Next Generation

Senior family member

Ian McMurtrie

Ian McMurtrie completed his B Tech (Civil) degree at the Queensland Institute of Technology in 1978. During the early seventies he worked as a Civil Design Draftsman in a number of Civil Consultancies in Brisbane, including John Wilson and Partners and Antony Tod and Partners.

In 1979 Ian accepted a position as Assistant Engineer in Paroo Shire Cunnamulla, and in 1981 was promoted to Shire Engineer. In this position he had a considerable range of responsibilities across the Shire, including Water and Sewerage Infrastructure construction and maintenance. Road construction and maintenance responsibilities included all Shire Roads and the Declared Road network within the Shire for the Department of Main Roads.

In March 1990, Ian was appointed as Shire Engineer to the Whitsunday Shire in Proserpine. The Shire, which was predominantly rural based, was undergoing significant development in the Tourism Industry at Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands. Water, which came from the Proserpine River was constantly under review to ensure that supply could be maintained. The Peter Faust Dam was constructed to provide storage and enable development downstream, which included a watermain to Daydream Island. Reservoirs were constructed as part of the overall water infrastructure upgrade. Other responsibilities included planning and delivery of roadworks including pavement and drainage on town streets and rural roads and operation and maintenance of Council’s hard rock basalt quarry which provided rock for the restoration and maintenance of the Proserpine River Levee. Work on this levee was done for the Proserpine River Improvement Trust.

In 1994 Ian transferred to Rockhampton and took up a position with Kinhill Cameron McNamara. There he was employed as a Senior Engineer in the Civil Section of the company. His responsibilities included marketing, business development and project delivery to private clients, Government Agencies and Local Government. His experience was particularly valuable with projects in the Local Government and Main Roads Areas in Central Queensland.

In 2002 Ian started his own business in Rockhampton serving the Central Queensland area including the Central West.

What inspired you to embark on your career?

I was born and educated in Country Queensland. I had always enjoyed Geometrical Drawing and Perspective and when the opportunity came up, I joined a Consultancy in Brisbane as a cadet draftsman. After being in Brisbane for a period of time, studying and working, and having completed my Degree, I decided that I would head west.

Did it pan out how you expected when you commenced your career.

Yes, it did – and more. I always was interested in road design and construction. During my time in Rockhampton, I also contributed to bridge construction with Queensland Rail which was very rewarding. Civil engineering within the Local Government sphere presents many different challenges for an Engineer.

What have been your career highlights?

Being part of a system, which delivers for the local Community has always been a highlight. I can list a few: • Restoring Bore Pumps which delivered artesian water to the water tower in Cunnamulla in the middle of Summer. Water was at crisis levels. • Construction of Large Box

Culverts through Yowah Creek at Eulo • Establishment of an

Engineering Department in

Whitsunday Shire • Initial planning of the Airlie

Beach Bypass Road • Planning for the Able Point

Marina at Cannonvale • I have also been involved with many Community organisations delivering on smaller projects meaningful to Communities such as

Tennis Courts, Football Fields,

Ablution Blocks, and facility maintenance of Shire Halls,

Ovals, and Race Tracks

What is the most memorable Project you have worked on?

The Mainline Upgrade program for Queensland Rail. Its purpose was to eliminate timber structures on the main North Coast Railway Line. It involved the construction of culverts and bridges on stream crossings between Rockhampton and Mackay under rail traffic. The St Lawrence River Floodplain was a most challenging location with multiple box culverts and replacement and widening of sections of the bridge over the St Lawrence River.

What was your biggest career challenge(s)?

Building a Business in Rockhampton and delivering on a range of projects including Civil and Structural. The company I was working with was moving away from a regional presence. I saw then an opportunity to develop my own business, and so McMurtrie Consulting Engineers was born in 2002.

What was the best advice you received that made a difference to your career?

My parents always instilled in me to work hard. I have always maintained that ethos that if you do work hard, you will get the result and the rewards. We have instilled that in our four children who I am proud to say maintain that ethos.

What advice do you pass on? Is this the same advice you give to your children?

I have always tried to lead by example. I have tried to demonstrate to staff that working hard and smart is the way to be successful. Our staff configuration has grown in number and senior staff are providing wonderful mentoring for the younger staff. We now provide a much broader range of service to the broader regions of Queensland.

How did you inspire him/her/ them to choose an engineering career?

Lachlan, my son, is now the director of MCE and under his guidance the structure of the Company has changed with two Associate Directors. A consolidation of the Civil and Structural expertise of the office has resulted and the use of specialist sub-consultants on various projects has broadened our capabilities. A second office in Bundaberg has been opened with predominantly local staff to provide engineering services to that region.

Lachlan graduated from Central Queensland University and worked for a number of years overseas in Canada in a major consultancy. He was a natural for an engineering career as he was always interested in building works and the mechanics of structures. Fortunately, he needed no great persuasion to follow down this path.

What’s the future look like for the public works industry?

There will always be a need for technical expertise to control, maintain and manage the broad range of assets under Local Government Control. In Queensland, the rapidly developing East coast will continue to offer challenges for developers and authorities. In other areas of the State where development is not as widespread, the maintenance needs of infrastructure will be on going and the need for engineering practioners paramount.

Lachlan McMurtrie

Prior to commencing with McMurtrie Consulting Engineers in 2009, Lachlan had several years’ experience with Sinclair Knight Merz (Brisbane Office) and Worley Parsons (Vancouver, Canada Office).

During these years Lachlan was predominately involved in feasibility studies and designs of mines and port and harbour infrastructure. He utilises his multidisciplinary background coupled with over a decade of civil consulting experience to deliver on complex large urban redevelopment and transport projects. Lachlan led the engineering team in the Rockhampton Riverbank Redevelopment, an urban development incorporating several CBD blocks of streetscape redevelopment, all facets of infrastructure planning and design and construction support services. He has delivered similar roles for the $8 Million Kershaw Gardens and Alf Larson Park Miriam Vale projects. Most recently, Lachlan has been enjoying assisting North Burnett Regional Council in the delivery of a range of infrastructure projects. Lachlan complements his urban design interest with an enthusiasm for road safety and is a qualified Senior Road Safety Auditor, having undertaken numerous audits for both Local and State Government authorities. He has particular experience in how these principals apply in complex urban environments.

What have been your career highlights to date?

I have had a varied career and have always enjoyed the challenge of understanding project drivers and stakeholders and seeking best for project outcomes. A few projects stand out for differing reasons; Leading a feasibility study into peat farming as an energy source for a proposed gold mine in Alaska was a unique and challenging project, then on returning to MCE, leading the consulting team in delivering the redevelopment of Alf Larson Park, Miriam Vale which essentially reshaped the CBD and delivered a great outcome to the community – again challenging for differing reasons but to deliver a project of that nature and to see immediate benefit to a community gives great job satisfaction. Most recently MCE has been engaged by Hatch to undertake all stages of Road Safety Audits on the Cross River Rail project – I have always enjoyed safety audits and the ability to influence for the better the safety outcomes of a project, and being involved in a project of this scale and complexity has been invigorating.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I genuinely enjoy the people, the

industry is very supportive and IPWEA plays a large factor in this industry culture. I am fortune to work with some fantastic staff that I can call great mates.

What was it about your father’s work that inspired you to follow in his footsteps?

Some of my earliest memories as a kid are of sitting on a roller with the Council works crew building roads around Cunnamulla (I am sure kids wouldn’t be allowed on the machinery nowadays!), where Dad was the Paroo Shire Engineer. Watching Dad interact with the workers, the clear mateship and respect was inspiring, I definitely felt like Dad was building the town with the help of his mates.

What has been the most valuable advice you’ve received from your father?

Doing a good job is the best marketing you can ever do.

How has your father guided you in your career so far?

From helping me with calculus in high school, to my first job as a junior draftsman with Kinhill Cameron McNamara, to director mentoring when I joined MCE, Dad has always been a wealth of knowledge and a patient hand in guiding my career.

Do you share your work experiences with your father? And seek his advice on issues?

We’ve worked directly together for over 10 years now and have always shared advice, and support. With 50 years’ experience, and 20 years’ operating his own practice I value both his technical support and his business advice.

Does your shared career pathways add another dimension to your familial relationship? Some examples?

It certainly does. It does become hard to switch off from work, having worked so closely together, but with 9 grandkids under the age of 9, family dinners are no longer overly relaxing anyway!

How will you inspire future generations to work in the public works sector?

MCE have a cadet program that has been established for many years now, supporting both cadet designers and undergraduate engineers. So long as I am involved with the firm, we will always run a program of this nature – encouraging young people to stay in the regions to live and work is something I am passionate about. I believe both here in Rockhampton and Bundaberg we are lucky with great Universities at our doorstep and fantastic young talent and if we foster this talent the regions will benefit for years to come. The spectrum and scale of work in smaller regional centres I believe is a great founding for all engineers.

What are your career goals?

We’ve recently established a Bundaberg office, which now has 10 employees, most of which are Bundaberg locals. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of establishing a new office and am excited to continue to deliver quality engineering to the regions. Another office might be around the corner!