Engineering
September 2010
South Australia
The Engineers Australia booth at Science Alive! 2010. Our thanks to Division Sponsor Sydac for this photo.
Contents A Message from the President . . . . . . . . . . News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Membership Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Your Professional Development †. . . . . . . .
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www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sa
A Message From The President Sponsors Division Partners
Division Supporters
YOUR VOTE IS NEEDED TO ENDORSE A NEW ROYAL CHARTER AND BY-LAWS Last month there was a special meeting of the Engineers Australia National Congress. Congress is the group of 50 representatives that provide advice to the National Council of Engineers Australia. The special meeting was held to decide if a new and updated version of the our Royal Charter and By-laws would be put to a member vote. In 2009 Congress recognised that our Royal Charter was seriously out-of-date and even contained some flaws. Since then a Steering Committee has been developing a new Royal Charter and By-laws for member consideration. The Royal Charter was written in 1919. It is the document that establishes the Institution of Engineers Australia and works in conjunction with the By-laws elaborating on the governance and operations. The current documents are inaccessible to the average person both in form and content and are thoroughly confusing. The language and style of both documents is out-dated and does not conform to modern, best practice legal drafting standards. Many of the provisions are poorly drafted even by the standards of the time and quite a number are ambiguous and contradictory. Neither document has an explicit structure signposted by an appropriate table of contents. There is no index to the provisions of the constituent documents as a whole. Because of their lack of accessibility the documents do not give government, business or the public a favourable impression of Engineers Australia as a modern, professional organisation.
Division Executive President Doug Gillott FIEAust CPEng Deputy President Jeff Walsh FIEAust CPEng Treasurer Gerry Doyle MIEAust CPEng Executive Director Caroline Argent Deputy Director Sarah Carey Produced By Engineers Australia South Australia Division Level 11, 108 King William Street Adelaide South Australia 5000 tel 08 8202 7100 fax 08 8211 7702 www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sa 2
I am very pleased to announce that after a healthy debate considering the many amendments the Congress decided to offer the revised Royal Charter and By-laws to you, the members for voting in October. The new Royal Charter that you will be asked to approve was accepted overwhelmingly (442) by Congress. You can be assured that it is a framework document for the 21st century that fixes the fundamental problems that had accumulated within the old much amended Charter. In general terms the new Royal Charter and By-laws do not change the governance, structures, membership or other rules. The instruction given to the drafting team was to “clean it up but don’t change it unless absolutely necessary”. However there are some substantive changes that Congress has accepted in the draft that you will vote on in October. The technical societies, special interest groups and subsidiaries that form such an important part of our involvement are now recognised. Technologist and Associate members will now be able to vote
in all elections. The Professional S t a n d a r d s Scheme that limits liability has been recognised by creating a special category of membership for firms that must become members to take advantage of the Scheme. All in all our new Royal Charter and By-laws are a plain language improvement on the current situation. All Corporate members will be asked to vote in October and a lot more information will be provided separately to assist you in making a decision. More information is also available on the following page from the National President Doug Hargreaves FIEAust CPEng EngExec. Some of you will recall that there was a failed vote to change various provisions of the Royal Charter several years ago. The approach taken at that time was complex containing eight separate motions and it was difficult to understand the point of the changes. This resulted in the actual number of members voting being very low. The vote in October of this year will be simple and it will be offering a replacement Charter and By-laws in total. It is very important that you do vote and I urge you to accept the new Royal Charter. South Australia has often been a progressive State and I would like to see our South Australia Division showing the same leadership role in Engineers Australia. So make sure you vote to have your voice heard.
Doug Gillott FIEAust CPEng President Engineers Australia South Australia Division
Engineers Australia is about to launch an historic membership ballot. In October we will be asking all corporate members to vote ‘yes’ to make our governing documents modern, compliant and equitable. This follows a landmark decision at a special two-day meeting in July, where National Congress finalised a complete rewrite of the Royal Charter and By-laws, to create a modern document written in Plain English. Developed after an extensive two-year review process and with substantial input from members and external experts, it would replace a 73-year old document that has been amended so many times it is at best confusing – at worst ambiguous. It is also inconsistent and has serious legal flaws regarding taxation. The new document also contains an important symbolic policy change, and that is associates and technologists would be given the right to vote in future ballots affecting the Royal Charter and By-laws. The 50-person representative Congress voted overwhelmingly in favour of this as a final legacy of our 2008 Year of the Engineering Team. The new documents will not change the governance or membership structure. Members voted 20 years ago to include technologists and associates in our membership. Since then these groups have become an integral part of our diverse organisation. They represent Engineers Australia in senior office bearer positions and have shared in our strategic planning and major program development. This has strengthened, not weakened our organisation. It is time to take the next step. It is time to update our governing documents to make them clear, equitable and robust. It is time to move our organisation forward.
Engineers Australia President Professor Doug Hargreaves FIEAust CPEng EngExec
It is only fitting that in 2010, the Year of Engineering Leadership, Congress is providing the leadership and vision we need to bring our key underpinning documents into the 21st Century, and modernise our organisation.
Doug Hargreaves FIEAust CPEng EngExec National President Engineers Australia
2010 South Australian Infrastructure Report Card Lets Develop the Way Forward In 2005, Engineers Australia took the initiative to raise community awareness of the importance of infrastructure, and to encourage governments and the private sector to work collectively for infrastructure provision and management. The report provided the well overdue strategic overview of various infrastructure sectors and an independent assessment of the fitness for the purpose of South Australia’s key infrastructure. Five years on it is timely that we review progress on the adequacy of South Australia’s infrastructure. Join us to look at the 2010 Infrastructure Report Card from a number of perspectives and obtain a range of information about the outcomes of processes. Date: Venue: Time: RSVP:
Tuesday 21st September 2010 Engineers Australia SA Division Level 11, 108 King William Street ADELAIDE SA 5000 9.00am to 1.00pm Thursday 16th September 2010
Cost: $40 inc GST Engineers Australia Members $40 inc GST IPWEA Members $55 inc GST Non-Members Register Online at www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sa or contact Technical Program Coordinator Paul Godden via pgoddden@engineersaustralia.org.au
South Australia Division AGM and Xmas Networking Night 2010 Engineers Australia South Australia Division will hold its AGM and Xmas Networking Night for 2010 on Thursday 2nd December 2010 at Kooyonga Golf Club, May Terrace, Lockleys. For more information please contact Deputy Director Sarah Carey via
South Australia Division
scarey@engineersaustralia.org.au or by calling 08 8202 7150. 3
www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sa
Vote YES To Modernise
Australian Engineering Week 2010 South Australia Division Australian Engineering Week (AEW) is a public awareness and education campaign that aims to highlight the role and achievements of the engineering profession in Australia, and to promote engineering as the career of choice. Working towards these aims will benefit the entire engineering profession. Engineers influence all aspects of our lives - they are the people in the team that make it happen. Australian Engineering Week provides an opportunity for the community to see just how important engineers are to us all. The engineering team is well educated, bringing intelligence and vision to bear, to create products and environments for people. Australian Engineering Week 2010 was held 2nd – 8th August 2010 in South Australia. The week included 27 inspiring, innovative and informative site tours and workshops, participation from highly respected public figures, and wonderful community support. In total there were over 350 registrations for events held by the South Australia Division, representing a wide range of people.
Richard Venus MIEAust discusses the engineering heritage of Adelaide
A number of the tours held this year booked out. These included the Traffic Management Centre, Coca Cola, the Desalination Plant, Coopers Brewery and the ETSA Utilities Network Operation Centre. The feedback from the tours has been positive, with requests from members to run more tours of these venues at a later date. Students and overseas professionals also benefitted from three job hunting presentations on Thursday 5th August 2010, which presented valuable tips and insights into finding engineering jobs in Australia. It was wonderful to see that engineering in Australia has a brilliant future given the talented individuals who attended these events.
A tour at the Ian Wark Institute at the University of South Australia
Engineers Australia South Australia Division also had a booth at Science Alive! on Friday 6th, Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th August 2010 in the Goyder Pavillion at the Adelaide Showgrounds. Science Alive! is one of the premier events for promoting science to students in South Australia. Science Alive! was bigger and better than ever with record attendances estimated at over 40,000 people over the three days. With help from our sponsors, the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure and Sydac, we were able to make the most of the opportunity to promote engineering to the wider community. We would like to thank the numerous organisations, speakers and volunteers who have assisted in making this week the success it was.
The Innova21 building at the University of Adelaide, host of the 2010 Student Careers Night
If you would like more information about Australian Engineering Week, or would like to discuss your workplace being included as a site tour for 2011, please contact Member Relationship Coordinator Nathan Jones via njones@engineersaustralia.org.au or call on 08 8202 7170. Sarah Carey Deputy Director Engineers Australia South Australia Division
The Traffic Management Centre control room, one of the most popular tours of AEW 2010
Chartered Status Workshops A FREE Chartered Status Workshop will be held for Members and Non Members interested in submitting an application for Chartered Status on Wednesday 22nd September 2010, followed by Tuesday 26th October 2010. Our National Assessor Ewan Hazeldine will conduct the Chartered Workshop, which will feature invaluable information regarding Engineers Australia, Chartered Status accreditation and tips on writing Career Episode Reports (CERs) and putting together your Chartered Status application. Further dates for workshops can be obtained via the Engineers Australia South Australia Division website at www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sa or by contacting Member Relationship Coordinator Nathan Jones on the details below. Registration is essential. Please contact Nathan Jones on 08 8202 7170 or njones@engineersaustralia.org.au to register your attendance. 4
Epic Projects and Consulting Consulting Engineers
Structural, Civil; Traffic, Transport; Water, Environmental; Building Inspection; Investigation and Advice; Project Planning and Consultation; Risk and Contract Management Project Managers Contact; Joe Rossi, epic@epicprojects.com.au 0408 894 728 ◊ T ◊ 08 8432 0800 ◊ F ◊ 08 8342 0900
Update from FromMps MpsPeople PeopleSolutions Solutions South Australians all use roads and highways for the operation of our society and facilitation of our growing economy, however we sometimes forget the importance of this infrastructure and the work that is required to continually maintain, upgrade and expand this valuable asset. The recent Engineers Australia South Australian Infrastructure Report Card 2010 states “that significant improvements are needed in road infrastructure, notably a need to address the significant maintenance backlog in regional and metropolitan areas, and growing congestion and slow speeds on major Adelaide arterial roads”.
Brant Lang – Consultant Technical & Engineering
Both the South Australian and Commonwealth Governments recognise the importance of our roads and highways and have implemented programmes to assist in elevating such concerns. The Strategic Infrastructure Plan for South Australia presents the first major step forward in developing a more coordinated long-term approach to infrastructure provision throughout the State. Committed to the cause, the Commonwealth Government is investing $37 billion on road and rail infrastructure through the National Building Program over the six year period from 2008-09 to 2013-14.
Significant projects recently completed, or in the study, design or construction stages include: • Northern Expressway Project • The Northern Connector • South Road Upgrade
• Stuart Highway Upgrade • Victor Harbor Road / Main South Road Junction • McLaren Vale Overpass
• Park Terrace Widening • Gallipoli Underpass
These infrastructure projects contribute to key objectives of the South Australian Strategic Plan and assist in national economic and social development aimed at improving the efficiency, safety and reliability of the national transport network, whilst promoting economic growth. By implementing such strategy we assist in expanding export potential for the State and provide strategic infrastructure for both metropolitan and regional communities. Continued investment in this sector will see further growth of companies involved in roads and highways with engineering showing the way, therefore increasing the demand for skilled engineers in South Australia. Mps People Solutions welcome the opportunity to discuss solutions to your staffing requirements or career opportunities within this growing industry.
Intentions to leave Once you are happy with the terms and conditions of your employment contract, you may need to resign from your current role. This does not need to be a hard or complex process. Be sure to check your employment contract to find out how much notice you need to give your employer. If your contract specifies a two week notice period you must state this in your resignation letter and hand it in two weeks before you are planning to stop work. Below is an example of how a resignation letter can be written. Remember, your resignation letter should be precise and to the point. Dear Mr Blogs, I am writing to inform you of my decision to resign from my position as Engineer with Blogs Engineering. As required in my employment contract I am giving two weeks notice, effective today. My last working day will be 15th September 2010. Working with Blogs Engineering has been very rewarding and I would like to thank you for providing me with the opportunity to be part of the team. Regards, Next month we will cover the issue of Counter Offers.
A. Citizen
Did You Know? s done on the left Until 1965, driving wa Sweden. The side on roads in was done on a conversion to right traffic stopped as weekday at 5pm. All This timing was people switched sides. idents by drivers chosen to prevent acc tten an overnight who may have forgo changeover.
Mps People Solutions Level 9 | 55 Currie Street Adelaide SA 5000 P | 08 8210 8585 F | 08 8210 8500 mpsgroup.com.au
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Focus on Infrastructure – Roads and Highways
Make It So More than 100,000 members of the Australian public were engaged in the first phase of the ‘Make it so’ campaign, submitting almost 7,000 ideas since it first launched in February this year. However, one simple concept has captured Engineers Australia’s imagination and it has been selected to be made into a reality. ‘Make it so’ developing communities can reuse their agricultural waste to create bio-gas for cooking and heating The selected ‘Make it so’ idea was announced to National media during Australian Engineering Week and was contributed by Abdul Al-Dasooqi StudIEAust, an undergraduate student in South Australia. Abdul was inspired to submit the idea after studying energy proficiencies in bio-gas in first year of university. Abdul is studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) and is only 19 years of age, showcasing the young talent and ingenuity that will undoubtedly be seen in the profession in years to come.
This humanitarian ‘Make it so’ idea will work two-fold – it will contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of developing countries whilst providing them with the innovative technologies to improve their daily lives. The announcement of the ‘Make it so’ idea comes during Australian Engineering Week, and coincides with the news that 2011 is set to become the Year of Humanitarian Engineering. The purpose of the ‘Make it so’ campaign is to raise awareness of the contribution the engineering team makes to the community by engaging both the engineering profession and the Australian public in an ‘ideas’ generation discussion. The engineering profession, with its know-how and creativity, has the right people to assist in tackling some of these difficult issues. Engineers Australia will partner with Engineers Without Borders to bring this project to fruition. To follow the progress of the ‘Make it so’ project visit www.makeitso.org.au.
Eminent Speaker Visits Adelaide On Wednesday 4th August 2010 Professor Roger Plank, Senior Vice President of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and keynote speaker at the 2010 Australasian Structural Engineering (ASEC) Conference spoke at the South Australia Division of Engineers Australia about Fire Engineering for Structures and a brief overview of the Eurocodes.
Professor Roger Plank Speaking to South Australian engineers at the Sir Robert Chapman Theatre
Graduate Electrical Power Engineer of The Year Award Nominations Close Soon Nominations Close 1st October 2010 This national award recognises a professional engineer who has demonstrated significant achievements in electrical power engineering during the preceding six years. This annual award is an example of an effective partnership between NHP, the major sponsor of this award, Engineers Australia Electrical College Board and the Electric Energy Society of Australia (EESA). The winner receives: an all expenses paid trip to Europe to attend an electrical energy fair/ conference; a framed certificate from the Electrical College; one year’s membership of Engineers Australia and the Electric Energy Society Australia (EESA); and free registration to the annual EESA Conference of that year. For Terms and Conditions of this Award, please see the Nomination Form on the Engineers Australia Electrical College website. 6
The Institution of Structural Engineers, South Australian Division in conjunction with the Structural Branch, Engineers
Australia South Australia Division and the Concrete Institute of Australia South Australian Branch hosted the event. There were over 70 attendees and over 80 registrations for the simultaneous live streaming of the presentation. Professor Plank spoke on his work at the internationally renowned Structural Fire Engineering Research Group in the UK, a group he jointly established and which has received the support of research funding bodies and industry. An active area of research is the study of the whole building structures response to fire, using advanced numerical analysis to model the interactions between the structural frame and different types of floor slab. The initial focus was on developing cost-effective solutions for steel framed buildings, but this has now been extended to examine the robustness of both steel and reinforced concrete structures, including the performance of connections and the effects of spalling. We would like to thank Prof Plank for his informative presentation.
Senior Engineers Leadership Program Sunday 24th - Friday 29th October 2010 The Senior Engineers Leadership Program is a 6-day full board residential program specifically for engineers with 15 or more years of experience who are seeking to improve their executive potential, expand their circle of influence and further contribute to engineering excellence in Australia. It includes CEO briefings, detailed syndicate work, workplace application and real dialogue on key topics in engineering business and leadership. This program also introduces the Engineers Australia Stage 3 Competencies (Engineering Executive). For more detailed information please download the FULL program details from the Engineering Education Website at www.eeaaust.com.au
Contract Management Training Adelaide & Melbourne Courses provide CPD points consistent with Engineers Australia guidelines Practical courses presented by experienced industry practitioners that can answer your questions Adelaide 9-12 November Contract Management Fundamentals Contract Supervisor’s & Inspector’s Course Preparing Scopes of Work & Specifications Melbourne 23-26 November Contract Management Fundamentals Advanced Contract Management for Superintendents Decision Making & Writing for Superintendents Discounts apply to members of Engineers Australia
CONTRACT CONTROL INTERNATIONAL P: 07 3236 1936 www.ccintl.com.au E: training@ccintl.com.au
Membership Profile Maurice Berry FIEAust CPEng Maurice has been working as an engineer for over 25 years in a number of locations and organisations, most recently ASC, and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team. Why did you decide to become an engineer? I have always been fascinated by how mechanical things work as well as enjoying maths and science. What project are you working on now? Gaining experience as a Stage 2 National Assessor with Engineers Australia. What do you like the most about the engineering profession? The self satisfaction of solving challenging problems and issues. What do you see as one of the biggest issues facing the engineering profession? Maintaining a sustainable environment with an ever increasing and demanding population.
What are your hobbies?
www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sa
Maurice is the newest National Assessor to join the Engineers Australia team.
Golf, fishing and enjoying fine food and wine. What do you think you will be doing five years from now? Providing I remain healthy, much the same as now:- A bit of work, a bit of golf and fishing and a bit of socialising. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? Having lived in and visited a variety of places over the years I still like Adelaide the most. What is your motto? If it is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Who would you most like to meet? Isambard Brunel, Nelson Mandela and John Cleese.
Who has provided you with the greatest amount of inspiration in your career? My Dad who taught me the value of integrity and hard work along with practical hands on skills. The greatest engineering achievement is? The invention of the steam, diesel and petrol engines.
New Leader for GHD South Australia One of the world’s leading engineering, architectural and environmental consulting companies, GHD, welcomes its new Manager South Australia, Mr Tony Norrish. Tony has succeeded David Luscombe, who has relocated to Brisbane as GHD Global Leader Energy and Resources. Leading the GHD South Australia team is the newest chapter of Tony’s 28 year career with the company. Tony’s relaxed and friendly style combined with strong business acumen has seen him successfully undertake a number of management roles across GHD including his most recent tenure as GHD Operations Manager, Victoria. With his technical background in the water sector and strong passion for client focused project outcomes, Tony has recently played a significant role in the delivery of a number of alliance projects with Melbourne Water. These projects include the “Pipelines Alliance” that is responsible for the delivery of 25 projects with a total capital value of $150M and the $625M “Sugarloaf Pipeline Alliance” comprising 70 km of pipeline and associated pump stations. Tony aims to bring experience from these benchmarking projects to GHD’s clients in South Australia.
Mr Tony Norrish FICE CEng FIEAust CPEng
“I am extremely excited about the opportunities in South Australia and I am looking forward to building on our strong reputation as a leading provider of integrated multidiscipline design,” Tony said. Tony and his wife Celeste have relocated to Adelaide and are looking forward to enjoying the relaxed lifestyle associated with their new State. Tony is an avid Essendon supporter however his new colleagues hope to sway him to adopt one of the local South Australian teams.
GHD Pty Ltd
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Your Professional Development September 2010 - October 2010. Unless published otherwise all presentations are scheduled for the Engineers Australia South Australia Division Office. Event details are subject to change. Please check our website prior to event for current information and office location updates. Please note the South Australia Division has relocated premises. Our new address is Level 11, 108 King William Street ADELAIDE SA 5000 Online registration for many events is now available directly through the South Australia Division Website Events Section at www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sa
September 2010 Date
Time
Thursday 16th - Friday 17th
8.00am
Monday 20th
5.00pm
Tuesday 21st
5.30pm
Wednesday 22nd Thursday 23rd Wednesday 22nd
8.00am
5.30pm
Host
Event
Contact
Engineering Education
Course: Project Management - Module 1 - Project
Engineering Education
Australia
Management Fundamentals
Australia
Technical Presentation
Paul Godden
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
EEG Signal Processing - Epilepsy and the Brain
Paul Godden
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
Australian Geomechanics Society JTP Electrical and Electronic Engineering Education Australia Engineers Australia Engineers Australia,
Thursday 24th -
9.00am
Sunday 26th
IChemE, RACI and the SCENZ-IChemE
Monday 27th
5.30pm
Monday 27th
6.30pm
Tuesday 28th
5.00pm
Thursday 30th
5.30pm
Railway Technical Society of Australasia
Course: Asset Management Chartered Workshop - Prepare your Chartered Status Application Conference: CHEMECA 2010 Venue: Hilton, Victoria Square Adelaide
Eminent Speaker - Ian McNaughton
Engineering Education Australia
info@eeaust.com.au
info@eeaust.com.au
Nathan Jones
njones@engineersaustralia.org.au
Administrator
chemeca2010@icms.com.au
Paul Godden
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
Paul Godden
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
JCEC in combination
JCEC Young Chemical Engineers Networking Night
with CHEMECA 2010
Venue: Kings Head Hotel, 357 King William Road, Adelaide
Royal Aeronautical Society
Firing through the Propeller Arc
Paul Godden
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
Technical Presentation
Paul Godden
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
Event
Contact
Technical Presentation
Paul Godden
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
Paul Godden
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
Paul Godden
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
Paul Godden
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
ITEE Software Engineering and Architecture JTP
October 2010 Date
Time
Wednesday 6th
5.30pm
Thursday 7th
5.30pm
Friday 8th
5.30pm
Tuesday 12th
TBA
Wednesday 13th
8.00am
Thursday 14th Friday 15th
8.00am
Thursday 14th
9.00am
Thursday 14th
6.00pm
Host Joint Chemical Engineering Committee ITEE College Committee for Biomedical Engineering JTP Mechanical Engineering Education Australia Engineering Education Australia Engineering Education Australia Society for Building Services Engineers
Eminent Speaker - Terry Steventon, CTO of Raytheon Australia Technical Presentation Adelaide Desalination Plant Site Tour Venue: Adelaide Desalination Plant Engineers Australia Capability Development Model
Course: Stepping up to Management
Course: Business Acumen
Technical Presentation
Engineering Education Australia Engineering Education Australia Engineering Education Australia Paul Godden
info@eeaust.com.au
info@eeaust.com.au
info@eeaust.com.au
pgodden@engineersaustralia.org.au
Enter
8 The views expressed in Engineering South Australia News are not necessarily those of Engineers Australia South Australia Division.