National Outlook Summer 2011 by awardmagazine

JONATHAN CARTLEDGE Seizing the Sustainability Advantage

AUTUMN 2011

MATT COETZEE Responding to extreme events

JONATHAN RUSSELL National Registration of Engineers

NELSON DE SOUSA

Goodbye to the Trade Practices ACT 1974 (CTH)

FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT CONSULTANT

Seizing the Sustainability Advantage

February 2011

February

2011

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ADVANTAGE, COMPETITIVE BORATION FOR NMENT SUPPORTING COLLA BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRO NABLE AND A SUSTAI

SUPPORTI NG AND A SUST COLLABORATIO N FOR COM AINABLE PETITIVE BUILT AND ADVA NATURAL ENVIRONM NTAGE, ENT

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF CONSULT AUSTRALIA

Contents AUTUMN 2011

P10.

P18. INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE SKILLS TO BUILD – FEDERAL BUDGET 2011

CONSULT AUSTRALIA’S 2011-12 PRE-BUDGET SUBMISSION REINFORCES THE AGENDA ESTABLISHED IN OUR LEADING REPORT FROM 2010, TRANSPORTING AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE, ADVOCATING THE IMPORTANCE OF A SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE AS VITAL TO MAINTAINING AUSTRALIA’S LONGTERM PRODUCTIVITY. JONATHAN CARTLEDGE

COLUMNS

P26. BRIDGING THE GAP: CONNECTING SKILLED MIGRANTS TO LOCAL JOBS

From the President

From the CEO

THERE IS WIDESPREAD ACCEPTANCE THROUGHOUT INDUSTRY THAT THE STANDARDS SET BY ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA FOR CPENG AND NPER ARE APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE. JONATHAN RUSSELL

Consult Australia News

Seizing the Sustainability Advantage

P31.

Sustainability

Infrastructure

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PREPARE FOR NATIONAL REGISTRATION?

Economics & Taxation

Insurance

Skills & Resources

WHS

Techonology Corner

Energy Corner

Road Safety

State News

RedR

2010 Awards DVD

CONSULT AUSTRALIA HAS MADE ITS SUBMISSION TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN ITS PREPARATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH BUDGET FOR 2011-12. JONATHAN RUSSELL

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FROM THE PRESIDENT Jamie Shelton is the President of Consult Australia, Principal and the Sydney Regional Manager of Northrop Engineers.

MARCH 2011 I’m delighted to have been elected as your president at the December 2010 AGM, and I look forward to serving the Consult Australia membership over the coming two years. Sustainability, the theme of this National Outlook edition, is the most complex and challenging issue facing our industry and it’s fitting that I take this opportunity early in my presidency to share my thoughts. Having been on the Board for the last four years, I’ve been at the centre of Consult Australia’s discussions on sustainability, and more precisely what role this association should play in this very broad field. Sustainability can be a very emotive subject, it can have a dramatic impact on our personal, professional and business lives and it can mean very different things to different people. We have, during this time, established our position within the spectrum of views and identified how we can contribute to the huge task at hand and facilitate our member’s contribution to this global issue. At one end of the spectrum was the opinion that we adopt a neutral position, at the other end were a variety of strong views. It became apparent that adopting an idealistic view, one without compromise, one lacking acknowledgement of the commercial and political realities in which we do business, would not only alienate parts of our membership but would place limitations on how Consult Australia functions within the sustainability space. The principles behind Consult Australia’s policy position on sustainability and how we will serve the membership can be summarised as:

T o take a position on significant sustainability issues, and that the position is informed, responsible and constructive; and T o adopt policy positions on issues of sustainability that reflect the majority view of our membership and that by supporting such positions the Association can bring the greatest benefit to our membership. Sustainability is not a single issue, but a vast array of interwoven complex considerations that vary from biodiversity to population targets, from land-use planning to carbon pricing. Consult Australia draws on the expertise within its membership to develop an understanding of the issues and to formulate appropriate and constructive positions. To some extent it’s a balancing act between taking a strong position on the important issue of sustainability and being understanding of the commercial and social environments in which our members operate. Generally, all issues of sustainability involve adaption through changed behaviours and we understand that the rate of change varies dramatically among the businesses that constitute our membership and their clients. There will undoubtedly be occasions when members would like the Association to take a particular stance or lobby a point of view that is counter to our position. Our position at such times will be guided by the potential benefits that can come from our support or otherwise of particular agendas or policies. The value of alignment with other industry bodies or political will is an important consideration: • To provide an informed opinion and assist the government, our membership and the public in understanding the issues.

Australia’s membership are many of the country’s leading expert practitioners. By drawing on this knowledge base, Consult Australia can make a valuable contribution to the debate in which too often the voice of the experienced professional who practices in ‘the natural and built environment’ is missing among the academic, economic and political voices. E ducation and support for the membership across issues of sustainability, sustainable project outcomes and sustainable business practices; and T o walk the talk. The operations of the Association are to be guided by the principles of sustainable business practice. Consult Australia’s Sustainability Roundtable has just launched its first thought leadership paper Seizing the Sustainability Advantage. This considerable piece of work, written by a collective of our membership, makes four concise key recommendations. The first, to put a price on carbon, is widely recognised as the key to industry transformation towards a low carbon economy. The political will and influence of the federal government will be tested during 2011 as industry interests are weighed up against those of the consumers and ultimately the environment. There will be some pain involved, and the longer we wait the more painful it gets, the government’s task is to determine how to share this pain without excessive economic consequences but with real carbon reduction outcomes. Consult Australia will be part of this debate.

Jamie Shelton President

Sustainable living frequently concerns areas of professional expertise, and within Consult

National Outlook Editor Megan Motto Communication & Production Coordinator Brandon Vigon Advertising Enquiries Brandon Vigon (03) 8844 5822 *112 Email: brandon@nationaloutlook.com.au

National Outlook is produced by Consult Australia. Phone: (02) 9922 4711. Website: www.consultaustralia.com.au

and MediaEDGE Communication Australia. Phone: (03) 8844 5822. Fax: (03) 9824 1188. President Jamie Shelton Chief Executive Megan Motto National Operations Manager Julia Lemercier Director of Policy Jonathan Cartledge Policy Adviser Jonathan Russell Policy Adviser Nelson de Sousa Member Services Manager Cathy Mitchell Events Manager Nicole Pusic Designer Voltaire Corpuz Education & Training Coordinator Daniel Condon Finance Yingying Lin Executive Assistant (CEO & Kerri Clifford Executive Assistant (Operations) Morgan Bailey Immigration Officer Svetlana McNeil Editorial Submissions GPO Box 56, Sydney NSW 2001 This Magazine has been printed with Vegetable Based Inks using Certified Environmental Management System ISO 14001, on Mega Recycled FSC Silk made up of 50 per cent recycled post consumer waste and 50 per cent FSC certified fibre.

Policy)

National Outlook © 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, internet or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publishers accept no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in this publication.

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

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FROM THE CEO Megan Motto is the Chief Executive of Consult Australia

MARCH 2011 The summer of 2011 has presented many challenges for Australians and our neighbours across the Tasman. The natural disasters we are experiencing bring to life the reality of climate change and our ability to design for resilience in the future. The recovery from those events will also serve to highlight some other critical considerations for our industry going forward, such as capability development and collaboration, long term quality planning and infrastructure funding. Many, including Consult Australia, are taking an active role in the reconstruction efforts, and whilst the important work of restoring quality of life to those affected is both urgent and critical, other longer term considerations should also take place. For example, this mass-scale reconstruction will provide an opportunity to redesign our cities with a heightened consideration of the potential parameters of the effects of climate change. This presents an opportunity to not just rebuild, but to do so in such a way that increases resilience, prosperity, productivity and liveability in our communities. There is also potential in these situations to re-visit the common methodologies and behaviours in the procurement and delivery of projects. The period immediately after such disasters often brings about the best in humankind. Rather than seeking to apportion

blame, or selfishly serve themselves, we have witnessed great acts of heroism and kindness but also, importantly, we have seen how much can be accomplished in short timeframes through collaboration and a ‘best for project’ mentality. If these behaviours can be adopted as the default position for the building and construction sector on a longer term basis, then perhaps the sector can also build a better future for itself as well. On behalf of all the staff and members of Consult Australia, my heartfelt best wishes go out to all those who are trying to rebuild their homes, businesses and lives. It is in times such as these that the significance of the expertise provided by professional services consultants in our industry comes to the fore. The critical question is, will we take this opportunity to assert our authority and apply our intellect to create the step change that the community needs? The design of individual infrastructure projects, whilst important, is only a small portion of the big picture. It is critical that built environment consultants step up to the plate in terms of being the ‘expert advisor’ to government, and look at broader policy issues such as planning, population and demographic modelling and management, econometric modelling, taxation policy as it relates to infrastructure funding, scenario planning for resilience etc. Our member’s strength is in their multidisciplinary, holistic

THE DESIGN OF INDIVIDUAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WHILST IMPORTANT, IS ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE BIG PICTURE. IT IS CRITICAL THAT BUILT ENVIRONMENT CONSULTANTS STEP UP TO THE PLATE IN TERMS OF BEING THE ‘EXPERT ADVISOR’ TO GOVERNMENT, AND LOOK AT BROADER POLICY ISSUES SUCH AS PLANNING, POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC MODELLING AND MANAGEMENT, ECONOMETRIC MODELLING, TAXATION POLICY AS IT RELATES TO INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING, SCENARIO PLANNING FOR RESILIENCE ETC.

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

approach, and governments should leverage off of that. This broader approach will feature prominently at the Consult Australia conference Built Environment 2050 - Trends for the Future in Brisbane from 31 March - 1 April. It will also be the topic of discussion at the Built Environment Meets Parliament (BEMP) event on 22 June 2011. It is critical that Consult Australia continues to represent our members in these important forums, and I hope to see many of you there.

Megan Motto CEO

A REVOLUTION IN VENTILATION Edmonds, the world leader in turbine ventilator technology, proudly introduces the ecopower range of ventilators, now including the ecopower EP900. These ventilators are the worlds first true hybrid ventilators that will work in all conditions, even when there is no wind. They provide peak performance with remarkably low energy consumption. ®

Rates determined for the following parameters: o • Stack height = 3m • Temperature difference 10 C • Flow rates calculated according to AS4740

Effective ventilation is important for all workplaces to provide suitable comfort and air quality conditions. Natural ventilators have performed this function for nearly 80 years. However they lack reliability due to their dependence on favourable environmental conditions. These natural ventilators also have performance limitations; e.g. they cannot increase ventilation rates to meet peak needs. ecopower ® is the next generation in reliable, high performance, energy efficient ventilation. This Australian patented invention combines German electronic commutating (EC) motor technology with Edmonds’ world renowned Hurricane ventilator design. The motor is mounted in a direct drive configuration, with the bearing system of the motor acting as the bearing for the ventilator. This radical design concept allows the ventilator to be driven by wind only, or by wind and electric power simultaneously. ecopower ® has demonstrated a greater ability to extract heat than conventional natural ventilators.

Key benefits of the ecopower ® are: ● Can be controlled by various means; e.g. temperature, time, wind speed, humidity, gas concentration etc.; ● Has no ‘fan and motor assembly’ in the throat. Without this obstruction, flow rates can be increased by around 40% in wind driven mode; ● Has low noise levels, less than 50dB(A) at 3m, which offers very quiet operation; ● Even the high performance EP900 only weighs 30kg, making the whole range easy to handle and install; ● Uses 240VAC single phase power, which means no significant electrical rework or new power supply. The ecopower ® offers extraordinary electrical energy efficiency, which, when coupled with the high performance and low noise, makes it an ideal choice of ventilator for a wide range of applications.

Rates determined for the following parameters: • Stack height = 3m • Wind Speed = 10.8km/h o • Varying temperature difference (range 3–15 C) • Flow rates calculated according to AS4740

For further information contact Edmonds on: Phone: 1300 858 674 Fax: 1300 852 674 Email: sales@edmonds.com.au Web: www.hybridvent.com.au

ecopower ® Model

EP400 EP600 EP900

Maximum Exhaust 3 Rate m /hr 2400 4280 10000

Power (W) 68 116 260

Specific Flow 3 Rate m /hr/W

BE SURE WITH

38 41 46

CONSULT AUSTRALIA NEWS

CONSULT AUSTRALIA WELCOMES CATHY MITCHELL Consult Australia is pleased to welcome newly appointed Member Services Manager, Cathy Mitchell to its national office team. Cathy joined Consult Australia in February as Member Services Manager and brings extensive experience in strategic marketing, gained within a number of high profile organisations and industry associations.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT 2050: TRENDS FOR THE FUTURE

At Consult Australia, we’re once again gearing up for our annual conference and exhibition with this year’s event set to take place in Brisbane at the Victoria Park Golf Complex from 30 March – 1 April. Aptly titled Built Environment 2050-Trends for the Future, the conference will feature discussions and thought provoking ideas about what the consulting industry will look like in 2050. We’re proud to have secured an impressive line-up of high profile speakers, including Queensland’s Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, the Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe MP. Other Conference Speakers include: Professor Tim Flannery: Delegates will be enthralled as Professor Flannery tells the fascinating story of how the climate has changed over millions of years to help them understand the predicament we face today. In authoritative yet accessible language, Professor Flannery will carefully lay out the science, demonstrating the substantial, human-induced climate change and the 8

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

She will be overseeing all aspects of Consult Australia’s member services offering and working on the Association’s strategic positioning. All national marketing, media and sponsorship activities will fall within her remit. Cathy can be contacted via email on cathy@consultaustralia.com.au or by phoning (02) 9922 4711.

CONSULT AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE PROGRAM LOOKS TO BE MOST EXCITING YET likely ecological effects to the planet if this process continues. Avril Henry: Avril Henry will explore the question, ‘What is best practise, both for today and the future?’ Ms Henry will highlight the emerging trends in the workplace around flexibility, job structure and staff retention. Richard Neville: Acclaimed futurist and author, Richard Neville will challenge delegates to envision what the world will look like in 2050. Mr Neville will empower audiences to contemplate a range of possible futures and question whether there is a pattern behind the blur and what the driving forces of change are. In addition to hearing valuable insights and advice on improving their consulting skills, delegates will also earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points in risk, business and management. The event is also an opportunity to help support the Queensland economy in the wake of the recent devastating floods and Cyclone Yasi.

Registrations of five or more will attract a 15 per cent discount and a special rate is also available to FutureNet members. Places are filling up fast so be quick to avoid disappointment. For more information, including a full copy of the conference program, or to download a registration form, visit http://www.consultaustralia.com. au/2011conference/index.html. Please note there are also a limited number of exhibition spaces available. If you’d like to register your interest, please contact Consult Australia Member Services Manager, Cathy Mitchell on (02) 9922 4711 or email cathy@ consultaustralia.com.au.

Cathy Mitchell

BUILT ENVIRONMENT 2050: TRENDS FOR THE FUTURE future trends in: • Infrastructure and Planning • Work Environments • Leadership • Contracts and Insurance

You are invited to attend Consult Australia’s 2011 Conference in Brisbane’s Victoria Park Golf Complex & Function Venue Situated just two kilometres from Brisbane CBD, Victoria Park Golf Complex & Function Venue is an inner city sanctuary combining state of the art golf and function facilities in the one stunning setting.

Registration Costs: Member Delegates $990* Non-Member Delegates $1320* FutureNet 1/2 Day Package (incl. Cocktails) $330* *(GST inclusive)

MEMBERS ONLY 15% OFF CORPORATE PACKAGE To take advantage of this special package simply purchase five or more Full Conference Package Tickets in one transaction and receive 15% off the total value.

To book tickets for the 2011 Consult Australia National Conference or for further information visit the website on www.consultaustralia.com. au/2011conference or contact Nicole Pusic on 02 9922 4711 or via email nicole@consultaustralia.com.au

Avril Henry

Speakers include:

Tony Horan

Avril Henry Tony Horan

Tim Flannery

Tim Flannery Mike Zorbas

Michael Zorbas

Keith Dugdale

Keith Dugdale Richard Neville and more...

Join us to shape tomorrow’s future • www.consultaustralia.com.au/2011conference

SEIZING THE SUSTAINABILITY ADVANTAGE Jonathan Cartledge is the Director of Policy for Consult Australia. Jonathan represents the needs and interests of Consult Australia member firms across the finance, infrastructure and sustainability portfolios. Jonathan can be reached at jonathan@consultaustralia.com.au

SEIZING THE SUSTAINABILITY ADVANTAGE WITH POLICIES AND PROGRAMS FRAGMENTED ACROSS GOVERNMENTS, PORTFOLIOS AND AGENCIES, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR A FRESH APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY. In February this year, Consult Australia launched a blueprint for reform aimed towards achieving a sustainable Australia, Seizing the Sustainability Advantage. “Consult Australia’s member firms’ own business advantage is based on harnessing Australia’s best minds in design, engineering and new technologies. Seizing the Sustainability Advantage draws substantially on this expertise and was developed by the Consult Australia Sustainability Roundtable.” Seizing the Sustainability Advantage outlines the challenges in achieving a sustainable future and the barriers to action that have been identified as being of ongoing concern to the development of best-practice solutions, namely:  Policy and program development for sustainability is fragmented across portfolios, government departments and agencies;  Policies and programs appear unsupported by any comprehensive process evaluating their costs and benefits (or lessons learned) ;  Fear campaigns and scaremongering make for ill-informed opinion that distorts policy development; and  The need to promote adaptation in the built environment to achieve sustainability in the face of future economic, demographic and climate change needs to be urgently prioritised. Against these barriers, the need for immediate action to improve the efficiency of our economy, mitigate climate change and adapt to change is clear. “Even at the levels of mitigation that now seem to be the best possible, the challenges could be considerable. In the absence of mitigation, we can be reasonably sure that they would be bad beyond normal experience. We know that immense shocks unsettle 10

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

February 2011

Seizing the Sustainability Advantage

basic institutions, with unfathomable consequences. We know that the possibilities from climate change include shocks far more severe than others in the past that have exceeded society’s capacity to cope, and moved societies to the point of fracture.”

SUPPORTING COLLABORATION FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, AND A SUSTAINABLE BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

The Garnaut Climate Change Review, Final Report, September 2008 In response, Seizing the Sustainability Advantage proposes a range of recommendations: 1) A price on carbon within the next twelve months to incentivise business R&D, innovation and investment in new technologies:  Set to achieve the behavioral changes required;  Drive low carbon solutions through cost benefit analysis and the demand for value for money outcomes;

and effective community and business engagement, are widely supported by stakeholders. 3) A National Sustainability Framework to create a cohesive agenda for sustainability operating across governments:  Decision making accounting for environmental, social and economic impacts;  Provide tools that help identify the environmental, economic and social costs of policy;

 Incentivise business R&D, innovation and investment in new technologies; and

 P rovide consistency across states and territories;

 Account for the needs of SMEs and emissions-intensive industries.

 Fully involve local and regional authorities, non-government organisations and industry;

2) A Commission for a Sustainable Australia (CSA), established through COAG to:  Integrate the agreement for a price on carbon within a broader sustainability framework;  Provide a vehicle for collaboration and alignment between research institutions, governments, consulting professionals, industry and community organisations;  Evaluate, develop and advocate policy solutions and champion reforms that achieve genuinely sustainable outcomes; and  Provide recommendations that, by virtue of the Commission’s reputation and integrity,

 Provide effective integration of national, state and local policy and planning;  Adopt long-term timeframes including intergenerational principles and indicators;  Identify and deter breaches of framework requirements;  Provide a clear strategy for monitoring and assessment with clear indicators;  Apply positive state policy at a national level; and  Mandate government leadership through model government procurement. 4) A nationally consistent adaptation plan to protect Australia against the threat of damage from climate

SEIZING THE SUSTAINABILITY ADVANTAGE Seizing the Sustainability Advantage is available for download at: www.consultaustralia.com.au Learning from International Experience Seizing the Sustainability Advantage demonstrates how, with political will, transformation is possible. International experience informs this perspective. In 2008, the Government of South Korea announced a long-term plan for low carbon green growth as a central feature of President Lee Myung-Bak’s agenda. The Presidential Committee on Green Growth (PCGG) draws on experts from policy, finance, culture and the arts as well as ‘green growth’ related fields of climate change, energy, green technology and green industry. PCGG leads the Government’s reform agenda through an extensive green stimulus package (some USD $38.1 billion, or four per cent of GDP to be implemented from 2009-2012). change, and help us manage other demographic and economic changes already forecast:  Establish how prepared the public and private sector are;  Establish value-at-risk in recommending scenarios outlining the impact of climate, economic and demographic change;  Include adaptation considerations in planning and construction approvals;  Consider changes to urban infrastructure;  Adjust regulatory and policy frameworks to account for required adaptation requirements;  Review social services and changing community needs;  Provide clear recommendations for the modification of planning frameworks, legislation and design guidelines; and  Prioritise the preservation of ecosystems which do not have the means to adapt. 5) Developing and continuing to implement policies that support the efficient use of water, waste and energy resources, including a National White Certificate Scheme and longterm support for green depreciation and investments improving the efficiency of existing building stock. But how can this vision for a sustainable Australia be realised? While the recently announced Climate Commission and appointment of Chief Commissioner, Professor Tim Flannery is an important step in the right direction, Seizing the Sustainability Advantage outlines more ambitious reform and demands a broader approach.

Professor Ross Garnaut to his 2008 Review, and February’s release by the Australian Industry Group of their analysis of the impact of rising energy prices, the role of a price on carbon, and the importance of a renewed focus on energy efficiency across the economy further underscores the importance of action now. We have to make sure that all the options for reform outlined in Seizing the Sustainability Advantage are thoroughly explored. Policy debate needs to focus on ‘how’ rather than ‘should we’. Above all, strong leadership is required to drive practical action by governments in the short, medium and long-term to mitigate the risks of climate change and help ensure Australia’s ongoing competitiveness. Consult Australia will continue to advocate for debate on reform, and in communicating this report in the coming months, facilitate ongoing discussions with government, industry and the broader community to identify how these recommendations might be implemented, and what further changes are required in the months and years ahead.

A five-year plan for Green Growth supports the stimulus and seeks to embody three strategies of: 1) Tackling climate change and securing energy independence; 2) Creating new growth engines; and 3) Improving the quality of life and strengthening the status of the country (see www.greengrowth.go.kr). In the United Kingdom, the National Strategy for Sustainable Development - Securing the Future (2005) commits to: “Pursue the goal of sustainable development to enable people to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy an improved quality of life without compromising the quality of life for future generations, in an integrated way.“ The Strategy encourages a productive and innovative economy, a just society, the protection and enhancement of the physical and natural environment, efficient use of resources and a clear understanding and commitment to sustainable development.

CONSULT AUSTRALIA WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR DEBATE ON REFORM, AND IN COMMUNICATING THIS REPORT IN THE COMING MONTHS, FACILITATE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY HOW THESE RECOMMENDATIONS MIGHT BE IMPLEMENTED, AND WHAT FURTHER CHANGES ARE REQUIRED IN THE MONTHS AND YEARS AHEAD.

The recent update reports released by AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

SEIZING THE SUSTAINABILITY ADVANTAGE The Strategy includes the following key elements:

 Sustainability principles;  Sustainability indicators (international, national and regional);

ThE ChALLENGE

S IN AChIEVING

 Government buying standards;

 Partnerships for Sustainable development. The UK Government has stated that sustainable development is relevant to the policies and operations of all government departments and bodies. Every department has created a Sustainable Development Action Plan detailing its commitments. Seizing the Sustainability Advantage highlights this international experience as a model for future reform in Australia.

Climate Change in Australia The Australian Govern ment has recognized climate change as The Garnaut Climate a critical environmenta Change Review in its l and economic issue. Final Report of Septem ber 2008 states: ‘Even at the levels of mitigation that now seem to be be considerable. the best possible, In the absence of the challenges could mitigation, we can bad beyond norma be reasonably sure l experience. that they would be We know that immen se shocks unsettle basic institutions, with unfathomab le consequences. We know that the possibilities from climate change includ others in the past e shocks far more that have exceed severe than ed societ y’s capaci point of fracture.’ ty to cope, and moved societies to the Climate change poses a significant and immed Shortages in water iate threat not only supplies and the deplet to Australia but the entire world. ion of non-renewab degree of collaboration le natural resources and innovation to demand an unpara safeguard our curren lleled t and future prospe rity. Our responses to climate change must be consid sustainable future. ered as just part of If we see sustainability a more substantial move towards achiev only through the rubric to broader system ing a ic issues (for examp of climate change le, demographic change then we risk failure sustainability as an in responding , affordability, health end goal. and social equity) that also demand In recent times, basic economic survival after the global econom the backburner for ic crisis has placed much of the develo the higher ideals for ped and developing to transform our approa sustainability on world. But now is ch to this issue. As not the time to take we enter a period is more important a step back. We need of increasing uncert than ever to find a ainty in responses path through the politics by governments, it . The challenges are real and must not be underestimated, achievable: provid but the solutions—an ed we seize the advant d a sustainable future— age. are readily 6 Consult Australia

Seizing Sustainabil

ity Advantage.indd

SUSTAINABILITy

Sustainability is not a new concept and can be applied to social or environmenta the use, but not degen l resources. Environ eration, of financial, mental sustainability advancement in scienti economic, has been brought fic knowledge has to the forefront of highlighted the damag assets and resources the discussion as e we are able to do, of our planet. It has and have done, to brought us to a critical resources to the maxim the natural juncture between um extent, and attemp our approach of exploit and sustainable future. ting to find the pathw ing these ay towards practic es necessary for a prosperous Sustainability has been continually defined and developed since by the UN World Comm it was first placed ission on Environment on the international as ‘development that and Development political agenda (WCED) in 1987. Sustain meets the needs of the present world able development meet their needs.’ without compromisin was defined Much progress has g the ability of future been made in the however, as our unders last 23 years in develo generations to tanding of the natura ping sustainable practic l environment increas unsustainable practic e and culture; es, the extent of damag es, and the essent ial need for change e we have caused , has become appare through nt. References to ‘sustain ability’ and ‘climat e change’ are often between these two made interchangeab issues. Climate change ly without drawing , referring to curren considered just one a distinction t and forecast change of the consequences s in weather pattern of unsustainable practic s, can be es adopted by past and current genera tions.

 Priority areas; and

Jonathan Cartledge

Sustainable devel opment was define needs of the prese d as ‘developme nt nt generations to meet world without compromising the that meets the ability of future their needs.’

BARRIERS TO ACT

ION

The approach advoca ted in this paper is a first response to frustrations experie the barriers and nced by Consult Austra lia members, and others to develop tangible solutions towards attempting a sustainable future. demand the consid These barriers eration of an integra ted economy-wide approach to sustain and spatial ability. Some of those more commonly encoun barriers are outline d below to help contex tered tualise the need for urgent reform: > Environmental, social and econom ic sustainability princip appropriately and les are not consistently recogn ised in decision making levels of government. across all The absence of a clear commitment to all sustainable develo aspects of pment, enshrined in legislation at a nation contributed to uncert al level, has ainty as to how to put sustainability into levels of government, practice at all in business and in the community. > Fear campaigns and scaremongering foster ill-informed influences and distort public opinion that s policy development . Policy debate needs on ‘How?’ rather than to focus ‘Should we?’ For examp about the merits of le, ongoing politica an emissions trading l debate scheme and carbon from the development pricing distract of the best possible economic model require achieve a sustainable future. d to > Complacency and a perspective that we should not lead ‘follow the leader’ best practice but guides public opinio n and policy develo pment. > Policy and progra m development for sustainability tends traditional approach to follow the of delivering policie s through discrete As a consequence ministries. it is fragmented across multiple ministerial government depart portfolios, ments and agencies, with no clear leaders collaboration or coordin hip, ation to avoid duplica tion and help ensure appropriate prioriti sation. > Policy and progra ms that incentivise industr y development sustainable outcom risk distorting es where businesses focus more on bottom -line savings. > Where policies and programs are implemented, they by any comprehensi appear unsupported ve process evaluating their costs and benefi lessons learned) agains ts (or t higher level objecti ves for sustainable complementarities outcomes, with other policies and programs, or overseas experience. > The need to promo te adaptation in the built environment sustainability in the to achieve face of future econom ic, demographic and change is not sufficie climate ntly prioritised or incenti vised through existin settings. g policy Delivering sustainable outcomes is a comple x undertaking that conventional approa challenges the ches of government and demands a new collaboratively rather way of working than in silos. To remain globally relevant and it is essential that Austra competitive, lian governments at all levels move as quickly possible towards a more integrated, collabo as rative approach.

In cities all over the world people are facing the same challeng e, how to accommodate growth, maintain appropriate economic vitality, community health and well being, whilst mitigating and adapting to climate change. Of course regional/state and central/ federal governments around the world also understand this challeng e – but it seems that only a few nations have overcome the governa nce impasse, and found a way of achievin g policy alignment and the appropr iate enablers so that all three levels of government can work together. At the City of Sydney, in the absence of clarity from above – we decided we would work out exactly how we would tackle sustaina ble city planning and see how far we could get by managing up. We decided that in order to become a credible and capable partner in change – we needed to do the work, have the evidenc e and build our capacity. So with a great deal of help we developed our Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan. Essentia lly we have taken it upon ourselve s to be the mediators of change – which is probably the most importa nt thing Local Government can provide – but it is extremely difficult in an unaligned, or absent, policy framework.

Monica Barone CEO, City of Sydney

February 2011 Febr uary 2011

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Seizing The Sustainab

ility Advantage 7

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Seizing the Sustainability Advantage

SUPPORTING COLLABORATION FOR COMPETITIVE ADVA NTAGE, AND A SUSTAINABLE BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONM ENT

PURSUE THE GOAL OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO SATISFY THEIR BASIC NEEDS AND ENJOY AN IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, IN AN INTEGRATED WAY.

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

SEIZING THE SUSTAINABILITY ADVANTAGE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; KEY RECOMMENDATIONS Federal Minister for Sustainability

Commission for a Sustainable Australia (CSA)

> Integrate the agreement for a price on carbon within a broader sustainability framework. > Provide a vehicle for collaboration and alignment between research institutions, governments, consulting professionals, industry and community organisations. > Evaluate, develop and advocate policy solutions and champion reforms that safeguard Australia against climate change and achieve genuinely sustainable outcomes. > Be empowered to provide recommendations that, by virtue of the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation and integrity and effective community and business engagement, are widely supported by stakeholders.

State & Local Governments

Research Institutions & Academia

Industry

Community

National Framework for Sustainability

National Adaptation Plan for Action

AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

SEIZING THE SUSTAINABILITY ADVANTAGE

Top Left: Cameron Frazer (Sustainability Victoria) Top: Ashak Nathwani (Norman Disney & Young)

Seizing the Sustainability Advantage Melbourne launch Seizing the Sustainability Advantage was launched in Melbourne on 23 February. Chair of the Sustainability Roundtable, Ashak Nathwani, (Director, Norman Disney & Young) provided an overview of the report. Grattan Institute Chief Executive, John Daley reflected on the report’s key recommendations, noting the importance of a carbon price (set at an appropriate level) to drive behaviour change and support innovation and new technologies.

Sustainability Victoria General Manager – Business & Industry, Cameron Frazer discussed the report from a Victorian Government perspective. Mr. Frazer outlined the partnerships being built between Sustainability Victoria and industry to facilitate change and progress towards a more sustainable approach to business by industry at all levels. Seizing the Sustainability Advantage was made possible through the generous contributions provided by Ashak Nathwani (Norman Disney

A Carbon Price by 2012 As this National Outlook goes to print, the announcement by the government on 24 February, confirming the timetable for the introduction of a carbon price (from 1 July 2012) is welcomed by Consult Australia. This picks up the first of the recommendations from Seizing the Sustainability Advantage and continues to progress the Government’s agenda in this space. However, without further detail about the price at which this will be introduced, nor arrangements that determine the accommodation of SME and Emissions Intensive Trade Exposed Industries, there is still significant uncertainty for industry on the full implications of this important reform.

Jonathan Cartledge

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

& Young); Andrew Arendsen (AECOM); Robert Casimaty (pitt&sherry); Gillian Hand-Smith (MWH); Sean Holland (Aurecon); Alex Horn (URS); Donna Pershke (URS); Emma Synnott (Arup); and Stella Whittaker. Consult Australia would also like to thank all members of the Sustainability Roundtable who provided peer review.

Jonathan Cartledge

SUSTAINABILITY

IVEN MAREELS - UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

SECURING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE MENTION SUSTAINABILITY OR CLIMATE CHANGE AND YOU ARE SURE TO START A LIVELY DISCUSSION. AT PRESENT NO OTHER TOPIC, APART FROM RELIGION, SEEMS TO ATTRACT MORE DIVERGING OPINIONS. THIS SHOULD NOT SURPRISE US. OUR OWN LIFE EXPERIENCES FROM WHICH WE DERIVE OUR WORLD VIEW ARE BOTH SPATIALLY AND TEMPORALLY LIMITED. SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE INVOLVE TIME AND SPATIAL SCALES THAT ARE BEYOND OUR EXPERIENCE. such as NICTA and CSIRO, credible, critical mass endeavours are formed that can translate ideas into practical solutions for society, faster than ever before.

ITS SUBSTANTIAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BASE IS INCREASINGLY GEARED TO LOOK AT SUSTAINABILITY, WITH ENTIRE RESEARCH INSTITUTES DEVOTED TO ENERGY, WATER AND SUSTAINABLE SOCIETIES. IT HAS ADOPTED A SUSTAINABLE BUILDING POLICY.

Sustainability is only a meaningful concept, and indeed can only be comprehended, on very long time scales. Worse still, it is easily argued from the basic laws of nature that sustainability, as such, is elusive. At best, we can hope for a meaningful humanity for as long as the sun supplies earth with an acceptable amount of solar radiation. Equally, climate change is not readily observed. It is but a statistical or mathematical property of the weather. To argue about climate change, we have to rely on mathematical models that involve both spatial and temporal scales that are super-human. Contemplating sustainability or climate change inevitably requires some leap of faith. Of course that is not the end of the matter. For example, the citizens of Melbourne have clearly contributed to a more sustainable urban living experience through their personal response to water restriction measures. Equally, many corporations try to operate sustainability. The engineering company Better Place aims for a fossil-fuel-free land transport system. IBM has thrown its weight behind its ‘smarter planet’ initiative. Nevertheless, most actions for sustainability and reactions to climate change are rather tentative. Moreover, local Australian efforts, no matter how meaningful in the Australian context, will simply be dwarfed by the worldwide need to cater for an ever growing world population, with concomitant energy needs. It is becoming increasingly clear that the ‘business as usual’ response will not suffice. Several UN reports firmly state the world will fail miserably in attaining its millennium goals

under this scenario. Worse, in the process we will cause ever greater weather extremes affecting more and more people. What is required is a clear vision and decisive leadership. Indeed the world does not lack natural resources. Water and energy are abundantly available. The sun provides earth with more than 1,000 times the energy required to support the entire world population comfortably. We have the technology and know-how to cater for twice the present population, but we need to change our ways fundamentally. Just as climate change and sustainability do not recognise national boundaries, we have to learn to collaborate across cultural and national divides.

More broadly, the group of eight universities is starting to collaborate to bring their combined resources to bear on how a meaningful response for sustainability in the face of unprecedented population growth can be achieved, here and in our region. Clearly the combined effect of many working in sustainability will result in a more sustainable future for all. Even so, time is against us. A more decisive response is required to avoid the detrimental effects of climate change and present unsustainable practices. Australia and the world needs a vision for energy and water services; a clear vision that can rally the necessary resources to deliver.

Iven Mareels Dean, Melbourne School of Engineering, University of Melbourne

Most disappointingly, instead of taking decisive action, we hide behind excuses like “it costs too much” or “someone else has to take the economic risk first”. What misery! What price do we put on planet earth? What is the present net value of future generations? At the University of Melbourne we have started to put ‘sustainability talk’ into action. The University is cutting its water usage and carbon footprint drastically. It engages suppliers that share its philosophy of sustainability. It looks towards recycling and reducing its volume of land fill waste and so on. Its substantial research and development base is increasingly geared to look at sustainability, with entire research institutes devoted to energy, water and sustainable societies. It has adopted a sustainable building policy. Through partnerships with industry, government and other research providers, AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

SUSTAINABILITY

MATT COETZEE - AURECON

SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT: RESPONDING TO EXTREME EVENTS AUSTRALIA, PARTICULARLY QUEENSLAND, HAS RECENTLY BEEN STRUCK BY A SEQUENCE OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS. CYCLONE YASI AND THE FLOODS OF DECEMBER 2010 / JANUARY 2011 SAW MORE THAN 75 PER CENT OF QUEENSLAND OFFICIALLY DECLARED A DISASTER ZONE. The impact on infrastructure and homes was devastating but the scale of the tragedy became even more apparent as heartbreaking news of human fatalities was relayed by Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh. Sustainable urban development is a useful concept in considering opportunities to alleviate the impact of extreme weather events, and extreme floods in particular. Sustainable urban development provides a framework focused on creating urban communities where both the current and future needs of residents are met. There are two important principles, resilience and connectivity, that underpin sustainable urban development:  By defining the risks associated with potential extreme events and translating those risks into planning and design solutions, urban planners attempt to increase an urban feature’s capacity to absorb change. This capacity, otherwise known as its resilience, allows it to persist in the face of the change and thereby improves its sustainability.  The elements of the physical, biological, social and economic system in which we operate are fundamentally connected. This interconnectivity is relevant in all systems, but particularly in urban environments, where the proximity of the component elements and the frequency of interactions are higher. These high-level principles point to four areas of response available to help manage the impact of extreme flood events. 1. MANAGING EXISTING DEVELOPMENTS AND STRUCTURES IN AREAS AT RISK OF FLOODING The most effective means of minimising the impacts of flooding is of course, not to have people and critical infrastructure in a floodplain, however this may not always be a practical or even desirable solution. Having 16

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROVIDES A MECHANISM FOR FRAMING NUMEROUS ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE CHALLENGES OF EXTREME EVENTS. WHEN APPLIED TO THE PROCESS OF EFFECTIVE DECISION-MAKING, THE CONCEPT OF CONNECTIVITY ALLOWS US TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF REMOVING RESTRICTIVE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES AND BUREAUCRATIC BOUNDARIES THAT CAN LIMIT THE SCOPE OF DECISION MAKING.

recognised that some developments need to remain in these locations, the traditional response has been to add resilience through structural flood mitigation works, such as levees or channel improvements. These are aimed at modifying a flood’s behaviour to keep it away from infrastructure, homes and people. An alternative approach, with a clearer focus on the well known connectivity between a catchment development and consequent flood intensity in a floodplain, would likely offer additional flood management options. Key features of such an approach would include:  Managing catchment vegetation cover;  Protecting catchment wetlands; and  Minimising the extent of impermeable surfaces. Each of the above initiatives would reduce the intensity of downstream flood events. A frequent challenge with this approach however, is differences in the responsible management structures for catchments versus floodplains because they are often geographically separated. Catchments and floodplains may be managed by different local government areas, by different departments or even by different states.

the negative impact of flooding is minimised. In many parts of the world, floodplains are being restored to give rivers room to flood safely and floodplain lands have been converted to serve more flood-resilient uses, including pasture, forestry, recreation, and nature conservation. The holistic and integrated thinking that underpins this type of ‘land-use’ response is extremely attractive, but does come with some challenges. In Australia, floodplain land has traditionally served industrial, agricultural and residential uses. This is because rivers have been such an important transport route for this country, the rich soils have provided attractive agricultural land, and waterside living is considered attractive. Re-allocating floodplain land away from its traditional uses may have a number of knock-on effects, the first being the need for land in other areas. Specifically, this may have a range of economic and social consequences, including urban sprawl, excessive competition for alternative land and the development of additional and costly infrastructure needs etc.

It is therefore necessary to consider governance approaches and structures which explicitly recognise the connectivity between these areas and ensure sympathy for the needs of both when developing management solutions.

The planning response required to ensure a fully functional and sustainable community throughout this kind of land re-allocation and redevelopment would be most effective if it were underpinned by a governance structure with broad ranging scope and jurisdiction, both geographically and in the issues it were able to address.

2. M ANAGING FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS WHICH MAY BE BUILT IN AREAS AT RISK OF FLOODING

3. MANAGING THE RESIDUAL RISKS OF FLOOD EVENTS THAT EXCEED MANAGEMENT MEASURES

As indicated above, limiting development in floodplains is the best mechanism to ensure

Certain events are so extreme that the most thorough and comprehensive management

SUSTAINABILITY plans are not be able to eliminate their impact. In these situations, emergency measures aimed at modifying the response of the at-risk population, are critical. These include flood warnings, evacuations and recovery plans. With the highly stochastic nature of the country’s climate, Australians have become extremely competent at this kind of emergency management. Our effectiveness at emergency management is largely thanks to a philosophy that political and other organisational boundaries, that hamper quick and efficient decision-making during an extreme event, must be suspended to ensure a unified approach prevails. 4. M ANAGING THE PROBABILITY OF THE EXTREME EVENTS OCCURRING AT ALL The scientific evidence linking human activity to climate change, and hence to extreme weather events, has been well established. In an urban environment, the burning of fossil fuels through vehicle use and stationary energy generation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. It is clear that city planning and building design impacts on, among other things, resident’s reliance on private vehicles and

demand for electricity. Poorly planned and developed cities experience urban sprawl and poor public transport systems. This in turn leads to excessive private vehicle use, greenhouse emissions and a likely contribution to the effects of climate change. Similarly, building designs that largely ignore passive methods of temperature regulation ensure continued electricity demand and the continued rise of greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable urban planning can mitigate these risks, providing a positive environmental outcome.

management responses to extreme flood events. Simply put, decisions related to complex, interacting systems are best made without limiting the issues that can be taken into account or the scope of these decisions. At times, the tiered governance structure in Australia can slow decisions, limit their scope and impact on their effectiveness - this should be guarded against and challenged at all times. If we fail to do this, we will inherit poorer decisions.

Matt Coetzee Aurecon

CONCLUSION Sustainable urban development provides a mechanism for framing numerous alternative solutions to the challenges of extreme events. When applied to the process of effective decision-making, the concept of connectivity allows us to highlight the importance of removing restrictive governance structures and bureaucratic boundaries that can limit the scope of decision making. In this article, I have attempted to highlight how this plays out in each of the four

Matt has over 20 years experience in the fields of environmental assessment and urban planning. In his current role, he oversees the growth of Aurecon’s environmental and planning business in the Asia Pacific region, including particular responsibility for their global Sustainable Cities Programme. This programme seeks to provide integrated social, economic, planning, engineering and governance solutions to urban developments in developed and developing parts of the world.

OUR CITIES – BUILDING A PRODUCTIVE SUSTAINABLE AND LIVEABLE FUTURE The Australian government’s recent consultation, relating to the development of a national urban policy, highlights many issues and challenges that will be familiar to Consult Australia Members. The discussion paper, Our Cities — building a productive, sustainable and liveable future outlines the substantial challenges facing our cities. These challenges are associated with higher than forecast population growth, climate change and the need for a more sustainable approach to urban planning, affordability, liveability and governance. Consult Australia’s submission notes that, to meet these challenges, investment in our cities must be prioritised, planned and aligned with broader state and national policy settings. Drawing on Transporting Australia’s Future, Sydney Towards Tomorrow and Seizing the Sustainability Advantage, Consult Australia advocates for: greater investment; strategic planning and best practice procurement for infrastructure delivery; better land-use planning; and the facilitation of adaptation across our cities. Infrastructure investment and planning provides the network that enables our cities to meet these challenges and evolve in response to future demographic, environmental and economic changes. The summer of 2010-11 has seen new challenges for our cities and regional centres with unprecedented damage caused by flood, cyclone and bushfire. These disasters, with their immediate impact on urban and commercial infrastructure, highlight the importance of adaptation in our built environment and the far reaching role of our cities in supporting the wider economy.

It is through our cities’ infrastructure: roads, railways; and ports that we are able to harness the continued opportunities emerging from the resources boom and connect with the global economy. In this context, crucial decisions continue to be required to prioritise the delivery of projects with limited resources in the face of an ongoing skills shortage. This prioritisation needs to take into account the cost of a piece of infrastructure over the course of its life, and determine value for money - the balance between capital, cost of maintenance and sustainability. To ensure a national urban policy capable of achieving real change, alternative models are essential to finance project delivery, streamline procurement and maintain investment in infrastructure across generations. The National Urban Policy is being developed alongside and coordinated with the development of a National Sustainable Population Strategy, National Land Freight Strategy and National Ports Strategy. Coordination across these strategies is essential to ensure our cities are positioned to grow and prosper, recognising their role as core drivers of regional, state and national productivity and economic growth. Consult Australia’s submission to the National Urban Policy can be downloaded from www.consultaustralia.com.au

Jonathan Cartledge AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

INFRASTRUCTURE Jonathan Cartledge is the Director of Policy for Consult Australia. Jonathan represents the needs and interests of Consult Australia member firms across the finance, infrastructure and sustainability portfolios. Jonathan can be reached at jonathan@consultaustralia.com.au

INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE SKILLS TO BUILD – FEDERAL BUDGET 2011 CONSULT AUSTRALIA’S 2011-12 PRE-BUDGET SUBMISSION REINFORCES THE AGENDA ESTABLISHED IN OUR LEADING REPORT FROM 2010, TRANSPORTING AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE, ADVOCATING THE IMPORTANCE OF A SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE AS VITAL TO MAINTAINING AUSTRALIA’S LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY. ALONGSIDE THIS INVESTMENT, A RENEWED FOCUS ON DEVELOPING AND SUPPLYING THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO BUILD THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IS ESSENTIAL. Continued large-scale investment in infrastructure around the country is the stimulus necessary both to ensure effective recovery from the devastation wrought by the floods and ongoing economic growth, and sustained recovery from the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). The size of the expenditure must be substantial—our infrastructure backlog remains daunting. We recognise however, that the Government faces significant spending constraints with a continued commitment to return to surplus in 2012-13. In this context, Consult Australia advocates for ambitious reform of the policies that determine the funding available for infrastructure investment. While more direct funding is required by all governments for infrastructure, of greater importance is long-term reform to secure sustainable and adequate funding streams. Transporting Australia’s Future is a call to action for governments to back new ways to secure infrastructure funding specifically for transport infrastructure as a core driver of productivity. This report recommends widespread tax reform and the establishment of new governance mechanisms to ensure sustainable long-term sources for infrastructure funding. Drawing substantially on this work, Consult Australia recommends the 2011-12 Budget provide the commitments necessary to commence that reform process. BUDGET 2011 RECOMMENDATIONS: INVESTING IN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE 1. Increase funding to support the delivery of nationally significant infrastructure projects, a stronger role for Infrastructure Australia in their identification of infrastructure priorities, and review of policy and regulatory reforms supporting infrastructure delivery. 2. Task the Productivity Commission with a review of the network-wide benefits and costs of introducing variable congestion pricing on existing tolled roads and of 18

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

extending technology to enable congestion pricing across those most heavily congested parts of the road network. 3. B road transport funding reform and related Henry Review recommendations must feature prominently in the agenda for the 2011 Tax Summit. 4. Establish an Independent Standing Commission on Transport Funding Reform, including industry representation, reporting to COAG with an initial 2012-2020 delivery program. Alongside this reform, investment in the skills necessary to build the infrastructure we require is also essential. Without these skills, no amount of funding for infrastructure will deliver the projects necessary to remove capacity constraints and support our growing economy. The crucial role engineering skills play in developing major nation building projects means investment in engineering skills is an investment in job creation and productivity. In the transport sector for example, some 84 jobs are created and supported by one professional engineer’s design and project management role. With the recent floods, the importance of having an adequate supply of skilled persons available to ensure a rapid recovery has become acute. INVESTING IN ENGINEERING SKILLS 5. Allocate education portfolio funding to continuing professional development schemes for teachers of maths and science to ensure that they can provide meaningful careers advice to students. 6. A llocate education portfolio funding to upgrade science classroom facilities to ensure that all students have access to stateof-the-art resources that encourage their continued engagement in the sciences. 7. Allocate immigration and citizenship portfolio funding to continue the Industry Outreach Officer Program.

8. Continue to ensure sufficient funding such that Department of Immigration and Citizenship visa application processing teams have enough staff to ensure that temporary working visas are processed swiftly. 9. Introduce a tax concession for expenditure on education and training that exceeds two per cent of annual payroll. The concession rate should be 125 per cent for every dollar spent above a threshold of two per cent of payroll per year. Consult Australia hopes that the 2011-12 Federal Budget will simultaneously serve to address the challenges of today: to boost economic growth; to increase Australia’s international competitiveness; to improve workforce participation; to retain skills; and to improve capital formation. With these measures combined, we believe that the economy will be better prepared to manage those most immediate challenges, as well as prepare for a productive future. The Federal Budget will be delivered on 10 May 2011. Transporting Australia’s Future is available to download at: www.consultaustralia.com.au

Jonathan Cartledge

INFRASTRUCTURE

JEMILLA RUSSELL-CLOUGH - INDUSTRY JOURNALIST

QUEENSLAND WELCOMES NEW LAND ACCESS LAWS IN OCTOBER 2010, THE QUEENSLAND STATE GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTED A NEW LAND ACCESS REGIME IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS RAISED BY THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AND LANDHOLDERS REGARDING ACCESS TO THEIR LAND FOR MINERAL AND RESOURCE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT. THE NEW LAND ACCESS LAWS REPRESENT A CHANGE IN ACCOUNTABILITY AND OBLIGATIONS FOR MINERAL AND RESOURCE COMPANIES WHOSE OPERATIONS ARE INCREASINGLY COVERING LARGER TRACTS OF LAND THROUGHOUT RURAL QUEENSLAND AND NEW SOUTH WALES. The exploration of coal seam gas has experienced an unprecedented rise over the past five years in Queensland which isn’t expected to abate as demand continues to rapidly increase. To feed this demand in the Queensland Surat and Bowen Basin regions alone, a massive 40,000 wells are expected to be drilled to supply feedstock for massive LNG projects proposed for Gladstone and power generation. The resources boom in Queensland has the potential to underpin the wealth of state’s economy over the next 10 years. The land over which coal seam gas is extracted throughout rural Queensland is however also responsible for producing high quality Australian produce. The new laws which came into effect on 29 October 2010 relate to the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004, Petroleum Act 1923, Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2009 and Geothermal Energy Act 2010. The new laws aim to facilitate improved relations between resource companies and landholders. It puts the onus on resource companies to comply with a single land access code together with an entry notice requirement for ‘Preliminary Activities’ and a requirement that a conduct and compensation agreement be negotiated before a resource authority holder comes onto a landholder’s property to undertake ‘advanced activities’. Further, a graduated process for negotiating and resolving disputes about agreements ensures matters are only referred to the Land Court as an absolute last resort. The process for negotiating conduct and compensation agreements requires land access consultants or land agents to negotiate these agreements. These consultants act as interface between coal seam gas companies and landholders and are therefore an inherently critical component to any project. “Recent exponential growth in the coal seam gas sector has increased the significance and importance of Land access consultants.” 20

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

“There are reports of up to 40,000 wells being drilled across Queensland. These wells will affect thousands of square kilometres of land and thousands of landholders for exploration and production of coal seam gas creating a massive footprint and a huge impact across rural areas of Queensland. This explosion in activity has resulted in a similar increase in the number of Land Access Consultants negotiating with landholders,” said Maloney Field Services Director of Business Development, Jamahl Waddington. Interestingly, there are no formal qualifications or accreditations needed to become a land access consultant. “Traditionally a Land Access Consultant could have been someone found in the front bar of a local pub, a local landholder or a mate looking for some work but now the industry has grown and there is an increasing need for Land Access Consultants to be more professional and have a greater awareness of the industry and environment in which they are operating. Land Access Consultants can come from a range of backgrounds including farming, stock and station agency, surveyors, or a number of other fields”, said Mr Waddington. The role that Land Access Consultants play in the process is now even more important than ever and is critical to the overall success of the project. To avoid confusion and ensure all stakeholders’ rights are upheld, the relationship between landholders and gas companies needs to be built upon a foundation of trust, honesty and integrity, “The public perception of gas companies being deceptive or heavy handed is a major problem for the industry and creating angst in some areas.” said Mr Waddington. “Most of the jobs involved in these major infrastructure projects require

professionals with formal qualifications, however, Land Access Consultants have not moved ahead with the industry despite their growing importance”. “An accreditation would establish a degree of reassurance for communities and may help to enhance the sometimes strained relationship between the community and gas companies.” However, accreditation is not something that has been discussed industry wide. The new Land Access Code requires some training and is a step in the right direction. The consultants work for gas companies, however in Queensland the new Land Access Code requires training and induction for anyone who accesses land. They are trying to increase the trainings; however, this applies to anyone proposing to enter land which can be quite onerous on the larger projects. Irrespective of the new laws, developing the qualification or accreditation structure would enable greater accountability and the development of a more professional industry. “The gas companies employ these consultants to provide a service and if we are to bridge the divide between communities and gas companies, then these consultants must become more professional and accountable”. “Furthermore, it will improve relations and rid the industry of opportunists looking to take advantage of a thriving industry”, said Mr Waddington.

Jemilla Russell-Clough industry Journalist

2011 Call for Entries THE CONSULT AUSTRALIA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE ACKNOWLEDGES THE TALENT, EXPERTISE AND OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS. IT’S THE INDUSTRY’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS PROGRAM RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE ACHIEVED BY CONSULT AUSTRALIA MEMBER FIRMS. This year, Consult Australia has created an official award submission template for each of the 14 categories. We have designed a template to promote equality between all entries as well as being quicker and easier for you to complete your firm’s entry. Entries forms are due on Friday, 25 March 2011 and the Submissions are due on Monday, 30 May 2011. Please note it is compulsory to submit your entry using the Consult Australia submissions template. Each of our 14 project category winners will not only receive a tangible Award for Excellence, but valuable PR exposure from Consult Australia along with a free press kit of photos and media release directions that you can use to promote your achievement(s). Building on last year’s success, the 2011 Gala Awards Dinner is set to be bigger, brighter and more exciting than ever. We wish you all the best and we look forward to welcoming you to the Gala Awards Dinner at the Sydney Town Hall on 2 December 2011 – Don’t forget to save the date! Images from 2010 Consult Australia Awards

ECONOMICS & TAXATION Jonathan Cartledge is the Director of Policy for Consult Australia. Jonathan represents the needs and interests of Consult Australia member firms across the finance, infrastructure and sustainability portfolios. Jonathan can be reached at jonathan@consultaustralia.com.au

PATCHWORK ECONOMY IN RECENT MONTHS THERE HAS BEEN INCREASING REFERENCE MADE TO THE ‘PATCHWORK ECONOMY’ BOTH IN THE MEDIA AND BY POLICY MAKERS. WHERE A ‘TWO-SPEED ECONOMY’ WAS THE DESCRIPTOR OF CHOICE FOR 2010, ECONOMISTS NOW SEEM TO HAVE SHIFTED THEIR FOCUS. Following comments by the Prime Minister late in 2010, prior to the flood crisis that has only exacerbated the problem, Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan referred to this state of affairs in his speech to the CEO Institute in January. “Like me, you’d be struck by just how much Australia’s story right now is the story of a patchwork economy. As one part of the country rides high, another struggles.” Noting the challenges associated with the rebuilding of Queensland following the floods, the Treasurer went on to state, “The speed with which we can rebuild Queensland will be limited by the tightness of labour, as will the extent to which we can take advantage of the

2011

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that aims to ly publication ket trends : a quarter Consulting the latest mar o-date with Outlook for Welcome to Australia members up-t keep Consult construction. and in building

mining boom. This is one of our core challenges — there are only so many skilled tradespeople and workers to go around.” This message was reinforced with the February release of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Skill Shortages Summary. DEEWR highlights the challenges of the patchwork economy, describing it as, “An economy that has pockets of skills shortages while at the same time, other sectors are meeting their skill demands with relative ease.” The report notes the challenge in filling vacancies in the resource professions, particularly geologists and mining engineers, with just 45 per cent of such vacancies filled.

For Consult Australia the shortage of engineers, across disciplines is a familiar story. Hence the emphasis in our pre-budget submission for 2011, clearly linking the funding and delivery of infrastructure with the development of the skills to build that infrastructure. This did not appear to be lost on the Treasurer. In January, Mr Swan gave an unusual early indication of the priorities for the 2011 budget when he said, “The budget will focus on making sure our economy, already stretched by the boom and now the reconstruction effort, can get the people it needs.” We hope that means the engineers we need, essential to the development and delivery of our infrastructure pipeline.

Jonathan Cartledge

CONSULT AUSTRALIA OUTLOOK FOR CONSULTING MARCH QUARTER 2011 Consult Australia continues its unparalleled economic profiles of consulting firms in the built and natural environment. Consult Australia Outlook 2011 is still available to purchase from www.consultaustralia.com.au, while we continue to support our members through our free quarterly economic updates. The March quarter update, providng the latest market trends has been released for download at: http://www.consultaustralia.com.au/

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

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www.boral.com.au/partiwall/nom BCC 05755 02.11

INSURANCE

INSURING YOUR CONTRACTUAL LIABILITIES PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE COVERING LIABILITIES ASSUMED UNDER CONTRACT IS NOW AVAILABLE. MOST PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY POLICIES CONTAIN OUTRIGHT EXCLUSIONS IN RELATION TO LIABILITIES ASSUMED BY THE INSURED UNDER CONTRACT, UNLESS THOSE LIABILITIES WOULD HAVE EXISTED IN THE ABSENCE OF THE CONTRACT. The intention of such clauses is to limit cover to the Insured’s common law and statutory liabilities arising out of their professional activities. This means that, in the event that a claim is based upon liabilities assumed under contract, the insurer will limit cover to liability to arising under common law or statute and the Insured will be exposed for any additional amount. In such circumstances it is a commercial decision for consultants whether to assume such onerous (potentially uninsured) contractual obligations.

Proportionate liability legislation was introduced to replace the common law doctrine of joint and several liability, under which a party could be found 100 per cent liable for loss or damage that they were only 1 per cent responsible for. Under proportionate liability, the liability of each wrongdoer is limited to the extent to which he or she is directly responsible for the loss or damage. Some proportionate liability legislation contains provisions that prevent ‘contracting out’ however some jurisdictions are silent on the matter or explicitly permit parties to ‘contract out’.

such policies still containing an assumed liability exclusion. The Liberty policy is the first local product that we have come across that provides meaningful cover in this area. With cover now available, many consultants have the option of transferring their contractual liability risks to an insurer. This does not mean that consultants no longer need to be concerned with managing their contractual liability risk. Given there is only one provider, this is an extremely limited market. Consultants should still take appropriate steps to manage their contractual risks by avoiding or mitigating the risk in the first instance, with transfer of risk to an insurer being the fallback position. Please contact the writer if you would like further information on this topic.

CLIENT DRAFTED CONTRACTS OFTEN REQUIRE THE CONSULTANT TO ‘CONTRACT OUT’ OF PROPORTIONATE LIABILITY. IF THIS IS NOT ALLOWED, THEY WILL REQUIRE THE CONSULTANT TO INDEMNIFY THE CLIENT TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE PREJUDICED BY THE PARTIES NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTRACT OUT.

Risk allocation between the consultant and other parties is a typical feature of consultancy agreements. Client drafted agreements often impose onerous obligations upon the consultant that extend the consultant’s liability beyond that which would otherwise exist and therefore, beyond the scope of their insurance program. Two common mechanisms for extending a consultant’s liability under contract are through the use of indemnities and ‘contracting out’ which is the circumvention of proportionate liability legislation. Indemnities are a promise to indemnify or hold harmless another party. Client drafted contracts often contain indemnity clauses that extend the consultants obligations beyond that which would have existed in the absence of the agreement.

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

Client drafted contracts often require the consultant to ‘contract out’ of proportionate liability. If this is not allowed, they will require the consultant to indemnify the client to the extent that they are prejudiced by the parties not being able to contract out. Traditionally, cover for liabilities assumed under contract through indemnities or contracting out has not been available under professional indemnity policies. Specialist professional indemnity insurer Liberty International Underwriters (Liberty) have recently launched a product that provides optional extensions for both of these forms of contractual liabilities. Other professional indemnity underwriters have previously purported to provide cover for contractual liabilities but in our experience, this has been little more than marketing hype with

Darren Pavic Darren Pavic is the Broking Manager of Bovill Risk & Insurance Consultants Pty Ltd (BRIC). BRIC are specialist Engineers professional indemnity Insurance Brokers and a Consult Australia PI Pathway member. You can contact Darren at darrenp@bric.com.au or phone 1800 077 933.

CONTRACTS FOR CONSULTANTS This intensive training course provides essential advice and insight on managing and controlling contractual rights and obligations. The course has helped those with both limited and extensive experience in dealing more effectively with contracts and their various terms and conditions, and in developing fair and reasonable contractual relationships with their clients. Topics in the course include: Which terms leave you most vulnerable to litigation? Which terms leave you uninsured? What are the lawyers really saying? How can you establish an effective business relationship with your client that is also legally sound?

TOPICS INCLUDE Contract formation Contract terms Contracting issues Liability and relief Construction contracts and consultancy agreements Onerous contract terms PI Insurance Ending the contract Dispute resolution

COURSE DATES Sydney:

7 - 9 April

Brisbane:

14 - 16 April

Perth:

5 - 7 May

Adelaide:

26 - 28 May

Melbourne: 23 -25 June Canberra:

27 - 29 October

SKILLS & RESOURCES Jonathan Russell is a Policy Adviser for Consult Australia. Jonathan represents the needs and interests of Consult Australia member firms across the skills portfolio on issues such as education, workforce participation and skilled migration. Jonathan can be reached at j.russell@consultaustralia.com.au

INTRODUCING NSW AMES NSW AMES is an agency of the NSW Government and is part of the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET). Established in 1951, NSW AMES has taught English to over 1.5 million people in the classroom, in the workplace, online and via distance education. Here, Tass Miroforidis, NSW AMES Coordinator for Employment and Industry Links, introduces the Skillmax – Jobseekers course for skilled migrants and outlines how Consult Australia members can get involved.

BRIDGING THE GAP: CONNECTING SKILLED MIGRANTS TO LOCAL JOBS SKILLED MIGRANTS BRING DIVERSE TALENTS, ABILITIES, PERSPECTIVES AND CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE TO YOUR WORKFORCE. A MULTICULTURAL MIX, BOTH CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY, HELPS US TO TRADE AND DO BUSINESS WITHIN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP NEW BUSINESS NETWORKS OF OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS OR SUPPLIERS ARE ALSO PARAMOUNT AS WE DEAL MORE AND MORE IN FOREIGN MARKETS.

Employing an overseas skilled professional with the right skills to meet your needs is much easier than you think. Through an intensive Jobsearch preparation program funded by the NSW Government and delivered by the NSW Adult Migrant English Service (AMES), overseas skilled professionals are gaining the tools to find employment commensurate with their skills and qualifications. The Skillmax – Jobseekers course enables skilled migrants to develop:  A greater awareness of workplace culture and trends in the Australian labour market;  A career portfolio including their résumé and cover letter;  S trategies to identify employment opportunities; and  Career management skills.

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

SKILLED MIGRANTS ARE GAINING THIS KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE SKILLMAX – JOBSEEKERS COURSE AND AS A RESULT, THEY ARE GETTING JOBS IN THEIR FIELD OF EXPERTISE. A RECENT SURVEY HIGHLIGHTED THE EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM, SHOWING 95 PER CENT OF COURSE PARTICIPANTS ARE NOW WORKING IN THEIR CHOSEN FIELD, STUDYING IN FURTHER EDUCATION OR PARTICIPATING IN THE SKILLED MIGRANT MENTORING PROGRAM.

SKILLS & RESOURCES On successful completion of this course, participants are then able to apply for the Skilled Migrant Mentoring Program, which provides:

Skilled migrants are gaining this knowledge through the Skillmax – Jobseekers course and as a result, they are getting jobs in their field of expertise.

I lacked the skills to analyse job ads and to produce a relevant cover letter and résumé. I was clumsy in telephone conversations.

 Access to an industry mentor; and

A recent survey highlighted the extraordinary success of the program, showing 95 per cent of course participants are now working in their chosen field, studying in further education or participating in the Skilled Migrant Mentoring Program.

“After the course, not only do I understand the general culture in the workplace and what is valued by the employers here, but also I have a clear picture both technically and mentally of the skills and strategies required for job-seeking.”

 Opportunity to undertake local work experience. “Too often migrants come to Australia with an extensive employment history and professional qualifications but still struggle to find work here. For many it is because they don’t have a good understanding of the Australian labour market and recruitment processes,” said NSW AMES A/Director, Jonathan Tennant.

Qi (Ruby) Zhou, a recent Skillmax graduate, said, “The Skillmax course is very helpful for migrated jobseekers. Before taking the class I ruined a few of my chances at interviews by ignorantly doing many ‘don’ts’. I didn’t know researching the specific company was significant.

Skillmax – Jobseekers is free for eligible participants and runs as a five week part-time course. For more information contact the Employment Links Unit, NSW AMES on (02) 9289 9222 or visit us online at http://www.ames.edu.au

A few of the faces from the NSW AMES Skillmax Jobseekers course and a few of the employment outcomes being achieved. AAPT APC Australia AT Studio02 Austin Brothers China West Int. Dept of Education Greenwich Hospital Kordia Media Option Group Pty Ltd NICTA Roc Oil Saraya Self-employed Uniliever

SYDNEY METROPOLITAN AREA Project Location

Mentoring Provider

Contact Telephone

Eastern Sydney / Inner Sydney / South Sydney

City East Community College

(02) 9387 7400

Hornsby

Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai Community College

(02) 9482 1189

Manly / Brookvale / Chatswood

Northern Beaches Community College

(02) 9939 9877

Jannali / Hurstville / Rockdale

St George and Sutherland Community College

(02) 8543 7032

Canterbury / Bankstown

Sydney Community College

(02) 8752 7525

Sydney City

Sydney Community College

(02) 8752 7525

Parramatta / Auburn / Blacktown

The Parramatta College

(02) 9687 2072

Project Location

Mentoring Provider

Contact Telephone

Wagga Wagga

Riverina Community College

(02) 6921 7663

Newcastle

Workers Educational Association - Hunter

(02) 4926 1113

Wollongong

Workers Educational Association - Illawarra

(02) 4226 1622

NSW REGIONAL AND RURAL AREAS

AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

Strategic Leadership and Service Excellence: Driving Engineering Business Success A three-day residential management course focused on business excellence for engineers and other technical professionals. WHEN: WHERE:

4-6 APRIL 2011 12-14 SEPTEMBER 2011 MELBOURNE BUSINESS SCHOOL

FEATURING: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND VALUE CREATION, LEADERSHIP AND NEW KEY TOPICS, INCLUDING BUSINESS MODELS, MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, OPERATIONAL & SERVICE EXCELLENCE. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: This program addresses the core issue for engineers: how to create additional value for clients, and therefore drive the volume and price of professional services up for your firm/department. In many other industries, leading companies have found ways to break out of their traditional constraints and turn ‘ordinary’ businesses into extra-ordinary value creating organisations. There is no reason why astute engineers cannot achieve this. We will feature in our studies and discussions, companies that ‘stand out’ from which we can learn and then apply core principles that work. On top of the business fundamentals of acute customer focus, powerful business strategies, process and operational excellence and staff participation with high levels of commitment and motivation, these industry leaders have implemented management systems and principles that have taken them ahead of the pack. Our program will provide engineers with a very clear view of the principles behind that success, and a framework to assess their organisations against these principles, so that business improvement and innovation initiatives can be identified and implemented.

In summary, the program objective is to clearly and concisely identify for participants, the leading edge business management principles and practices that work to provide a competitive edge in the engineering market place.

KEY TOPICS: Leadership of the service focused organisation Best Business Practices in Engineering The Principles of Service Excellence Advanced Service Company Practices Marketing and Differentiated Pricing Attracting and retaining the right clients Teamwork and Service Operations Strategic Business Improvement Measuring and Reporting Performance Practical Case Studies of service excellence Financial management of an engineering business Business strategy and development.

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY CONSULT AUSTRALIA For further information, a full brochure and to book places, contact the program director, Professor Danny Samson, at leadership.engineers@gmail.com, or 0438782866

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR COPY OF NATIONAL OUTLOOK MAGAZINE 19

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NATIONAL OUTLOOK IS CONSULT AUSTRALIA’S QUARTERLY PRINT PUBLICATION. SUBJECT AREAS COVERED IN NATIONAL OUTLOOK INCLUDE A BROAD SPECTRUM OF INDUSTRY ISSUES RELEVANT TO THE CONSULTING ENGINEERING AND RELATED SERVICE INDUSTRIES AND CONSULT AUSTRALIA ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES

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YES! I WOULD LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL OUTLOOK FOR 1 YEAR FOR ONLY $44! (GST INCLUDED)

FULL NAME: ADDRESS: SUBURB/TOWN: MASTERCARD (TICK) CARD HOLDER NAME:

POSTCODE: VISA (TICK) EXPIRY DATE:

CARD NUMBER: SIGNATURE:

PLEASE FAX COMPLETED FORM TO CONSULT AUSTRALIA: 02 9957 2484 OR MAIL TO: GPO BOX 56 SYDNEY NSW 2001

NATIONAL REGISTRATION OF ENGINEERS IN THE LAST ISSUE OF NATIONAL OUTLOOK, THE CASE FOR ENGINEERING REGISTRATION WAS PRESENTED. THE PROPOSED SCHEME HAS BEEN DISTILLED INTO A SIMPLE LEAFLET THAT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.CONSULTAUSTRALIA.COM.AU AND IN HARD COPY BY E-MAILING J.RUSSELL@CONSULTAUSTRALIA.COM.AU. IN THIS ISSUE, REGISTRAR OF THE NATIONAL ENGINEERING REGISTRATION BOARD (NERB), MICHAEL BEVAN EXPLAINS THE PROPOSED REGISTRATION MODEL AND WHAT IT MAY MEAN FOR ENGINEERING PRACTITIONERS - INCLUDING ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGISTS AND ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES WHO WILL LIKELY BE INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION SCHEME – AND THEIR EMPLOYERS. This article will be the first of a series of updates from NERB on national registration. Here, we will describe the purpose and nature of proposed legislation. We will also look at the benefits of statutory registration and how we are preparing for it. Finally, we will provide a brief overview of support that the NERB proposal is receiving from outside the profession. Future articles will provide much greater detail on progress and achievements as they can be reported. Legislation will do two things that the National Professional Engineers Register (NPER) and Chartered Professional Engineer system (CPEng) cannot do well. It will provide a statutory register that industry and government will recognise as the benchmark for professional competence, and it will provide effective protection for public safety, health and welfare. Compared with a member register (such as CPEng or NPER), a statutory register is much more easily referenced in government procurement policies, regulations (such as the Building Code) and Australian Standards. Because employers of engineers and clients will respect a statutory register, qualified engineers will benefit from registration acting as a mark of their competence. Public safety, health and welfare will be protected because unqualified or incompetent people will be prevented from registering and those who perform sub-standard work lose their registration. It is important to note that introduction of a statutory registration scheme will not add another layer of red tape. Instead, it is envisaged that the NPER and CPEng systems will be recognised as direct pathways to National Registration. The standards of qualification and competency required by each state to achieve registration will be consistent and equal to 30

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT INTRODUCTION OF A STATUTORY REGISTRATION SCHEME WILL NOT ADD ANOTHER LAYER OF RED TAPE. INSTEAD, IT IS ENVISAGED THAT THE NPER AND CPENG SYSTEMS WILL BE RECOGNISED AS DIRECT PATHWAYS TO NATIONAL REGISTRATION.

NPER and CPEng. Legislation will establish a register of engineers and set entry criteria such as qualifications, competencies and a definition of a fit and proper person (in terms of solvency and having no history of business fraud) and some administrative arrangements. It may establish a registration board and define its powers and responsibilities. It will establish complaints handling, investigation and disciplinary procedures. It may also provide a code of practice and requirements for continuing professional development (CPD). We do however, expect that each state may use the national registration scheme differently. For example, states may choose to require all professional engineers to be registered, as is the case in Queensland today. Alternatively, other states might only refer to the engineering register, and require engineers to be registered, for work identified as posing a significant threat to public safety, health and welfare.

These are matters we are discussing with governments across the Commonwealth. Importantly for engineering staff, registered status in any one state or territory will be recognised in all other jurisdictions. Engineers will not be required to register more than once. Since amendments to the Professional Engineers Act 2002 (QLD) came into effect in July 2008, Engineers Australia and two other organisations have been approved as assessment entities in Queensland. Assessments of qualifications and competencies by these entities are accepted by the Queensland Board in support of applications for registration. This cooperative method has become known as co-regulation and NERB would like to see all jurisdictions implement a similar model for registration. The profession would develop competency standards and assesses an applicant’s evidence for compliance with

SKILLS & RESOURCES those standards, and the statutory board would confirm that the applicant is a fit and proper person and defines practice standards. The audit of CPD would be referred back to the profession. Apart from the benefit of significantly improved community protection, individual engineers will reap many benefits from national registration. Layers of red tape will be removed for engineers who work in more than one jurisdiction through mutual recognition, and through regulations and official policies that are amended to recognise statutory registers. Migrant engineers will benefit from national registration because their qualifications and competencies will be more readily recognised as they move between jurisdictions. Employers and clients will be assured that minimum standards have been met by registered engineers and that they will practise ethically and maintain their competence through CPD, which is subject to regular audit. Perhaps the greatest benefit will be a greater uptake of engineering as a career that is recognised in law.

Jonathan Russell

What are we doing to prepare for national registration? There is widespread acceptance throughout industry that the standards set by Engineers Australia for CPEng and NPER are appropriate and effective. A statutory board would also be able to ensure applicants meet suitable fit and proper person criteria and enforce sanctions.

It is expected to take at least five years to achieve consistent registration of engineers in all Australian jurisdictions. As registration was discussed by the first meeting of the Council of the Institution in 1919 but wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t implemented in Queensland until 1930, perhaps five years is an ambitious goal.

A steering committee has been established by NERB, comprising senior staff and volunteers from Engineers Australia, Consult Australia, the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists, Managers, Australia (APESMA) and the Institute of Public Works Engineering, Australia (IPWEA). We are working cooperatively to achieve national registration based on CPEng and NPER.

Nevertheless, the NERB initiative seems to fit well with current federal and state cooperation towards a single Australian economy. Encouragingly, Ministers, political advisors and others we have spoken with in government circles have shown a high level of interest in the NERB initiative.

AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

SKILLED MIGRATION TIPS – INTRA-COMPANY TRANSFERS Employees applying for a visa subclass 457 will read on the Form 1066 Application for a Subclass 457 – Business (Long Stay) visa that: Streamlined processing arrangements are in place to assist executives, managers and specialists on intracompany transfer (ie. employees of an international business transferred to Australia to work in the business’ branch or subsidiary). These arrangements also assist intra-company transfers between Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) economies.

In most cases, this means that employees on an intra-company transfer can submit a Form 1066 without evidence of: qualifications; relevant/applicable skills assessments; employment references; and curriculum vitae. The application form should clearly state that it is being submitted by an employee making an intra-company transfer. If you require assistance, please call Svetlana McNeil, the Consult Australia Industry Outreach Officer (IOO):

SAFETY IN DESIGN Australia’s only comprehensive training on Safety in Design This course applies to all stakeholders who have control over the design of buildings or structures including but not limited to engineering consultants from all disciplines: Project managers; building designers; planners; architects; safety managers; and contractors involved in the construction industry. This is an interactive national seminar to ensure you: • Know your obligations and responsibilities under current legislation • Monitor and review the effectiveness of your • Safety Management Systems • Raise OH&S standards by using functional documentation procedures • Develop strong Safety in Design credentials to ensure compliancy and raise your competitive edge For more information and to register please contact Daniel Condon at the Consult Australia Office on (02) 9922 4711 via email daniel@consultaustralia.com.au or visit our website on www.consultaustralia.com.au

Svetlana McNeil DIAC Industry Outreach Officer E: Svetlana.mcneil@immi.gov.au T: (02) 9922 4711 M: 0466 150 022.

Land Access and Compensation Specialists Easement Negotiations, Valuations/Assessments of Compensation, Landholder Liaison, Paralegal/Document Preparation, Management of Land Acquisition Programs, Site and Corridor Selection, Community Consultation, Cultural Heritage, Planning and Approvals, Land Tenure Audits, Construction Line Lists

Contact: Jamahl Waddington Mobile 0402 148 160

Melbourne Newcastle Brisbane Roma Gladstone Darwin

Full Page_July 2010.indd 1

Adelaide Head Office 5 Wakefield St Kent Town SA 5067 Phone (08) 8333 2722 Fax (08) 8333 2755 info@maloney.com.au www.maloney.com.au

8/07/2010 1:30:49 PM

SKILLS & RESOURCES Jonathan Russell is a Policy Adviser for Consult Australia. Jonathan represents the needs and interests of Consult Australia member firms across the Skills portfolio on issues such as education, workforce participation and skilled migration. Jonathan can be reached at j.russell@consultaustralia.com.au

SIMPLER VISAS CONSULT AUSTRALIA HAS RESPONDED TO THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP (DIAC) REVIEW OF THE FRAMEWORK FOR TEMPORARY RESIDENCE WORK VISAS. FOR INFORMATION ON THE BACKGROUND TO THE REVIEW, SEE THE ARTICLE BY SVETLANA MCNEIL ON THE NEXT PAGE.

Consulting engineering services form a significant component of the professional services sector, and are a major contributor to the Australian economy. The skills shortage for engineering professionals is of particular concern and is a systemic rather than cyclical problem; the long-term supply of qualified engineers is unable to meet demand. Migrant engineers can help and the efficient use of global talent through sensible temporary residence work visas is a high priority. The review discussion paper included three types of visas of particular interest to Consult Australia members:  Short Stay Activity visa (SSAV);  Business Long Stay visa; and  Working Holiday, and Work and Holiday Maker visas. SHORT STAY ACTIVITY VISA The discussion paper indicates that the proposed SSAV is largely based on the existing Business (Short Stay) (subclass 456) visa. This is a visa that allows for a three month entry period and limited work-related activities are permitted for about six weeks. Members have voiced a belief that a three month visa could be very useful for consulting work – but only if full work rights are permitted. Other changes would also need to be made to the proposed SSAV for it to meet the actual needs of industry. One such change is that, as well as full work rights, employees should be able to easily transfer to other visa classes such as the visa subclass 457. The Consult Australia submission also highlighted that, due to the global nature of the engineering workforce, the proposed SSAV should be available to anyone working within those professions identified on the Skilled Occupations List (SOL).

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

It is hoped that the government uses this opportunity to deliver a short-term work visa that can complement the more commonly used visa subclass 457. Doing so will improve the responsiveness of consulting firms, enable multi-national firms to more efficiently utilise their international workforce, and increase the number of opportunities for engineers to come to Australia on short-term contracts in support of the permanent workforce. BUSINESS LONG STAY VISA AND THE TRAINING BENCHMARK Proposed changes to the Temporary Business (Long Stay) – Standard Business Sponsorship (subclass 457) are not expected to affect Consult Australia members. Consult Australia is however, using the review process to highlight the need for changes in assessing the training benchmark that employers must meet to become a ‘standard business sponsor’. Under existing rules, to qualify for status as a sponsor of workers under the visa subclass 457, a firm must spend the equivalent of at least one per cent of the payroll of the business on the provision of employee training each year. To qualify, expenditure must be on formal, structured training. Consult Australia is concerned that the training benchmark does not fully recognise the scope of the training investment made by businesses, particularly smaller firms, which have informal approaches to training and development. Training investment is often made through mentoring, employment of graduates, releasing staff from work to attend formal training courses, and involving junior staff in projects that will improve their experience levels and make them a more valuable employee.

Consult Australia has recommended to government that the value of these types of informal workplace training be deemed suitable for the purposes of the training benchmark. If successful, smaller companies will be able to continue developing their own staff whilst also drawing on the international workforce. WORKING HOLIDAY, AND WORK AND HOLIDAY MAKER VISAS There are no proposed changes to the Working Holiday and Work and Holiday Maker visas. The government was encouraged to retain these visa types as they have proven to be significant for bringing young qualified engineering professionals to Australia. Although the working holiday visa classes are aimed at enabling holiday makers to supplement the cost of their stay in Australia, it is often an effective way of connecting tourists with employers in areas of skills shortage. Many Consult Australia members use this path to find and employ high quality professionals. MORE INFORMATION For a copy of the Consult Australia submission to the review of temporary residence work visas, go to http://www.consultaustralia.com.au For help with specific visa problems, please contact Svetlana McNeil, the DIAC Industry Outreach Officer (IOO) based at Consult Australia. E-mail her at Svetlana.mcneil@immi. gov.au or call her on (02) 9922 4711 or the mobile on 0466 150 022.

New model to simplify temporary work visas Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, and Minister Assisting on Deregulation, Senator Nick Sherry, announced on 17 December 2010 the launch of the discussion paper, Implementing a simpler framework for temporary residence work visas. The initiative to simplify Australia’s visa system is being undertaken as part of the government’s Better Regulation Agenda. This is aimed at cutting the red tape burden, recognising that Australia’s immigration system is an important source of skilled labour which contributes to productivity improvements and economic growth. There is a commitment to reduce the number of temporary work visas by 50 per cent by 2012, targeting a 50 per cent reduction in the total number of visa subclasses by 2015. Following a first round of consultation in mid-2010, the government developed a draft model for visa simplification. The proposed model reduces the number of temporary work visas from 18 to nine by merging common regulatory requirements and achieves further simplification by standardising similar regulations and removing regulations where they are assessed as being no longer required. The objectives of the partnership on working visa simplification are to:  Simplify the existing visa framework while maintaining current levels of client eligibility for visas;

 Make it easier for clients to understand and engage with Australia’s visa requirements; and  Ensure border security and program integrity is maintained in the immigration program. The final settings for simplified temporary work visas will be decided following feedback to the December discussion paper. Svetlana McNeil Industry Outreach Officer E: Svetlana.mcneil@immi.gov.au T: (02) 9922 4711 M: 0466 150 022

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Major road and rail projects $130k - $170k

11-03-03 10:50 AM

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY Nelson de Sousa is a Policy Adviser for Consult Australia. Nelson represents the needs and interests of Consult Australia member firms on issues such as contracts & liabilities, and workplace health & safety. Nelson can be reached via email at nelson@consultaustralia.com.au

EASING THE REGULATORY BURDEN OF MODEL WHS LAWS FOR CONSULTING COMPANIES IN 2008, WORKPLACE RELATIONS MINISTERS FROM AROUND AUSTRALIA AGREED TO NATIONALLY HARMONISE WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY (WHS) LAWS. SAFE WORK AUSTRALIA IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING NATIONAL MODEL WHS LAWS, WHICH THE COMMONWEALTH AND EACH STATE AND TERRITORY WILL IMPLEMENT BY THE END OF 2011. The national model WHS laws will comprise the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act and Regulations and Codes of Practice. The final version of the model WHS Act was published by Safe Work Australia on 26 November 2010. To support the model WHS Act, Safe Work Australia has released for public comment:  Model Work Health and Safety Regulations;  Priority model Codes of Practice; and  An Issues Paper. The public comment period will close on 4 April 2011 and provides an opportunity for individuals and organisations to participate in the development of the model WHS Regulations and priority model Codes of Practice.

A SAFE DESIGN CODE IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO CONSULTING COMPANIES AS MULTIPLE PARTIES INFLUENCE SAFETY OUTCOMES IN THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION PROCESS. CONSULT AUSTRALIA MEMBERS UNDERTAKE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE ACTIVITY OF DESIGN. CONSULT AUSTRALIA MEMBERS MAY BE ONLY ONE OF THE PARTIES INVOLVED IN DESIGN DELIVERY.

MAY 2010

There is little doubt that businesses will incur costs as a direct result of the introduction of the Model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act and model WHS Regulations and Codes of Practice. These costs will include retraining employees, introducing new notification requirements, and implementing new record keeping and administration procedures. As yet, the extent of these costs has not been properly identified however, Consult Australia believes they require further analysis by SafeWork Australia and should in no way be underestimated. Nationally consistent WHS laws will benefit businesses, especially those who work in multiple jurisdictions, by enabling them to comply with their WHS obligations through the establishment of a level playing field. Consulting companies that only operate in one state will not derive the same benefits from the harmonisation of WHS laws that companies operating in more than one state will. Consulting companies that operate in more than one jurisdiction stand to benefit from: reduced costs for national businesses; lower 36

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

compliance costs; simplified administration, training and OHS expertise deployment; and greater certainty and understanding of WHS laws. These benefits of model WHS laws will come at a cost to all businesses, both small and large. The most significant cost will be adjusting to the new duties and obligations contained in the model WHS laws. To minimise the cost to businesses resulting from the introduction of model WHS laws, SafeWork Australia should ensure businesses

are provided with clear and concise codes of practice, guidance material and support services. This will greatly assist compliance during and after transition to the new model WHS laws. In particular, Consult Australia has advocated for a code for safe design that will help consulting companies to comply and understand the specific designer duties contained in the model WHS laws. Consult Australia welcomes SafeWork Australia’s announcement that they will release a code for safe design this year.

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY

A SAFE DESIGN CODE WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN EDUCATING ALL STAKEHOLDERS ON THE PROCESS AND CONSISTENCY ACROSS ALL JURISDICTIONS. A SAFE DESIGN CODE WILL ALSO BENEFIT DESIGN PROFESSIONALS, ORGANISATIONS AND ANY OTHER PERSONS WHO HAVE CONTROL AND INFLUENCE OVER DESIGN AND PROVIDE PERFORMANCE-BASED GUIDANCE.

A safe design code is of great importance to consulting companies. Multiple parties influence safety outcomes in the building and construction process. Consult Australia members undertake professional services, which include, but are not limited to, the activity of design. Consult Australia members may be only one of the parties involved in design delivery. The code should provide guidance to all stakeholders on how to fulfill their duties under the Act, whilst also giving clarity over the scope and breadth of the duty and lifecycle timeframe (i.e. design to demolition). A safe design code will play a key role in educating all stakeholders on process and consistency across all jurisdictions.

|A safe design code will also benefit design professionals, organisations and any other persons who have control and influence over design and provide performance-based guidance. It should provide direction on how to manage the wide and varying hazards and risks that arise in the design of a structure or plant. This will have substantial benefits in terms of improving safety outcomes and productivity gains.

design can be better understood, examined and implemented by duty holders. Consult Australia believes that codes of practice such as this one will help to lessen any associated costs for consulting companies resulting from the introduction of the model WHS laws.

Nelson de Sousa

Consult Australia looks forward to continuing to work with SafeWork Australia through the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), our industry representative, in the development of a safe design code that will focus on the principles of safe design so that knowledge and capability in safe

GOODBYE TO THE TRADE PRACTICES ACT 1974 (CTH) On 1 January 2011 the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (CCA) was enacted and replaced the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) (TPA). The TPA is a piece of legislation that has governed how companies do business and its application has been far reaching. The new CCA introduces some changes to competition law. In particular, the expansion of unfair practice provisions and the introduction of new laws on consumer guarantees. However, one of the biggest impacts will be the need to change those documents that refer to the TPA and amend them to refer to the CCA and the new sections.

Consult Australia recommends that members review all new contracts and sections to ensure that they and that the provisions of the CCA can be accepted in existing contracts. Consult Australia will be amending the short and long form contract and practice note 4.03 Memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Obligations under the Trade Practices Act to reflect these changes.

Nelson de Sousa

AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

TECHNOLOGY CORNER

CHRIS WILLIAMS - HEARNE SCIENTIFIC SOFTWARE

MOVING BEYOND THE LIMITATIONS OF SPREADSHEETS ENGINEERS TODAY FREQUENTLY PERFORM CALCULATIONS BY HAND, ON CALCULATORS AND BY WRITING CUSTOMISED PROGRAMS USING SPREADSHEETS. THE APPEAL OF THE SPREADSHEET LIES IN ITS UBIQUITY AS A PRODUCTIVITY APPLICATION THAT RESIDES ON VIRTUALLY EVERY PC SHIPPED TODAY. HOWEVER, UBIQUITY DOES NOT EQUAL RELIABILITY OR AUDITABILITY. same application. This makes it crucial for spreadsheets to be tested and validated. Users may use the spreadsheet application for ‘mission-critical’ calculations and assume that the calculations are suitable for use, when in fact, they may not be. Olson & Nilsen found a 21 per cent cell error rate among experienced spreadsheet users3. Engineers require documents that explain all one needs to know about the design process, including text, interactive mathematical calculations, graphs and actual drawings and models in a single, shareable document.

Coopers and Lybrand found 90 per cent of all spreadsheets comprised of more than 150 rows, contained errors1. In another alarming study, KPMG found 91 per cent of 22 spreadsheets taken from an industry sample contained errors2. This can be especially problematic in engineering organisations, where the cost of an error can go far beyond dollars and cents. A spreadsheet provides the results of a critical engineering calculation, but the methods, assumptions, values and logic that spawned these results remain invisible. Instead of seeing calculations laid out in conventional mathematical notation, engineers see machine-readable text buried in formulas. While the spreadsheet cell structure hints at the logic behind the cells, that logic is not explicit and subsequently errors are difficult to trace. “Talented engineers are using Excel and getting serious errors of which they’re simply not aware. And errors build up more rapidly than you might expect.” - Dr. Alan Stevens, Specialist, Mathematical Modelling & Simulation, Rolls-Royce Furthermore, engineering design is more often than not a collaborative process, requiring many different users of the 38

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

Many engineering firms, such as Bechtel, are using Mathcad™ engineering calculation software to employ standard mathematical notation and capture the assumptions, methods and critical data behind every calculation. A Mathcad™ worksheet enables engineers a holistic approach to documenting the design calculation process effectively. Knowledge is captured in a shareable form and clearly documented. “Since the late 1990s, Bechtel has created engineering calculation templates (using Mathcad™) and posted them on its Intranet for use by 70 engineers. We stopped using spreadsheets and macros because of checking issues4”, said Bechtel’s Petroleum and Chemicals Group Automation Coordinator for Civil, Structural and Architectural Engineering, Khaldoon Sakkal. “With 40 [Mathcad™ worksheets] centralised for use, all engineers need to do is download the one they need, whether it be for wind loads or anchor bolt analysis, and fill in the variables.” While general purpose spreadsheets have found their place in organisations as a way to handle tabular data and basic mathematical operations, they fail to fulfil the more advanced computational needs of engineers as well as the larger business objectives of the engineering organisation. To truly standardise on the right tool for engineering calculations, organisations must fully examine their needs within the context of both the engineer and the engineering organisation. Mathcad™ moves beyond the

capabilities of the spreadsheet, providing a solution that is expressly designed to better solve and document calculations. With Mathcad™, finding errors and fixing them is just a matter of going over the inputs. Mr Sakkal explains that “While the technology doesn’t eliminate mistakes an engineer can input the wrong data, mistakes won’t be in the calculation itself.”4

Chris Williams Hearne Scientific Software References: Journal of Accountancy, “How to Make Spreadsheets Error-Proof”

KPMG Management Consulting, “Supporting the Decision Maker: A Guide to the Value of Business Modeling”

Human-Computer Interaction, “Analysis of the Cognition Involved in Spreadsheet Interaction”.

CIO Magazine July 2003.

ENERGY CORNER

DAVID BEEFORTH - EDMONDS

MECHANICAL VENTILATION VS NATURAL AND HYBRID VENTILATION MECHANICAL VENTILATION HAS TRADITIONALLY REMOVED CONTAMINANTS AND REDUCED INTERNAL TEMPERATURES IN BUILDINGS THAT HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF HUMAN OCCUPATION, SUCH AS WAREHOUSES, OFFICES AND SCHOOLS AND BUILDINGS THAT HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS SUCH AS FACTORIES.

With increasing energy costs and carbon tax regimes being discussed, traditional building ventilation options need to be reviewed to ensure a cost effective solution that is both good for the environment inside and outside the building. Hybrid ventilation is the emerging trend and offers significant advantages over traditional options. Mechanical ventilation in the form of roof mounted electric powered axial fans is the most limited form of building ventilation. Although they offer a guaranteed high extraction rate, the units are either on or off, regardless of the prevailing conditions. When they are running, they consume high levels of electricity and therefore produce carbon emissions, so operation is generally only when the building is occupied. When off, they offer no benefit to maintaining the buildings desired environment thermal and air quality environment. Natural ventilation in the form of roof mounted wind driven ventilators is the most environmentally friendly form of building ventilation. As they are driven by the warm air in the building, rising toward the roof and wind movement across the turbine, they have no ongoing running costs in the form of electricity consumption or carbon emissions. However, they are dependent on these forces to operate so in periods of reduced temperature or low wind, the vents performance will decrease. Hybrid ventilation is an evolving form of building ventilation. Early attempts at hybrid ventilation consisted of either the combination of a thermal chimney and a passive ventilator or the combination of a natural ventilator, and an axial fan assembly, (the axial fan assembly decreases the ventilator’s performance when operating in natural mode). Product

The most effective form of hybrid ventilation incorporates the benefits of natural ventilators, to operate during favourable conditions with no operating cost, in conjunction with very low energy motors. These electrically commutate, fitted into the ventilator in such a way that they replace the ventilator’s bearing and do not impede the ventilator’s throat, which ensures the ventilator’s ability to operate effectively in natural mode. When the ventilators are running in powered mode they consume a low amount of electricity and therefore produce less carbon emissions. The illustration below demonstrates running cost savings and CO2 emission reductions of 75 per cent based on the use of coal-fired electricity when a hybrid ventilation system is used. In this example this equates to a $1763 annual saving and 12.3 tonne annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The example uses hybrid ventilators which not only uses less power in powered mode, but can also run for a shorter period due to the availability of continuous ventilation in natural mode.

This allows for similar air change rates over a day compared to the mechanical unit which must run for a longer period. An additional benefit provided by hybrid ventilation is the reduction of thermal mass in a building. As the ventilators are able to continue operating in natural mode (not consuming electricity) when a building is not in use, continual ventilation is achievable. This ventilation is extremely beneficial as once the external temperature, drops below the internal temperature cold air is brought into a building; this air cools the building down overnight so the temperature the following day is easier to control. Natural ventilation has been used extensively in the Middle East to ventilate factories, warehouses, transportation depots and military facilities. In various trials undertaken in the harsh environment of the Middle East, natural ventilation was shown to reduce building temperatures compared to non ventilated buildings by up to 4-5ºC at 34ºC +.

No. of units

Exhaust Rate

Run Time

Annual Energy Consumption [kWh]

Annual Energy Cost @ 10c/kWh

CO2 emissions @700g/kWh [tonnes]

600 mm Hybrid Ventilator

same

8hrs power 16hrs natural

$3387

$338.70

2.4

Standard Mechanical Axial Roof Fan Unit

same

12hrs on 12hrs off (no ventilation)

$21024

$2102.40

14.7

David Beeforth Edmonds

AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

ROAD SAFETY

PAUL HANSEN - LB INTERNATIONAL

DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE ROADSIDE HARDWARE SINCE A MEETING IN 1958 WHEN ROADSIDE BARRIERS WERE BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE NEW LONDON TO EDINBURGH M1 MOTORWAY; ROADSIDE HARDWARE HAS GROWN IN NECESSITY AND CAPABILITY. During the 1960’s 48 full crash tests were undertaken; the 1970’s saw the construction of 2-rope fences and the 1980’s developed the 4-rope fences with inter-weaving ropes, meeting the European hardware standards. Development continued throughout the 1990’s to meet the US pick-up truck standards then during the turn of the century a total redesign took place, enabling the product to meet US and European truck standards. Soon to be released will be the new manual for assessing highway safety features (MASH2009) standards for trucks. The new MASH2009 requirements are going to change the safety testing and development of roadside hardware. Since December 2010 all products have been and will continue to

130 metres; however Brifen determined the influence of the end anchor being nil after beginning to test their fences at 626 metres.

from the original British design has been to the anchor and the gating terminal. The modern terminal meets modern specification requirements.

It is well known that post spacing is critical to the performance of wire rope fences. Post spacing affects the fence performance on both horizontal and vertical curves (the tighter the curve the more critical the post spacing). Post spacing also affects interaction of the post with the ropes under the dynamic influence of an impact from an errant vehicle. The greater the post spacing the greater is the chance of penetration. Brifen fences are generally built at post spacing 1.6m to 3.2m, the optimal performance range, with a testing range of 1.0m to 6.4m.

The advancement of computer software is an important bow to add this company’s strings. The University of Sheffield in the UK was an original collaborator in the Brifen fence development in the 1980’s and 1990’s. To enable design of the fence, the university created the Brifsim2 software which was verified against all crash tests to 1997. To this day it is the only software commonly in use written specifically for wire rope barrier applications.

THE NEW MASH2009 REQUIREMENTS ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE SAFETY TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT OF ROADSIDE HARDWARE. SINCE DECEMBER 2010 ALL PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE TESTED AGAINST THE NEW STANDARD. WHILST THE BRITISH BEGAN TESTING WIRE ROPE AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR, THE MODERN FENCE ERA BEGUN IN THE 1980’S.

be tested against the new standard. Whilst the British began testing wire rope after the Second World War, the modern fence era begun in the 1980’s. As technological advancements progressed and safety became more prominent, wire rope fence company Brifen remained one off the only competitors in its market until approximately 1995. Since 2000, the US market has experienced a product expansion. Sustaining this meant the company worked to remain innovative; drawing the connection between wire rope fence deflection and how influenced it is by fence length. Before the 1980’s, fence length was tested below 40

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

Whilst the Brifen fence designs vary to meet widely diverse European and US standards, the basic component design has changed little from the 1970’s. The standard post is the ‘S’ shaped post, a very efficient shape for roadside barriers. The standard 19mm wire rope 3x7 construction is now the industry standard. Rigging screws long proven in industrial, building and maritime applications have always been used together with fully swaged threaded terminals to connect the ropes. The swaging of the threaded terminals guarantees measurable and reproducible performance, as opposed to using cheaper wedge connections which may work loose with time. The only major component change

The comprehensive design and support of this fence does not make it the lowest cost item for all types of job specification. However, the design does deliver performance proven for fence length installed. The Brifen fence does deliver confidence that is sustainable through the component design and quality, the fence design, and the backup services. Its sustained role in the industry speaks for itself.

Paul Hansen LB International

EASY CHOICES!CONSULT AUSTRALIA IS ON YOUR SIDE

THE LATEST PATHWAY TESTIMONIAL SLR Consulting Australia’s range of environmental engineering and scientific services has broadened considerably over the past several years. As we continue to grow, new services are being introduced, new offices open and other consulting practices are being acquired. Our overseas work on significant international projects has also increase markedly. As a consequence, greater focus on managing the technical and commercial risks of our multi-disciplinary service delivery was required. Significant changes to our Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance cover became necessary. We realised that professional risk management advice well beyond that provided by a normal PI broker was required – we needed an insurance advisory service with considerable consulting industry experience.

SLR Consulting Australia selected a broker associated with Consult Australia PI Pathway, as the services provided seemed an ideal match. The broker was able to ensure continuity of cover, broadening the scope of cover and negotiating a reduced premium. Their contract review service and ongoing staff risk management training have proven invaluable to our business, enhancing the professional standard of our client contractual relations and improving the quality of our service delivery. SLR Consulting Australia Pty Ltd

To get a quote please visit: www.consultaustralia.com.au/PIPathway/Default.aspx

Consult Australia’s PI Insurance Pathway gives Consult Australia members access to the PI market through a Panel of Brokers selected by Consult Australia. Consult Australia is providing a referral service only and is not providing any form of financial advice or offering a financial product. Consult Australia does not guarantee the value, price and terms of cover that may be received from any member of the Panel of Brokers. Any agreement entered into through use of the PI Insurance Pathway will be expressly between the Panel Broker and the Consult Australia member firm.

STATE NEWS

VIC DIVISION The Victoria division would like to welcome Phil Duthie from GHD, as the Division Chairman. Phil has been acting in the role and was elected Chairman at the January Victorian Committee meeting. On 23 February, Victoria was fortunate enough to host the launch of Consult Australia’s latest report, Seizing the Sustainability Advantage. This thought leadership piece was developed by the Consult Australia Sustainability Roundtable. Roundtable Chair and Norman Disney & Young Director, Ashak Nathwani provided an overview of the report and Grattan Institute Chief Executive, John Daley gave his reflections on the its key recommendations. Sustainability Victoria ‘s General Manager – Business & Industry, Cameron Frazer discussed the report from a Victorian Government perspective and outlined work being undertaken by Sustainability Victoria in this space. The Victoria division has been busy engaging with the new Government to continue to develop its relationships. Regular meeting with VicRoads are occurring, and the Victorian Committee has provided comment on the contracts VicRoads uses for engaging consultants. FutureNet started the year with a very topical and informative presentation on designing and planning for climate change. University of Melbourne’s Associate Professor Peter Christoff discussed scientific projections in relation to climate change, the existing policy frameworks in Australia in relation to extreme events, and the issues around implementing climate change policy. This set the scene for the City of Port Phillip’s Senior Project Manager for Sustainability, Lalitha Ramachandran to discuss how we can plan and design for climate change, how the City of Port Phillip and other states and countries are designing and planning for similar climate change effects, and what more needs to be done in this space. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2011 Melbourne FutureNet Business Leaders Course and will close on 25 March. For further information on this exciting course, please contact Kate Di Gregorio on (03) 8699 7700 or email kate@consultaustralia.com.au. The Drilling Safety Working Group anticipates that a draft document to determine contractor prequalification requirements for drillers working for consultants will be available for public consultation this May. Further details will be provided to members when the guidelines are ready for consultation. We wish to welcome MTU Detroit Diesel back onboard as Gold partners of the Victoria Division. We would also like to thank our partners St George and BST Global for their continued support and URS for their continued hospitality and generosity in providing an office for Consult Australia Victoria.

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

TAS DIVISION We hosted a New Year networking function in February at the Old Woolstore in Hobart, where members were able to meet with their peers and discuss local industry issues for Consult Australia to focus on in 2011. Consult Australia Policy Advisor for the Skills Portfolio, Jonathan Russell, who is based in our National Office, attended the function and discussed issues with members, and also spoke on policy initiatives being undertaken at the National level. In February, Greg Walters (SKM), Jonathan Russell (Consult Australia) and Kate Di Gregorio (Consult Australia) met with Senior Policy Adviser to the Minister for Infrastructure (David O’Byrne MP), Neale Tomlin. The importance of a consistent pipeline of work to allow the industry to maintain its capabilities was discussed. Another topic that was explored was how the harmonisation of Tasmanian’s planning regulations to encourage private industry to invest in Tasmania is an important factor to help build this pipeline of work. The issue of unlimited liability in government contracts was discussed in detail and further information was requested for the Minister, including models where proportionate liability benefits both the consultant and the Government. This information has since been provided to the Minister and will be followed up in due course. Also in February, a meeting with Senior Adviser to the Minister for Education (Lin Thorp MLC), Sandie Shepperd, was attended by Rob Casimaty (Pitt& Sherry), Jonathan Russell (Consult Australia) and Kate Di Gregorio (Consult Australia). The purpose of this meeting was to build Consult Australia’s profile with the Minister for Education, and to promote the work that Consult Australia does in this space. It was pleasing to find that the Minister’s office supports our cause for continued work in Tasmania to help ensure that more Tasmanian children have access to quality education to help build the capabilities within the Tasmanian workforce. On 10 March, Consult Australia members attended a luncheon where the Tasmanian Planning Commission’s Executive Commissioner, Greg Alomes presented an update on the Commission’s planning reform agenda for 2011-2013. An upcoming luncheon is being planned to meet with the Tasmanian Minerals Council for a discussion on where the Tasmanian Mining Sector is heading.

STATE NEWS

SA DIVISION

The South Australia division hit the ground running in 2011. We have continued striving to grow awareness of our brand within the state, participate in a number of working groups and lobby for our members. With the late 2010 release of Transporting Australia’s Future, a decision was made by the SA Executive Committee to promote this thought leadership piece and attempt to engage both industry and government in a discussion to investigate proactive development of policy that enables the state to afford essential and sustainable infrastructure. ACTIONS TAKEN BY SA DIVISION ALREADY THIS YEAR INCLUDE: Submission of a response to The Strategic Infrastructure Plan for South Australia 2010 Discussion Paper; Distribution of Transporting Australia’s Future to government Ministers and relevant individuals within the SA Department of Transport, Energy & Infrastructure; An industry breakfast to present Transporting Australia’s Future to our members and others within the industry - a discussion on issues presented within the paper was also begun; Confirmed a members-only boardroom lunch meeting with Premier of South Australia the Hon Mike Rann CNZM MP to discuss the paper; and Strong involvement in the working group producing the inaugural BEMP SA, to be held April 2011. MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS As ACIF was making recommendations on the scope for regulation in the industry to be changed to stimulate innovation, Executive Committee Member Nicholas Murphy (MLEI Consulting Engineers) took part in the ACIF Red Tape focus group, representing practitioners in the conversations about what regulations most impede their businesses. The SA division continues to liaise with Dept of Premier & Cabinet’s Integrated Design Strategy (IDS) for inner Adelaide. In a uniquely powerful partnership, the Australian Government, South Australian Government and Adelaide City Council, in association with the seven inner Adelaide councils, are working together to help shape the future of our capital city. The SA Division have been invited to be a part of Imagine Adelaide, an initiative that will set the vision and goals for our city. A meeting with the IDS has been proposed for early March. UPCOMING EVENTS

SA’s No. 1 Business Bank.

Newly resurrected Site Visits; and Outlook for 2011 – an unparalleled annual profile of the industry and analysis of the market prepared for consulting firms operating in the built and natural environment in Australia. RECENT EVENTS The industry breakfast held in February, Transporting Australia’s Future, welcomed more than 70 delegates. A presentation at the event considered Consult Australia’s recommendations in light of the challenges facing South Australia. South Australian Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure Executive Director Transport, Andrew Milazzo commended the breadth of the report and provided some context to the recommendations for SA. The recommendations set out in Transporting Australia’s Future were reflected in the SA Division’s recent submission to the current review of the Strategic Infrastructure Plan for South Australia. This submission paper is available for download via the SA Division -Lobbying & Advocacy section of the Consult Australia website. FUTURENET SA RECENT EVENTS: The 2010 Christmas Cocktail party was held on Thursday, 9 December at the fabulous National Wine Centre. Guest speaker and owner/winemaker of Vinteloper Wines, David Bowley shared his experiences with starting up his own wine label. David also encouraged participants to enjoy a drop of his wine, which they happily did – there were five varietals to taste, so something for everyone! FutureNet SA also hosted an Adelaide Fringe 2011 breakfast on Thursday, 10 February. The 100 strong audience heard Adelaide Fringe Festival CEO and Director, Greg Clarke give an insightful overview of the iconic and unique festival. Greg shared the history of the event, which spans some 50 years, and its marketing philosophy moving forward. He also shared his hot tips for “must see” performances. Breakfast guests were even treated to a sneak peek of Adelaide comedian Jason Chong’s act, which gave all a fun start to the day. FUTURENET SA UPCOMING EVENTS The April breakfast has a finance theme – investment, financial and forward planning for the young business professional. A quiz night is being scoped by the committee to enhance the annual program of events and add a new element to 2011, further boosting the networking opportunities for FutureNet members.

As always, our 2010/11 calendar of events is on the website for members to peruse and earmark dates in their diary for the coming year.

FutureNet announces the platinum sponsors for 2011, SA Water and Parsons Brinckerhoff. It also welcomes back silver sponsors AECOM, Aurecon, GHD, KBR, URS, Tonkin Consulting and SKM.

LOOK OUT FOR:

The SA division also welcomes a new silver sponsor, Statewide Super. Thanks BankSA for their continued support as platinum sponsor of the division.

Boardroom Luncheon with Premier of South Australia the Hon Mike Rann CNZM MP;

AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

STATE NEWS

NSW DIVISION

FUTURENET BUSINESS LEADERS On Thursday, 25 November 2010 we marked the end of the 2010 FutureNet Business Leaders Course with an Awards Dinner at Luna Park. It was a great turnout with approximately 150 people in attendance.

GOLD SPONSORS:

SILVER SPONSORS:

The FutureNet Business Leaders Course is now in its fourth year and provides leadership development and enhanced industry networks to enable our future leaders to thrive in the changing built environment. The course takes the-best-of-the-best from across the built environment and, over eight months, focuses on developing their skills in areas such as: team leadership; relationship development; finance; risk and contracts; innovation; negotiation; and communication. Mid-way through the 2010 course, participants were divided into teams and each team was then assigned a mentor. We offer our sincerely thanks to the following people who generously gave up their time fill these mentoring roles: Andrew Wilson from TSA Management; Anthony Manning from Health Infrastructure NSW; Geoff Cahill from RTA; James Hadaway from TCA; Peter Garrett from Ebsworth & Ebsworth Lawyers; and Steve Tolley from Thiess. Each year, the course finishes with an eight week team task that sees participants develop and submit a submission on a major NSW infrastructure challenge. This year, teams were tasked with developing a transport strategy for Sydney’s Lower North Shore and Northern Beaches. Each team presented their finished proposal to a live judging panel, headed by The United States Studies Centre – Sydney’s Urban Policy Professor, Ed Blakely. Also on the panel were: Evans & Peck Principal, Kay Salvair-Smith; Aurora Projects Director, Malcolm Naylor; Thiess Alliance Project Director, Peter Chatburn; and Up Advisory Principal, Tim Parker.

Evans & Peck; Rebecca Lehman from GTA Consultants; and the exceptional task writers: James Holbrook from Johnstaff Projects; Alana Burrows from Parsons Brinckerhoff; and David Paine from RTA. Since its inception, the driving force behind the course has been Ed Riley from MaxSam. Ed will be leaving the committee to focus on the alumni sub-committee. Many thanks go to him for the tremendous amount of time and energy he has put into the course. Finally, thank you to the mentors, speakers and judges who contributed to the course in such a positive way. Unfortunately nominations for the 2011 course have closed. Please keep an eye out for the 2012 course information.

The presentations were held prior to the dinner and there was one award on offer for the best overall proposal. The dinner saw Tim Parker discuss the industry relevance of the FutureNet Business Leaders Course, Andrew Wilson discuss his mentoring experience, past participants address the audience and Head Judge, Ed Blakely comment on each team’s proposal and finally, announce the winning team. FutureNet participants Helen Tan from Johnstaff Projects, Brenton Chalice from RTA, Dan Hickey from Evans & Peck, Alex Baidjurak from Arup and Len Gervay from TCA won the Best Overall Proposal Award for their work on ‘Shore Transit’. 2010 also saw RTA’s Jai Reddy appointed as the first FutureNet Committee Chair. Jai, who is himself a 2007 FutureNet alumni, has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills. We thank him for his time, energy, passion and enthusiasm. Personal thanks also go to the FutureNet committee: Joyce Lee from Hyder Consulting; Paul Pike and Richard Jones from

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

OTHER NSW DIVISION NEWS: The OHS Update, What you Need to Know was held on the 24 February over breakfast and proved to be a sell-out event. Speaking at the breakfast were Katherine Morris of Corrs Chambers Westgarth Lawyers and Alvin Vink of Aurecon. The FutureNet event, Green Infrastructure & Product Rating will take place over breakfast on 18 March at Clayton Utz who are sponsoring the event. On 7 April, the 2010 FutureNet Business Leaders Course teams will be present their assignment proposals to: Transport NSW Director General, Les Wielinga; Transport Policy and Planning Deputy Director General, Joanna Quilty;

STATE NEWS

and Transport Infrastructure Deputy Director General, Rodd Staples. This is an excellent opportunity for participants to meet and converse with industry leaders who have had a direct impact on the strategic transport directions of NSW. FutureNet Business Leaders welcomed its 2011 alumni with an event at Vessel Bar in Sydney where Tristram Carfrae spoke on innovation. This event, sponsored by Arup, attracted over 60 past participants of the FutureNet Business Leaders Course, along with their judges and mentors. It was a great start to the ‘formal’ alumni year. Consult Australia continue to meet with Engineers Australia and have a strong relationship with them here in NSW. Consult Australia recently met with the NSW Construction Consultative Committee (CCC) on 23 February to discuss emerging issues in construction in 2011. This follows similar meetings in previous years where NSW Division has briefed the CCC on issues of mutual interest which have resulted in a number of positive outcomes for

ACT DIVISION

GOLD SPONSORS:

Consult Australia members. The CCC brings together the NSW Government’s construction agencies to develop, implement and promote improved practices and standards and encourages a streamlined approach to government construction procurement. It includes senior representatives from RTA, Sydney Water, Hunter Water, RailCorp, Transport Construction Authority, Sydney Ports, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Housing, etc.

ACT LOBBYING The ACT Division continues to have regular roundtable meetings with ACT Procurement Solutions. It is currently lobbying the following bodies:

• ACTPLA (WSUD); and

• TAMS Members continue to be very active in the development of a new civil engineering course in Canberra. Consult Australia is represented on the working group and it is envisaged that the course will commence in 2012. Buildings and infrastructure sub-committees have been introduced in ACT. If you wish to join either of these committees, please phone the ACT division office on (02) 9966 4966.

SILVER SPONSORS:

FutureNet launched 2011 with ‘John Anderson – The Incredible Story’ which attracted an impressive number of young professionals. Special thanks go to the event sponsors: ISIS; Brown Consulting; and Taylor Thomson Whitting. Thanks also go to the standard FutureNet sponsors: Northrop Engineers and Brown Consulting (gold sponsors); and Sellick Consultants, Aurecon and AECOM (silver sponsors). Following the successful site visit to Cotter Dam late 2010, ACT Division will be hosting a similar event early in 2011.

AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

STATE NEWS

QLD DIVISION

RECENT WEATHER EVENTS Following the first round of floods in early January, Consult Australia was contacted by Brisbane City Council and asked to provide information around our member’s capacity to have resources available to assist with work that may be required. A call for information resulted in an overwhelming response with over 40 firms immediately providing information, including offers of pro bono work, which were passed back to Brisbane City Council and other relevant government agencies. Consult Australia Queensland would like to thank all the members who contributed. EVENT UPDATES The first event for 2011 attracted record numbers - 235 people attended to hear updates on how the recent floods have impacted Queensland. Speakers from Queensland Resource Council, Department of Transport & Main Roads, Department of Infrastructure and Planning, Norton Rose and Queensland Urban Utilities provided information on how their organisations were affected and how they reacted or now need to react following the weather events of the last two months. On 10 March a Skilled Migration Workshop will be held with officers from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Places are limited. MARK YOUR CALENDAR: 19 April 2011 (TBC) – Qld launch of Seizing the Sustainability Advantage 24 May – Outlook for Consultants with Geoff Bills Sponsorship opportunities are available for these events – please email qld@consultaustralia.com.au or ph: 07 3020 3403 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Department of Transport and Main Roads trade mission to China Consult Australia members provided Department of Transport and Main Roads with information that was taken on a recent trade mission to China. The Department met with the Queensland Trade Commissioner and Peter Wang from Aurecon. Information was left with the Commissioner who will look for opportunities to promote our consultancies in the future. A working group is continuing to liaise with TMR on a Review of General Conditions of Contract C7545. Following a successful workshop with TMR in December, a working group has been formed for the continued review of the Bridges Drafting Manual. Consult Australia members will be involved in a second workshop on 18 March and then on an ongoing basis as required. TMR have a number of other reviews taking place that they will involve Consult Australia members in over the coming months.

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

OTHER INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS In response to the recent weather events and the resulting damage to over 85 per cent of Queensland, Consult Australia has met with affiliated industry associations to discuss the best way for industry to respond. Two meetings have been held with a further meeting planned for early March. A meeting has also been scheduled with Queensland Reconstruction Authority CEO, Graeme Newton. Professional Engineers Act working party Consult Australia continue to have representatives involved in a working party with Engineers Australia, QMCA, CCF, AAPA, QRC and IPWEAQ. The working party is working towards producing simple explanatory guides around engineering services, direct supervision and prescriptive standards. The Board of Professional Engineers is fully supportive of the group’s work. Local Buy Consult Australia met with Local Buy in January to continue discussions about improving general conditions of contract. We have provided a submission to them with suggested improvements in advance of the release of the next engineering consultancy services contract. FUTURENET The FutureNet AGM was held on 25 November, and a new committee has been formed. Your new committee is: • Brent Lillywhite, Norton Rose Group (Chair) • Edward Spraggon, Arup (Vice Chair) • Josephine MacLeod, AECOM Australia Pty Ltd (Immediate past chair) • Cameron O’Brien, Baulderstone QLD (mentor) • Ian Christmas, Beca Pty Ltd (Consult Australia committee liaison) • Emily Trusler, Parsons Brinckerhoff Australia Pty Ltd • Michael Osborne, GHD Pty Ltd • Jaco Le Roux, Opus International Consultants (Australia) Pty Ltd • Brad Sandford, Aurecon • Charlotte Churchill, Cox Rayner Architects • Tom Heading, Norton Rose Group • James Charalambous, Baulderstone QLD • Luke Bertini, Arup This year’s committee is committed to continuing to provide networking events that are thought provoking, create conversation and, of course, are enjoyable for all. The new committee started the year by holding an informal information session for current and potential sponsors. Members of the FutureNet committee and Consult Australia’s Qld division attended. The first official 2011 event, Responsibility for a Better Tomorrow, took place on Thursday, 10 March and saw us welcome two new sponsors – Parsons Brinckerhoff and Norton Rose. They join our other FutureNet supporters: Arup; AECOM; McVeigh Consultants; Baulderstone; QUT; St George; and GHD. FutureNet’s Qld division continues to grow and would not do so without their valued support.

STATE NEWS

FutureNet business leaders Nominations are now open for the 2011 course. Forms can be downloaded from the website or you can email Stacey on the details below to obtain a copy. Feedback from participants of last year’s course was overwhelmingly positive. Some of the comments we received included: “Thoroughly enjoyed the course and learnt so much! It was a great networking opportunity and great to meet people who are at a similar stage in their careers. Very inspirational course content, I always walked away with a new perspective. I would highly recommend it.” Dannielle Roberts, Medland Metropolis “This course has definitely helped me in the next stage of my career in learning in how to effectively manage my team and be a leader that people want to follow.” Geoff Burns, Arup

(photo caption) Andrew Wheatley (judge); Adrian Parr, KBR; Dannielle Roberts, Medland Metropolis; Rick Banaszcayk, McVeigh Consultants; Graham Kerr, Department of Transport and Main Roads; Frank Vromans (judge). Not pictured is Peter Kastrup, Arup.

With courses now being conducted in Qld, NSW and Victoria and ongoing alumni events, this is one program that the future leaders of your organisation should not miss. The winners of the 2011 Team Submission were ‘Team Utopia’ – pictured below collecting their prize from two of the judges. For more information about any of the Qld activities mentioned please contact Qld State Manager, Stacey Rawlings on 07 3020 3403 or email qld@consultaustralia.com.au.

“The course is a conduit for professionals to develop their careers through the content provided but also the range of experiences and networks provided by the industry experts.” Peter Scheiwe, John Holland Group

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STATE NEWS

WA DIVISION Employee to Owner - Three part series running February, March and April 2011: What you need to know to successfully navigate the transition from employee to director or owner. The legal, corporate and taxation environment can be a confusing world for an engineer. As your career progresses, you may be seeking opportunities for promotion, most likely to director, along with acquisition of equity in the business. These opportunities can come with greater risks and responsibilities, requiring an understanding of issues affecting business owners. This workshop will provide an insight into a range of legal, corporate, and taxation concepts you will face as your career in the consulting profession develops and expands. It is aimed at associates and future leaders who have the ambition to transition from employee to owner. Topics discussed will include: • Common business structures for professional services firms; • Your personal structure and taxation; • Valuing and funding equity in a professional services firm; and • The rights and responsibilities of directors. Speakers at the event include: Chris Parkinson – Director, Grant Thornton: Chris has 15 years experience in Australia and the UK. He advises public and privately held businesses in relation to large and complex transactions, financial modelling, due diligence, Independent Expert Report and valuation services. Chris has advised clients in the mining and mining services industries as well as those in the private equity, professional services, utilities, retail, aviation and transport and logistics sectors. Craig Simon – Associate Director, Grant Thornton: Craig has over 10 years experience in business and advisory services. He has extensive experience in taxation planning, business restructuring, business valuation and appraisals, finance applications and debt restructuring and forecasting for planning and monitoring purposes. Jemal Zagami – Partner, Jackson McDonald: Jemal practises as a commercial lawyer and has represented a number of clients involved in acquiring/disposing business interests and raising capital to facilitate business investment in both the SME market as well as in broader capital markets. Jemal has particular expertise in preparing the legal documentation required to effect these transactions and preparing governing documents used to govern the ongoing relationship between equity participants into the future.

National Outlook AUTUMN 11

New FutureNet Chairman is appointed We are please to announce the appointment of Alex Deluca as the new FutureNet Chairman. Alex has been working in the building services consultancy profession for the past seven years, after graduating from UWA with a Bachelor of Engineering and Science in 2004. He has had extensive experience in the areas of residential and office Buildings, education, health and aged care, courts and justice facilities, laboratories and airport facilities. Alex’s technical knowledge is continually advancing through post graduate courses such as the AIRAH Graduate Certificate in Air-conditioning (code compliance). He is currently employed by Wood and Grieve Engineers as a Senior Engineer and is a valuable part of their Mechanical Services Team.

Top Left: Participants on RedR Australia’s Essentials of Humanitarian Practice got into the spirit of Wear Red for RedR Day in Dookie, Victoria.

Left: SKM Melbourne staff wore red to raise awareness about RedR Australia’s activities. Far Left: Arup Cairns staff enjoyed a morning tea and learned more about RedR Australia’s activities via a phone linkup with RedR Australia CEO, Alan McLean.

A SPLASH OF RED GOES A LONG WAY Consult Australia members around the country encouraged their staff to help raise much needed funds for disaster and emergency relief around the world by participating in Wear Red for RedR Day on Friday, 18 February. Wear Red for RedR Day was planned many months ago, before anyone could have imagined that it would land in a period so full of local natural disasters. Flooding, cyclones, and now earthquakes, have dominated the media space since December 2010 and Australians have watched with horror as people’s lives and livelihoods have been crushed in our own backyard. Along with these tragedies have come incredible stories of human spirit, generosity and triumph. We’ve been reminded of the incredible work our State Emergency Services (local, statewide and national) do and of their bravery. It is easy to forget however, that other countries which have also been devastated by natural disasters, are not so fortunate. Rather than using their internal resources, these nations are forced to rely on international aid in times of crisis. Our State Emergency Services (local, statewide and national) have mandates and capability, local government, state and federal governments have response capacity. Whenever needed, money and people are mobilised to respond immediately to

disaster situations and provide relief. Less developed countries are not so lucky.

specialist abilities we need, visit http://www.redr.org.au.

In 2010 Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince was flattened by a catastrophic earthquake, measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale. The people of Port-au-Prince were left without local access to bottled water and had no hope of restoring their sewerage systems.

If getting involved in this kind of work is of interest, you can submit an application to join the RedR Australia standby register on the above website. We’ll analyse your skill-set to see if your capabilities match what official disaster response agencies (such as UNICEF, UNHCR and World Food Programme) are looking for. If your skills and experience are a suitable match, you’ll be put through our RedR training, to prepare you for the very different and incredibly rewarding field of humanitarian relief engineering.

Even with the massive international humanitarian aid effort, over 25,000 people perished in Haiti. Without this multi-faceted international response, the loss of life postearthquake is too fearful to contemplate. In contrast to the situation in Haiti, the local response to the recent earthquake in New Zealand has been phenomenal. Closer to home, our nation’s response to the Queensland and Victorian floods and Cyclone Yasi inspired an enormous amount of unity and national pride. Australia has been given a taste of just how ferocious Mother Nature can be, however we are not bearing the worst of the effects of global warming. Scientists predict that the frequency and collective impact of disasters that strike in the most vulnerable countries is certain to increase. The need for more people to be prepared to deliver international humanitarian response is set to reach an all time high. RedR is always looking for people with specialist skills and experience who are interested in using their expertise to help rebuild areas devastated by natural disasters. For more information on the

Thank you to everyone who wore red on 18 February to raise awareness. We hope that some of you will join us on the journey to respond to big disasters looming just over the horizon. Alan McLean CEO RedR Australia

RedR Australia is a humanitarian agency which maintains a standby register of highly skilled personnel for United Nations agencies and other established frontline aid organisations to draw on for short-term emergency and disaster relief work. RedR Australia is also a leading provider of humanitarian response training courses. These courses help equip potential and experienced aid workers with the specialised skills and knowledge to maximise their effectiveness in the field. Further details about RedR Australia’s standby register and training courses can be found at www.redr.org.au

AUTUMN 11 National Outlook

Principal Sponsor

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2010 Awards for Excellence 3rd December 2010 | Park Hyatt Melbourne Here is your very own copy of the 2010 Awards ceremony DVD. Along with the award presentations, it holds interviews, dialogue and insights from delighted winners.

Serious about infrastructure. At the Melbourne School of Engineering we are serious about the future of infrastructure. Our commitment is evident in our new Department of Infrastructure Engineering, which brings together our traditional disciplines of civil, environmental and geomatic engineering in a world-class concentration of educational, research and consulting expertise. Our aim is to collaborate on solutions for the big infrastructure challenges. The outcome will be exceptional research and consulting in: • civil infrastructure • environmental hydrology and water resources • geomatics and spatial information. In education, we are providing students with the best preparation for careers in careers in civil and structural engineering, environmental engineering, geomatics and spatial science. Our distinctive new Master of Engineering creates versatile professionals ready for the complexities of tomorrow’s infrastructure challenges. Find out more about the Department of Infrastructure Engineering at www.ie.unimelb.edu.au