dale from James Cook University.

An emergent theme was the importance of connections between regional councils and regional universities to strengthen local-evidence-based

research to inform conversations with regulators on discharge licence conditions.

The afternoon session included presentations from North Queensland councils on topics that ranged from asset management, management of the heat-loving amoeba Naegleria Fowleri to Integrated Logistic Support. The session concluded with a presentation from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. The day ended with a session of online trivia that was hotly contested by in-room and online participants.

the way that society interacts and we expect that in the future that most events will be run in a hybrid format. This does limit the networking and person-toperson interaction opportunities that are a feature of qldwater events, but at the same time, it provides the opportunity for a wider audience for presentations through access to recordings that may be viewed and shared at a later date.

Recordings from the FNQ Regional Conference can be viewed on our website. https:// www.qldwater.com.au/athertonconference-2020

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has fundamentally changed

Calendar of Events 19-Jan-2021 qldwater Fundamentals Webinar #6 28-Jan-2021 qldwater Essentials Webinar #17 17-Feb-2021 Sustainable Water and Sewerage Services for Regional and Remote Communities 23-Feb-2021 qldwater Fundamentals Webinar #7 04-Mar-2021 Water Skills Forum

05-Mar-2021 qldwater SPG Meeting

20-May-2021 qldwater Essentials Webinar #20

18-Mar-2021 qldwater Essentials Webinar #18

25-May-2021 qldwater Fundamentals Webinar #10

23-Mar-2021 qldwater Fundamentals Webinar #8

02-Jun-2021 WIOA Conference, Toowoomba

22-Apr-2021 qldwater Essentials Webinar #19

04-Jun-2021 qldwater SPG Meeting

27-Apr-2021 qldwater Fundamentals Webinar #9

17-Jun-2021 qldwater Essentials Webinar #21

04-May-2021 AWA OzWater21

22-Jun-2021 qldwater Fundamentals Webinar #11

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QLDWATER

WATER INDUSTRY SKILLING BEYOND 2020 credentials provide an overview of basic water industry operations in key areas of water treatment, wastewater treatment and network operations.

Carlie Sargent Skills Manager Queensland Water Directorate – qldwater

COVID-19 has presented several challenges for urban water providers in continuing to deliver the essential services of supplying safe drinking water and treating wastewater, but it has also created opportunities for adopting new approaches to the skilling and training of the operational workforce.

Water and sewerage providers were quick to initiate business continuity plans and redesign the way operational teams work to limit the potential spread of the virus. Training organisations responded by moving to deliver operational training via virtual classrooms to ensure continuity of training for those part way through courses. qldwater also developed several virtual skilling and training opportunities to continue supporting water service providers to develop and retain their operational workforce.

Water Industry Foundation Skills Micro-Credentials Pilot Program qldwater secured funding from the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT) to support a pilot of Water Industry Foundation Skills Micro-Credentials. The micro-

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The courses were developed in consultation with Queensland Water Skills Partners as a response to anticipated workforce impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. They provide a basic overview of the processes and safety requirements of water industry roles to skill up staff working in other areas of a local council or water utility so they can provide back up support under supervision from an experienced operator in the event of operational shortages. They are also relevant for retraining workers from other industries, educating managers who need to develop an understanding of water and sewerage operations and potentially identifying future full-time operators.

The micro-credentials are entry level, non-accredited, short courses with content based on knowledge components from units of competency within the National Water Training Package.

A certificate of completion is provided and further study of a Certificate II or Certificate III in Water Industry Operations is required for anyone subsequently pursuing a water industry career.

There are three micro-credentials available: Water Treatment Foundation Skills - an overview of the water treatment process, water quality risks, basic lab testing skills and basic chemical handling/safety.

Wastewater Treatment Foundation Skills - an overview of the wastewater treatment process, environmental risks, basic sampling and testing, basic

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chemical handling/safety.

Network Operations Foundation Skills - risk management, locating and protecting utilities, maintaining and repairing network assets for water and wastewater, restoring a worksite, installing trench support or operating highpressure water jetting systems.

There are several course delivery options including online training, virtual classroom and workshops (prices vary accordingly). DESBT is subsidising the cost of all course completions by 50% up until the end of 2021.

Visit qldwater’s microcredentials registration site to find out more and enrol in your chosen micro-credential.

Operator Fundamentals Webinar Series In response to a declining RTO market for water industry training in Australia, the Queensland Water Skills Partnership identified a need to develop online resources provided by Subject Matter Experts to support both initial training and ongoing skills development of operators and field staff.

In June 2020, qldwater hosted its first Fundamentals webinar, with a practical demonstration of media filter backwashing by Terry Fagg, Water Treatment Principal from Western Downs Regional Council. In response to very positive feedback from those who participated in the live event and those who downloaded the recording at a later date, qldwater has continued these webinars each month to provide demonstrations of common water operations tasks.

The Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy

QLDWATER and other staff, to give them a greater appreciation of the work undertaken by field crews.

The courses are freely available to all employees of qldwater member organisations and Water Skills Partners at www. watertraining.com.au. Each course includes 10 quiz questions with a certificate of completion issued upon successful completion. Non-members and contractors can access the course for $50 including GST. (DNRME) is supportive of qldwater’s efforts to develop additional video resources and has committed funds for qldwater to engage subject matter experts to deliver webinars on both treatment and network operations topics for the next 12-18 months. This funding has allowed us to initially engage Murray Thompson, a highly regarded engineer and trainer from Port Macquarie to deliver several topics with further sessions scheduled for 2021.

Terry Fagg will continue to offer sessions throughout 2021 assisted by a trial of smart hard hats with built in tablets/cameras for capturing and storing knowledge utilising software kindly sponsored by Hindsite Industries.

Employees of qldwater members and Water Skills Partners can access recordings of all Fundamentals webinars at no cost via the qldwater website.

Brown Card All water and sewerage service providers have clear public health and environmental responsibilities to their customers and communities. For most employees of utilities, this responsibility is reinforced through regular formal training and on the job learning. However, the urban water industry relies heavily on contractors to perform network infrastructure repairs and maintenance and there is a need to ensure these staff understands fundamental drinking water quality, environmental and safety issues.

In response, qldwater has developed two online training courses, developed by industry for the industry and the contractors which service it, to work safely on or around water and sewerage infrastructure. qldwater’s Aqua Card is an online training course for those working on or around water infrastructure and provides a simple overview of what contaminants are, the risks they pose, how they can enter a drinking water system and the responsibilities of those working on infrastructure to reduce that risk and includes practical guidance on how to operate within worksites including good housekeeping and disinfection practices.

The wastewater equivalent, Brown Card provides an overview of the importance of, and requirements for, maintaining public health, minimising environmental harm and general workplace health and safety when working in, on or near sewerage and recycled water assets. It includes topics like regulations and standards, risks and safety, managing health risks and specific types of work tasks.

Since the release of the Aqua Card in 2018 and the Brown Card in 2020, several councils have mandated the course as part of their contractor induction and introduced specific requirements for contractors to complete the course before working on their assets. A number of water service providers have reported extending the course to office

Water Skills Forum 2021 We hope to see a return to more normal events in 2021, although, given the unusual circumstances we have found ourselves in this year, we will be offering next year’s Queensland Water Skills Forum on Thursday 4 March as a hybrid event, with delegates invited to attend in-person at our new event space in Eagle Farm or participate virtually.

The 2021 Forum will focus on a couple of key themes that have been identified throughout the year and at our previous forum in March: Succession Planning – workforce planning, transitioning to retirement, engaging trainees and barriers to recruitment; Leadership – what more is needed to meet this skills gap, case studies of recent leadership programs and improving coaching and mentoring skills across the industry; and Future Training Needs – what is the future demand for water industry training, how has COVID changed water industry training, engaging subject matter experts to meet the increasing demand for training and what soft skills training does the industry need.

A program will be released soon. Registrations will open in January.

Please contact Carlie Sargent on 07 3632 6853 or csargent@qldwater.com.au for assistance with any water industry skilling or training needs.

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NEW TEAM MEMBERS Karen Farrell Communications Manager I have been involved in animal welfare from a young age. At age 11, I worked on a Save the Seals campaign to raise awareness of seal hunting (sealing) – the commercial hunting of seals – in Canada. At the time, the school principal admonished me for wasting time, although he subsequently thanked me for my efforts after I raised $1,000 for the campaign!

I trained as an actress for 12 years and have been represented by two professional agents. I won several theatre awards, although the everelusive commercial acting break remained just that - elusive!

I’m a qualified yoga teacher with four diplomas, completing my first teacher training in Sydney, my hometown, in 2004. I have also undertaken teacher training in Singapore and Los Angeles.

I’m the senior writer for Australian Yoga Life magazine and have written the last four cover stories for the publication.

My son, Oscar, celebrated his 18th birthday in May!

Karen with her son Oscar.

Juliet Schaffer e-Learning Coordinator I have moved 19 times in the last 23 years through share houses to moving interstate with my lovely husband and two sons. Originally from South Australia, via Townsville, Mackay, and Darwin, I am now a confirmed Brisbanite, having jumped firmly onto the Lions bandwagon, and attending my first SOO this year.

My two favourite times of the year in Brisbane are the biannual Lifeline Bookfair events at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre. Buying books by the trolley load is my kind of event. 90+% of what I wear and own is op-shopped – I love a bargain, the thrill of the hunt, and reducing waste.

I am a regular plasma donor with the Red Cross, being the third generation of my family to do so. Apart from the comfortable chairs, and the party pies after, being able to sit and read to save lives is a pretty good way to spend my time. If you can donate, give it a go!

Juliet with her Family.

Merry Christmas

to all our members, Partners, colleagues and friends of IPWEAQ!

Our facilities will be closed 29 December to 31 December (inclusive). From the team at IPWEAQ and qldwater, we wish you and your families a very safe and joyous Christmas and New year!

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MEET THE TEAM IPWEAQ LEIGH CUNNINGHAM

CRAIG MOSS

DR NEAL LAKE

Chief Executive Officer  Leigh.Cunningham@ipweaq.com

Director, Professional Services  Craig.Moss@ipweaq.com

Director, Engineering Practice  Neal.Lake@ipweaq.com

KAREN FARRELL

MARK LAMONT

Communications Manager  Karen.Farrell@ipweaq.com

Director, Information & Resources  Mark.Lamont@ipweaq.com

SCOTT BRITTON Director, Policy & Partnerships  Scott.Britton@ipweaq.com

JULIET SCHAFFER

DAVID THOMPSON

KATE O’RIORDAN

e-Learning Coordinator  Juliet.Schaffer@ipweaq.com

Industry Engagement Manager  David.Thompson@ipweaq.com

Professional Development Manager  Kate.O’Riordan@ipweaq.com

MONICA ROBERTSON

JOHANNA VANLING

TAMMI PETRE

Events & Marketing Manager  Monica.Robertson@ipweaq.com

Relationship Manager  Johanna.Vanling@ipweaq.com

Office Manager  Tammi.Petre@ipweaq.com

DANEELE MCBRIDE

KATIE WRIGHT

CHLOE BEGLEY

Engagement Coordinator  Daneele.McBride@ipweaq.com

Bookkeeper  Katie.Wright@ipweaq.com

Administrator  Chloe.Begley@ipweaq.com

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MEET THE TEAM QLDWATER

DAVID CAMERON

DR ROB FEARON

DAVID SCHELTINGA

Chief Executive Officer  dcameron@qldwater.com.au

Director, Innovation Partnerships  rfearon@qldwater.com.au

Manager, SWIM  dscheltinga@qldwater.com.au

DR LOUISE REEVES Program Coordinator & Technical Writer  lreeves@qldwater.com.au

CARLIE SARGENT

DESIRÉ GRALTON

Project Coordinator – Skills  Carlie.Sargent@qldwater.com

Manager, Communications  dgralton@qldwater.com.au

RYAN COSGROVE

NAOMI CARRAGHER

Project Coordinator and Researcher  rcosgrove@qldwater.com.au

Project Support Assistant  NCarragher@qldwater.com.au

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qldwater is a business unit of IPWEAQ

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

IPWEAQ ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SAVE THE DATE

CAIRNS CONVENTION CENTRE | 12-14 OCTOBER 2021

Please join us for the 2021 IPWEAQ Annual Conference to be held at the Cairns Convention Centre, 12-14 October 2021.

DELEGATE RATED 2019 -2020

We are thrilled to welcome you to #IPWEAQ21 in Cairns in October 2021!

www.ipweaq.com/events



Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available please contact Monica Robertson on 3632 6802 or Monica.Robertson@ipweaq.com

#IPWEAQ21

3775

4.6

If you have attended an IPWEAQ conference, you would be aware of the importance of our community coming together. Our program includes three incredible keynote speakers, multiple streams, Tech Tours, Emerging Professionals Workshop, Women in Public Works Engineering Masterclass and the 2021 IPWEAQ Excellence Awards gala dinner and ceremony.

PRINCIPAL PARTNERS

ENTERPRISE PARTNERS

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INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

PARTNER PROGRAM 2020 - 2021

ANNUAL CONFERENCE, BRISBANE, 10-12 NOVEMBER, 2020

EXCLUSIVE

President’s Breakfast, Brisbane, 5 February 2021 SEQ Branch Conference, 25-26 February 2021 SWQ Branch Conference, Chinchilla, 18-19 March 2021

Exclusive offerings and priority across all our partner services for our Principal Partners.

CQ Branch Conference, Maryborough, 20-21 April 2021 NQ Branch Conference, Townsville, 17-18 June 2021

Local $3,000

Enterprise $7,700

For consultancies and providers of products/services with a local or regional market focus  Recognised as a Bronze sponsor (value $1,200).  A trade display at your local branch conference including two delegate registrations (value up to $1,500).  Two additional delegate registrations for your colleagues or clients to your local branch conference (value up to $1,500).  10% discount on two delegate registrations to the Annual Conference (value up to $400).  10% discount on a trade booth at the Annual Conference including two delegate registrations (value $450).  Your logo displayed in every issue of Engineering for Public Works.  Your logo on our website and the branch conference website linked to your website.  Your logo featured in our conference handbook and in the branch conference apps.  20% discount on all sponsorship opportunities for your local branch conference

ANNUAL CONFERENCE  A trade booth and priority allocation before non-Partner exhibitors plus two delegate registrations (value $4,500).  10% discount on all sponsorship opportunities.

BRANCH CONFERENCES  A trade display at up to four branch conferences (value $6,000).  Two delegate registrations to up to four branch conferences (value up to $3,000).

Note: due to the size of some regional venues, we may not be able to accommodate all Partners however we will ensure you have a presence at all events.

Total value $10,000 plus

All entitlements in Enterprise plus the following exclusive Principal Partner benefits:  A double trade booth at the Annual Conference including two delegate registrations (value $9,000).  Branding/sponsorship of an excellence award and presentation of the award on stage (value $1,200).  Chair a stream or plenary session at the Annual Conference (value $1,000).  Guaranteed booths at all branch conferences.  Host a VIP table with delegates invited to join you for a night at the excellence awards gala dinner.  Full page advertorial or two 1/2 page advertorials in any issue of Engineering for Public Works (value up to $1,560).  Opportunity to share your content on our social media platforms to our industry-wide audience.  A branded community in our globallyrecognised Knowledge Centre. Upload videos, product guides, media releases, photos and other promotional materials (value $1,800).

Total value $22,000 plus Note: all prices plus GST

Contact Events & Marketing Manager Monica.Robertson@ipweaq.com 07 3632 6802

   www.ipweaq.com

3558

Total value $5,000 plus

PRESIDENT’S BREAKFAST  Two tickets to our President’s Breakfast to thank our Partners for their contribution to our successes.

PROMOTING YOUR BRAND  Your logo displayed in every issue of Engineering for Public Works.  Your logo on our website and conference websites linked to your website.  Your logo featured in our Conference Handbooks and in our conference apps.

Principal $12,800

SUBSCRIBERS PUBLIC WORKS TECHNICAL SUBSCRIPTION

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SUBSCRIBERS PUBLIC WORKS TECHNICAL SUBSCRIPTION

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Celebrating

Thanks to all our contributors for the first five years of Engineering for Public Works! And thank you to our readers!

ISSUE #20 OF EPW! ENGINEERING

FOR PUBLIC WORKS

ENGINEERING

FOR PUBLIC WORKS

ISSN 2652-6050 (ONLINE)

ISSUE NUMBER

You can enjoy all past issues of EPW online or in the IPWEAQ Knowledge Centre.

Co n fe r e n ce fe at u r e

CO M M U N I T Y N E W S

r e gi o n al r e p o r t

M E M B E R p r o fi l e

Co n fe r e n ce fe at u r e

FE AT U R E AR T I CL E

P r o j e ct o f t h e Y e ar

MEMBER NEWS

AN N U AL CO N FE R E N CE

FE AT U R E AR T I CL E

R E GIONAL REP ORT

MEMBER NEWS

What to do when the dam runs dry

IPWEAQ MEMBER GEOFF RINTOUL

#IPWEAQ19 HIGHLIGHTS

STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE

PROJECT OF THE YEAR NOOSA COUNCIL!

MEMBER PROFILE: CHRIS LAWSON

ALL THE NEWS ON #IPWEAQ19

MBRC STORMWATER PIPE INSPECTION

WESTERN CAPE ENGAGEMENT

MEMBER PROFILE: BRIANNA BARNETT

Geoff’s experiences give him a unique set of skills in delivering services and advice for the community, especially in the western and remote areas of Queensland. p.27

Highlights of the recordbreaking IPWEAQ Annual Conference including stats, Tech Tour reports & photos! p.13-23

Winner of the 2019 IPWEA NZ Congratulations Noosa Council Hynds Best Paper award, James – winner of the 2019 IPWEAQ Thorne on strategic infrastructure Project of the Year for the Noosa decisions. p.60-61 Park Road Boardwalk. p.28-32

Congratulations Chris Lawson who celebrates 40 years as a member of IPWEAQ. p.10

3 days, 4 tech tours, 12 streams, 36 papers and 50 exhibitors.

It’s just over a month away – find out what’s happening at #IPWEAQ19 in October. p.14

How Moreton Bay Regional Council have been using CCTV to proactively inspect their stormwater pipes for over 10 years. p.34

Craig Moss reports on his recent trip to western Cape York with LGAQ to engage with indigenous and remote councils. p.38

Meet Brianna Barnett, Senior Works Manager at Western Downs Regional Council.

Brianna talks about her career in civil construction. p.52

ISSN 2652-6050 (ONLINE)

19

ISSUE NUMBER

AUSTRALIAN NATIVE AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

18

2020 SWQ BRANCH MACKAY TAKES HOME CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS INTERNATIONAL SILVER

ROAD WORKS

In partnership with Southern Downs Regional Council, IPWEAQ welcomed a record breaking 195 delegates to Stanthorpe. p.77

Future Transport Needs Innovation

Artificial Reef Transforms Sandy Substrate

P 56

P 49

Mackay water was acknowledged Former IPWEAQ President, with a silver medal in the Seren McKenzie of Southern category of Best Municipal Water Downs Regional Council tells 2020 at the 30th Berkeley Springs us the Stanthorpe water story, International Water Tasting supplying over 5,000 people competition (USA). p.17 with water. p.33

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

Who’s to Blame for Unsafe Roads?

Engineered Road Crossings for Wildlife

P 48

P 76

Roads Pave a Way through COVID-19 downturn

Mine Site Thrives Under Green Future P 59

P 46

www.ipweaq.com

www.ipweaq.com

This photograph by Gopan Mondal shows the Mission River Bridge in Weipa and is the winner of the IPWEAQ competition, 'Public Works Through the Lens of an Engineer', in celebration of World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (See article p.34).

www.ipweaq.com

ISSUE No.17

www.ipweaq.com

ISSUE No.16

feature artic le

memb er n ew s

report

s u s ta in a b il ity

pr oject of the year

iw d featur e

member new s

cas e s tudy

CO N FE R E N CE fe at u r e

FE AT U R E AR T I CL E

member news

cas e s t u dy

FE AT U R E AR T I CL E

MEMBER NEWS

DI S AS T E R R E COV E RY

Concrete Using Recycled Glass

MEMBER PROFILE: PETER HUGHES

IPWEAQ STUDY TOUR REPORT

THE APPROACH TO ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY

LOGAN’S WATER QUALITY SOLUTION

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

MEMBER PROFILE: NATASHA MURRAY

NHVR ASSESSMENT TOOL

CATCH UP ON #IPWEAQ18

GC2018 TRANSPORT LEGACY

MEMBER PROFILE: ALTON TWINE

Assets & development compliance

QUEENSLAND ROAD SAFETY

MEMBER PROFILE: DAVID SEXTON

A look at field trials by Cairns Regional Council of concrete using recycled crushed glass as a fine aggregate replacement.

We meet Peter Hughes and he shares stories drawn from his long and memorable career in public works engineering.

Ashlee Jesshope reports on the IPWEA Study Tour to the Smart City Expo World Congress held in Barcelona.

Peak Services investigate the need for a holistic approach to energy sustainability.

Logan’s new project combines solar power, commercial battery storage and electro-chlorination technologies to maintain water quality. p.10

An infographic provides an interesting sector snapshot and women who have found success in engineering are celebrated in our IWD feature. p.22

Introducing Senior Transport Engineer at Cairns Regional Council and IPWEAQ’s 2018 Woman in Engineering, Natasha Murray. p.30

The Restricted Access Vehicle Route Assessment Tool (RAVRAT) aiding local governments to assess road suitability for heavy vehicles. p.54

All the coverage from the IPWEAQ Annual Conference – from attendance statistics, to social photography, to technical papers and beyond. p.15

Winner of the award for Best Paper presented at #IPWEAQ18, Matthew Tilly outlines the transport legacy of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. p.18

Meet Director of Transport and Infrastructure for the City of Gold Coast and IPWEAQ’s 2018 Engineer of the Year, Alton Twine. p.32

Sunshine Coast Regional Council look at the importance of adequate development compliance from an asset managers perspective. p.66

An holistic view of the road transport system and the interactions among roads and roadsides, travel speeds, vehicles and road users. p.10

Meet David Sexton, a principal environmental engineer and scientist with Engeny Water Management, Young IPWEAQ and recent RPEQ. p.20

p.18

p.28

p.40

p.54

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

www.ipweaq.com

ISSUE No.14

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

www.ipweaq.com

ISSUE No.13

QUEENSLAND URBAN DRAINAGE MANUAL

FE AT U R E AR T I CL E

MEMBER NEWS

B I G Q UESTI ONS

SUSTAI NABI LI TY

Cyclone Marcia TOWARDS A ZERO-WASTE Reconstruction Project FUTURE

THE GOLD COAST’S GOLD MEDAL PERFORMANCE

MEMBER PROFILE: TOM BRADSHAW

BRIDGE ASSET MANAGEMENT

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

A look at the damage, remediation options, design and construction of Statue Bay Reconstruction Project in Yeppoon post Cyclone Marcia. p.48

The Games showcased some amazing athletic feats – and the seven year marathon run by the City of Gold Coast was also an epic journey. p.10

Meet Tom Bradshaw, a specialist water infrastructure engineer with over 20 years’ experience in the public sector and private consulting firms. p.18

Bridge asset management can feel like a fire fighting exercise.

ARRB asks, is it time to consider the issue from a different perspective? p.24

Over the next 10 years, the forecasted replacement cost of local government infrastructure assets is expected to grow by 18.6%. p.59

China’s ban on recycled waste imports has escalated Australia’s War on Waste but Queensland report finds Energy from Waste viable. p.40

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

www.ipweaq.com

ISSUE No.12

S U S TAI N AB I L I T Y

www.ipweaq.com

ISSUE No.15

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

www.ipweaq.com

ISSUE No.11

www.ipweaq.com

ISSUE No.10

EXC ELLENC E AWARDS

F eatu re a rtic l e

l ega l a rtic l e

Water A rtic l e

EXCELLENCE AWAR DS

Featur e ar ticle

legal ar ticle

Water Ar ticle

FE AT U R E AR T I CL E

S p e ci al Fe at u r e

t e ch n i cal fo cu s

Wat e r Ar t i cl e

S p e ci al Fe at u r e

FE AT U R E AR T I CL E

E xce l l e n ce Awar d

t e ch n i cal fo cu s

S p e ci al Fe at u r e

FE AT U R E AR T I CL E

E xce llenc e Award

tec hni c al f oc us

NEW LOOK BUILDING TELLS AN OLD STORY

TRANSFORMING ROADS FOR SUPERCARS

QLD CONSTRUCTION LAWS OVERHAUL

SILVER LINING IN THE SEWERS

CITY OF GOLD COAST’S AWARD SUCCESS

TO B-DOUBLE OR NOT TO B-DOUBLE

LAWFUL POINT OF DISCHARGE

MAREEBA’s WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADE

Countdown to Gold Coast 2018

State Conference Preview

Transform your business with ADAC

Water at the heart of smart cities

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

LEADING THE WASTE REVOLUTION

CREATING THE THIRD PLACE

CURING A CANCER PATIENT

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN PUBLIC WORKS

GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION

PARTNERING DELIVERS SUCCESS

PREPARING COMMUNITIES FOR EXTREME STORM SURGE

Cairns’ oldest public building has been restored to its original beauty as part of a $8.69 million project. p.10

Maintaining City of Gold Coast’s Surfers Paradise street circuit for the Supercar motorsport spectacular. p.22

All participants need to understand how the new laws will affect their organisation.

Better management of sewerage systems for Wide Bay Burnett Region. p.61

The historic Sarawak Avenue Steel Footbridge awarded for engineering innovation and excellence. p.18

How a rural council is planning for its aged road network to meet current and future needs.

The updated Queensland Urban Drainage Manual removes confusion about LPOD requirements. p.78

Award winning innovation strikes the balance between environmental and financial sustainability. p.86

A regional city’s efforts to deliver the best games ever.

A look at what to expect from Townsville, October 2017.

The strategic benefits from the release of ADAC version 5.0.

Cairns regional Council’s investment in smart water strategies. p.72

Equipping public works professionals for the future. p.34

Sunshine Coast’s innovative underground waste collection system. p.12

Toowoomba’s City Library and Civic Square delivers for the community. p.8

The remediation of Munna Point Bridge. p.26

Inspirational women paving the way for the next generation p.29

Findings from Andrew Ryan’s International Study Tour. p.8

Pickanjinnie North Road Upgrade Project. p.22

International best practice and lessons for Queensland. p.56

p.46

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

EXC ELLENC E AWARDS

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

www.ipweaq.com

ISSUE No.9

F EATU RE A RTIC L E

p.10

FOURTH EDITION

TEC H N IC A L

QL D WATER

BR ANCH NEW S

FEATUR E AR TICLE

academic FOCUS

Overall winner: developing a city Sunshine Coast Council transport plan

3D BIM UNDERGROUND ASSETS

Asset Degradation Modelling

vale fairweather

future demand

Nambour Youth Activity Precinct and RSL War Memorial p.16

Management and protection of underground assets. p.18

Journey to achieve sustainability in business performance. p.35

A warm tribute to IPWEAQ founding member p.10

Infrastructure Australia CEO Phil Davies sets course p.12

26 key ‘lessons learnt’ preparing a strategic plan. p.49

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

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QLD WATER

ISSUE No.3

p.57

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

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ISSUE No.7

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

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ISSUE No.6

B R AN CH N E W S

FE AT U R E AR T I CL E

T E CH N I CAL FO CU S

Q L D WAT E R

B R AN CH N E W S

FE AT U R E AR T I CL E

T E CH N I CAL FO CU S

Q L D WAT E R

students on high rd wasp wars

lucinda 2016

Hon jackie trad mp

for supervisors

heavy metal fix

Noosa 2016

toowoomba ring rd

complete streets

wet wipe havoc

How effective is Icarus?

Danielle Lester explains p.66

NQ Branch Conference On delivering the State hosted by Hinchinbrook p.48 Infrastructure Plan p.10

Check out our updated Supervisor’s Handbook p.42

Fit for purpose design led to award winning water p.14

SWQ and SEQ Branch Conference 28-29 April p.20

Toowoomba’s award winning project p.10

Complete Streets up for review p.40

Sydney Water’s wet wipes woes cost millions p.18

The ultimate benchmarking challenge p.18

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

www.ipweaq.com

p.12

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

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ISSUE No.8

p.10

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

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ISSUE No.2

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

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ISSUE No.1

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | DEC 2020

www.ipweaq.com

ISSUE No.5

www.ipweaq.com

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

MEDIA KIT 2020 ENGINEERING

FOR PUBLIC WORKS ISSN 2652-6050 (ONLINE)

ISSUE NUMBER

18

ROAD WORKS

Future Transport Needs Innovation P 56

Who’s to Blame for Unsafe Roads?

P 48

Roads Pave a Way through COVID-19 downturn P 46

www.ipweaq.com

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS. ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | MEDIA KIT 2020

IPWEAQ is the peak body representing those actively involved in the public works sector in Queensland.

Our purpose is to enhance the quality of life for all Queensland communities by advancing the skills, knowledge and resources available to those involved in the planning and provision of public works and services.

Our Value Propositions 1 Members enjoy a strong sense of community through our proactive branch network.

2 Our Knowledge Centre is an essential resource for anyone involved in public works in Queensland.

3 Our quarterly e-journal is valued for its technical and industry relevant content.

4 IPWEAQ technical products are widelyadopted and are leading edge.

5 IPWEAQ conferences are must-attend events.

6 IPWEAQ’s comprehensive professional development program is innovative and exceeds the needs of members and industry.

7 Our water directorate (qldwater) strengths the urban water industry to maintain and improve the safety, health, wellbeing and sustainability of Queensland communities.

8 An IPWEAQ excellence award is highly sought after.

9 IPWEAQ upholds professional standards as an RPEQ assessor.

10 IPWEAQ influences government and industry.

PUBLICATION DATES Four issues per year: • March • June • September • December (conference feature)

Special editions: • Excellence Awards commemorative book • Annual Conference handbook (November)

Artwork and editorial due 15th day of prior month eg 15 February for March issue.

WHY ADVERTISE IN EPW? Your connection to thousands of professionals delivering projects for state and local government across Queensland.

Engineering for Public Works

Articles, reports, features and news on the public works sector in Queensland with a focus on the engineering of our communities.

Distribution:

Circulated quarterly to over 6,000 contacts across the sector and around the world.

Performance:

Over 150,000 digital impressions, more than 22,000 Reads and 600 Clicks.

Readers:

Engineers, technicians, surveyors, financial professionals, planners, designers, legislators, councillors and others involved in the delivery of public works and services.

EPW reaches more than 6,000 members, industry partners and local government decision-makers.

Top 5 countries reading EPW:

Australia

20,110

USA

1,184

New Zealand

186

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | MEDIA KIT 2020

UK

109

India

23

ADVERTISING RATES AND SPECIFICATIONS  Prices do not include artwork design  Prices are exclusive of GST  Artwork must be supplied in high-resolution print ready format - PDF preferred  No crop or bleed marks (except for full and double pages)

 Fonts must be embedded and graphics linked  Files supplied as CMYK colour space  Images must be at least 300dpi at the correct size  Large files can be sent via Dropbox

Front Cover - $3,490 per issue  Front cover image  Full page display ad

 Double page spread with 800 word feature article in first ten pages  Circulated to up to 500 contacts provided by you

FULL PAGE $1,200

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD $2,200

297mm x 210mm

297mm x 420mm

3mm bleed all edges

3mm bleed all edges

1/2 PAGE VERTICAL STRIP $780

HALF PAGE HORIZONTAL $780

1/4 PAGE $480

1/3 PAGE HORIZ STRIP $650 261mm x 90mm

124mm x 180mm

1/8 PAGE $370

124mm x 83.5mm 78mm x 180mm

62mm x 83.5mm

Johanna Vanling Relationship Manager

3647

07 3632 6803 Johanna.Vanling@ipweaq.com

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | MEDIA KIT 2020

www.ipweaq.com