Engineering for Public Works - Issue 22, June 2021

ENGINEERING

FOR PUBLIC WORKS ISSUE NUMBER

22

www.ipweaq.com

Basegrade Stabilisation Scott Young P 42-49

Shared Superintendency Recycling Facility & Bowen Sewerage Treatment Plant P 72-77

Young Engineers of the Year - where are they now P 34-38

Dr Louise Reeves Contaminants of Emerging Concern P 56-57

Bruce Highway—Cairns Southern Access Corridor—Stage 3: Edmonton to Gordonvale

WELCOME RCPA!

We are delighted to welcome RCPA as a Principal Partner of IPWEAQ! RCPA (Reinforced Concrete Pipes Australia) is a wholly Australian owned concrete pipe and products company committed to service excellence through the use of industry leading and cutting edge technology and innovation.

Technology is core to their business for example, RCPA pioneered the vertical dry-cast SRC pipe process in Australia and remain the only supplier of this product in Australia. The FRC pipe technology delivers fibre reinforced 4m length pipes which offer speed of installation combined with concrete pipe strength. Their precast product technology has also allowed them to develop a diverse range of options for culverts, pits, headwalls and associated products.

RCPA proactively support the sector by promoting best practice in the installation of their products to maximise performance outcomes.

Welcome Jesper, Adrian, Stephen, Graham and the team from RCPA! We look forward to working with you!

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

CONTENTS

COMING UP

ISSN 2652-6050 (online) June 2021 Issue no 22

EVENTS

Cover: Bruce Highway—Cairns Southern Access Corridor— Stage 3: Edmonton to Gordonvale

Register Online

President’s Report

6

CEO’s Report

9 10

Asset Management Symposium

16 – 18 June: NQ Branch Conference, Townsville 23 June: International Women in Engineering Day lunch with Else Shepherd

Community News

16

Member News

20

Member Profiles, Ray and Ryan Hicks

22

Member Profile, Janice Wilson

24

Member Profile, Steven Pirlo

26

Member Profile, Bruce Stevenson

28

Women in Engineering, Nadine Story

32

Excellence Awards, Young Engineer of the Year

34

New Basegrade Stabilisation Technology Resolves Thin Pavement Issues in Redland City

42

Isolation of a Critical Asset in the Water Supply Network

50

14 July: Managing Upwards

Contaminants of Emerging Concern for the Urban Water Industry

56

4 August: Critical Thinking

Sustainable Transport Outcomes for the Sunshine Coast Community – A Risk Based Approach

58

Microsurfacing and Case Seals In The Darling Downs District

17 – 18 August: Rural Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Forum 12 – 14 October: Annual Conference, Cairns PUBLIC WORKS TV Register Online

21 July: Bornhorst + Ward Case Study 11 August: Arundel Wetlands Project

63

Demand Management

68

Mirani Water Recycling Facility and Bowen Sewage Treatment Plant – Shared Superintendency

72

A Young Engineer’s View of a Big Project

78

Keeping Dirranbandi Cool – Procurement in a Pandemic

82

NQ Branch President’s Report

91

SWQ Branch President’s Report

92

SWQ Branch Conference Wrap Up

93

CQ Branch President’s Report

98

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Register Online 23 June: Erosion and Sediment Control Level 2, Brisbane 8 – 9 July: Trusted Advisor Bootcamp, Brisbane 14 July: Street Design Manual for Practitioners, Townsville 15 July: Sprayed Bitumen, Brisbane 20 – 22 July: Erosion and Sediment Control Level 3, Brisbane 22 July: Type A, B & D Sediment Basin Design, Brisbane 4 – 5 August: Road Safety Audits, Brisbane

CQ Branch Conference Wrap Up

100

SEQ Branch President’s Report

102

Temporary Traffic Management Toolkit

104

Meeting CPD Requirements: Technical vs Non-Technical CPD

105

ADAC and the Broader Asset Management Landscape

106

25 August: Stakeholder and Community Engagement, Brisbane

Breaking Ground

108

Qldwater Report

110

31 August: Erosion and Sediment Control Level 2, Darwin

Meet the Teams

114

Partners and Subscribers

117

Media Kit

120

11 August: Assessing Heavy Vehicle Access to Bridges, Cairns 19 August: Sprayed Bitumen, Cairns

LEARNING HUB Register Online

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

REGISTER ONLINE

PUBLIC WORKS PROFESSIONALS ORIENTATION

Location: Brisbane Venue: Public Works Professionals, 6 Eagleview Place, Eagle Farm Date: 28-29 July 2021 Time: 8:30am to 4:00pm (each day)

Set your career course in the right direction

Who should attend?

This program is designed for professionals working in any organisation (government and nongovernment) involved in the public works sector, in particular professionals new to the industry, including: • Recent graduates • Contractors undertaking public works projects • Professionals moving between private and public sector organisations

Contact Engagement Coordinator Daneele.McBride@ipweaq.com

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Benefits IPWEAQ’s PWP Orientation program: • presents sector-wide information and knowledge, allowing employees to become familiar and comfortable with the sector more quickly than by work experience alone; • provides context on how the public works sector enhances the quality of life for Queensland communities, and how they can contribute; • increases understanding of the relationships between public and private organisations; • builds resiliency, enthusiasm, and pride for working in the sector; • supports attraction and retention strategies; • includes up to one year of complimentary IPWEAQ Membership giving professionals access to information specific to public works professionals (T&Cs apply).

07 3632 6808



Program outline Delivered over two-days at IPWEAQ’s state of the art facilities in Brisbane, the program consists of: Day one: Check Roles and responsibilities of each level of government Check Community expectations – LOS and communication Check Record keeping and governance Check Managing natural disasters Check Engineering a sustainable future – smart cities, innovation and circular economies Check Critical thinking Check Networks and involvement in the sector Day two: Check Native title and cultural heritage Check Managing infrastructure assets Check Site visit Check Career opportunities and goal setting Check Pathway to registration

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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This two-day intensive provides an understanding of the industry to support new professionals joining the public works sector at any stage of their career.

Designed in consultation with industry, the program provides big-picture context and essential knowledge to assist professionals to competently navigate the sector.

www.ipweaq.com

FROM THE EDITOR

Juliet Schaffer Editor

In this issue of EPW, we recap the two branch conferences held since the March issue – SWQ Branch conference in Chinchilla and CQ Branch conference held in Maryborough. See pages 93-95 and pages 100-101. The final branch conference for the rapidly closing 2020-2021 financial year is less than a week away in Townsville.

EPW is valued for its technical and industry-relevant content and this issue is no exception with articles on basegrade stabilisation of roads, the intricacies of isolating a critical asset on the Fraser Coast, and how to cool a bore water treatment plant in Dirranbandi.

IPWEAQ Ambassador, Josh Flanders writes about being a young engineer on a big project – the Bruce Highway between Edmonton and Gordonvale with this project featured on the front cover.

Member Profiles this issue includes Janice Wilson (Director & Engineer, Double Black Diamond Solutions), Maritime Safety Authority Project Manager, Steven Pirlo, and father-son engineers, Ray and Ryan Hicks.

Also featured is Bruce Stevenson, an IPWEAQ member for 44 years now retired.

In the lead up to the 2021 Annual Conference and Excellence Awards, we feature five past Young Engineer of the Year award winners to learn more about their career pathways since their wins. This should inspire you to nominate a team member for this year’s award, renamed the Emerging Professional award.

There is no age criteria but your nominee should be within five years since graduation.

Please be sure to send through your news, ideas for articles and features for the September issue of EPW. We hope to see you at an upcoming IPWEAQ course or conference!

2021 EVENTS PROGRAM 17-18 JUNE

NQ BRANCH CONFERENCE TOWNSVILLE

17-18

7-9

SEPT

12-14

JULY

AUGUST

PUBLIC WORKS PROFESSIONALS ORIENTATION

RURAL ROAD REHABILITATION AND MAINTENANCE FORUM DALBY

qldwater ANNUAL FORUM

ANNUAL CONFERENCE CAIRNS

28-29

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

OCT

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

5

PRESIDENT’S REPORT Craig Murrell

I am pleased to confirm the establishment of a new Branch of IPWEAQ in the Northern Territory to better serve our members and the region. Our thanks to the inaugural NT Branch Committee who will help us guide activities in the Territory. In 2023, the Annual Conference will be held in Darwin but in the meantime, the inaugural NT Branch Conference will be held next year. Welcome all current and future IPWEAQ members!

With Victoria in the midst of another extended lockdown, I am pleased to report that we have managed to deliver three of four branch conferences with the NQ Branch conference in Townsville next week. This time last year, after a successful SWQ Branch conference in Stanthorpe, COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the remaining branch conferences and everything else until a postponed Annual Conference in November 2020.

The impacts of COVID-19 have lingered but in another way – the push for infrastructure to resolve the economic fall-out of COVID, means many of us are too busy to attend essential CPD and we also miss the benefits that accrue for our sector when we all gather together at an IPWEAQ event.

In addition to four branch conferences, the team delivered a highly successful Asset Management Symposium (AMS) in Brisbane with 180+ delegates in attendance. This was a critical

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first event of its type which will develop the benchmark for asset management in Queensland with a practical, multi-disciplined approach. Aside from 15 experts, value came from the six interactive discussions which identified asset management leadership, governance, decision making and key principles specific to us in Queensland.

If your council was not able to attend, I encourage you to subscribe to the Enterprise AMS Proceedings and undertake the process within your organisation.

Our team will work with you to establish your benchmark from which your organisation can improve.

Thank you to all our speakers, exhibitors and sponsors for all events – you play a critical role in our successes and the growth of our sector. It is most appreciated.

At its last meeting, the IPWEAQ Board approved the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan which will provide the Institute with direction for the next five years. The Plan is intentionally simple but broad to offer the IPWEAQ team scope for our future development.

The Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (BPEQ) reports that only 7% of all RPEQs are female. So we’re delighted to have secured one of the first female engineers in Queensland, Else Shepherd for our International Women in Engineering Day lunch, 23 June 2021. I’m sure Else will inspire more women to study engineering and to join our sector. A reminder also that IPWEAQ offers a complimentary year of membership for members on maternity leave.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

Just two days after the IWED lunch, the 2021 Excellence Awards will close and we hope you have taken the time to nominate your projects and people. It is a great celebration of our sector (and a specific item in our Strategic Plan). We welcome video footage to help tell your project’s story.

Our membership has grown consistently between 11-17% over the past six years following 22 years of net growth of 2%. And I hope you will contribute to our ongoing growth as it is time again to renew your IPWEAQ membership (due before 30 June). What has been achieved over the past six years has been phenomenal and I’m proud to have been your President for two of those years.

Next year we celebrate 50 years since the inaugural meeting of the Local Government Engineers’ Association of Queensland met in Southport, 2 October 1972. This milestone celebration will be held in conjunction with the IPWEAQ Annual Conference, 11-13 October 2022. You won’t want to miss this event!

In the meantime, please join us in Cairns for the Annual Conference, 12-14 October for further celebrations of our sector. I look forward to seeing you then.

We are delighted to confirm the establishment of a branch of IPWEAQ in the Northern Territory to better serve our members and the region.

Thank you to the six members of the inaugural NT Branch Committee: Upcoming PD:

Darwin 31 August 2021

Gary Boyle Principal Engineer Byrne Consultants Leigh Carnall Director Civiltech Solutions Danielle Channing Director, Department of Infrastructure, Planning & Logistics Northern Territory Government Nadine Nilon Director City Growth and Operations City of Palmerston

Darwin 1-3 September 2021

Planning is underway for the inaugural NT Branch conference to be held in 2022. If you would like to contribute a topic or presentation, please contact Craig.Moss@ ipweaq.com We’re also looking for the first NT Branch Ambassador – If you are within 6-7 years of graduation and would like to represent IPWEAQ and the NT Branch, please contact Daneele.McBride@ipweaq.com, our Engagement Coordinator to receive the Ambassador’s Handbook and to discuss the role.

See our current Ambassadors.

Usman Siddique

If you would like to join IPWEAQ this month, membership is complimentary to 30 June 2021 and a discount of $100 applies if you join and pay before 30 June for the 2021-2022 membership year. As a member, you will receive discounts of 15% to 40% on registration fees for conferences, workshops, symposia, technical tours and technical publications.

Join online or contact our Relationship Manager, Johanna Vanlingfor assistance.

Engineer Northern Territory Government

To celebrate our new branch, the 2023 IPWEAQ Annual Conference will be held in Darwin.

Brendan Pearce Darwin 3 September 2021

We invite all our members in the NT to submit articles on your projects and challenges for the September issue of Engineering for Public Works.

Director Infrastructure and Environment Katherine Town Council

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

ART EXHIBITION We invite you to view the IPWEAQ Aboriginal art collection at our facilities in Eagle Farm. Our art is from two galleries representing artists from northern and western Australia: Mbantua in Alice Springs and Artlandish Aboriginal Art in Kununurra (WA).

Join us for a self-guided tour: Date

Friday 9 July

Time

3pm - 5pm

Address

Public Works Professionals Level 1, 6 Eagleview Place, Eagle Farm

Cost

Complimentary

Champagne on arrival and light canapes included.

4031

REGISTER NOW

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

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

www.ipweaq.com

CEO’S REPORT Leigh Cunningham

This week we celebrate our first year at our new facilities in Eagle Farm in Brisbane, christened Public Works Professionals (PWP) - a central hub for all peak bodies in our sector to come together for training and meetings. We were delighted to welcome the Department of Transport and Main Roads last week for a workshop for 70 team members.

At our new facilities in Eagle Farm, we have 35 Aboriginal artworks which we invite you to view at a self-guided tour Friday 9 July 3-6pm. Our inaugural art exhibition is complimentary for members and Partners and includes champagne throughout your tour. The exhibition is to acknowledge NAIDOC week. See more information on page 8.

Our move to Eagle Farm not only created a space for our Aboriginal art collection, it facilitated further growth of the Institute with 10 new positions created over the past 12 months including two engineers, an educator/ teacher, three marketers and three administrators. There is a correlation between revenue and human resources and a more visible correlation between services and human resources.

And despite the challenges of COVID-19 which impacted our first six months plus the impact of a new Accounting Standard which affected our profitability, we will deliver another positive financial result this financial year.

In February this year, we signed a collaborative agreement with the

Colin Cunningham, 30 August 1934 to 7 June 2021.

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) for the delivery of the Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP).

Dr Neal Lake, IPWEAQ Director, Engineering Practice and a leading global expert in structural assessments has contributed his expertise to this project. This work will increase the knowledge and understanding of road assets for local governments and contribute to improved consent processes for heavy vehicle operators seeking access to the road network.

A Working Group, chaired by traffic designer, Adam Brighouse, Workplace Health & Safety - Traffic Management at Toowoomba Regional Council has developed a compliance toolkit to support the planning and design of safe, cost effective and efficient temporary traffic management solutions for low volume Category 1 roads. The toolkit is included with your council’s Public Works Technical Subscription. See more information on the toolkit in Craig Moss’ Report on page 104 and more information on the Public Works Technical Subscription on page 12.

There is more to announce in the next issue of Engineering for

Public Works but our focus for the next few months will be on the delivery of another successful Annual Conference. Please be sure to join us in Cairns, 12-14 October. The Great Debate will return with the topic, ‘technology will make engineering redundant’. Would you like to argue the point, either way or know someone who should?

In the meantime, we’re inviting members to renew their membership of IPWEAQ as we edge closer to a milestone 1,200 members. Thank you for being a part of our community!

On a personal note, Monday 7 June saw the passing of my father-in-law, Colin Cunningham who I’ve known since I joined the Cunningham family in 1981. Col was a hard worker, doing whatever was required including driving taxis, repairing lawnmowers to provide for his family which, despite its size, didn’t miss out on family holidays caravaning around Australia.

There are eight adult children (my husband, Steve (Stephen) the eldest) with 12 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. He will be missed by many.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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ASSET MANAGEMENT

ASSET MANAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM Thank you to the 181 delegates who attended the inaugural Asset Management Symposium in Brisbane, 19 – 20 May. Delegates from 26 councils and 50 organisations contributed to discussions on how the long-term financial sustainability of our sector in Queensland depends on the successful management of our public infrastructure.

Experienced practitioners addressed various aspects of asset management including asset management foundations, asset management leadership, asset governance, asset stewardship and transformational futures. Each session was followed by an interactive discussion with addressing the following questions: • What are the key fundamental principles of asset management?

• What does good asset management leadership look like?

• What are the constraints to good asset governance?

• How can we improve our data driven decision making?

• As a community, what must we do to advance into the future?

One of the many highly regarded presentations was from Michael Shave, Director Corporate Services, Noosa Council and Secretary of the Local Government Financial Professionals (LGFP).Michael presented on Asset accounting.

He discussed the importance of informed decision-making in recognising the long-lived nature of infrastructure assets and the need to plan and budget for them on a full life cycle basis,

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beginning with identifying a service need and the means to meet that need. This session provided a financial professional’s perspective on funding renewals for new assets, the whole of life costing, decision frameworks and maintenance budgets.

Thank you to our overall symposium sponsor TechnologyOne, Gold sponsor Cloud A2K, compendium sponsor

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

PelicanCorp, and morning tea sponsor, Shepherd. Thank you also to our 11 exhibitors for being available to discuss their products and services with delegates.

Conference Proceedings available to purchase with 9 CPD hours available.

We invite you to join us for the Asset Management Symposium in 2022!

ASSET MANAGEMENT

57

181 ATTENDEES

+ members

124

128

53

male

female

non members

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

9 CPD hours available at only $44 per hour

ASSET MANAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS The 2021 Asset Management Symposium established the benchmark for ongoing conversations regarding best practice asset management for the next decade.

15 experts in asset management delivered presentations across six themes: Asset Management Foundations Asset Accounting Asset Management Leadership Asset Stewardship Asset Governance

Enterprise (multi-user licence)

$1,000 plus GST (including Guidelines)

IPWEAQ member

$400 plus GST

Non-member

$700 plus GST

Proceedings include audio visual recordings and PPT presentations delivered by 15 industry experts plus five interactive discussions.

The Enterprise multi-user licence includes Guidelines with a framework to maximise the benefit of the Proceedings for your organisation. This will be further guided by a member of the IPWEAQ team.

Transformational Futures

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE 4059

1 2 3 4 5 6

Asset Management Symposium Proceedings available:

Contact Director, Policy & Partnerships Scott.Britton@ipweaq.com 07 3632 6809

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

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

www.ipweaq.com

KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

KNOWLEGE CENTRE - MOST VIEWED ARTICLES (March-May) Our globally recognised Knowledge Centre is an essential resource for anyone involved in public works in Queensland. Join IPWEAQ to access member-only content including all branch conference proceedings.

Contact Director, Information and Resources, Mark Lamont should you have any queries.

March 2021 Title

Views

Future of Work Survey Results by Randall Makin

254

Submerged barrier for coastal protection application built with tubes in geosynthetics of big diameter in Tuscany – Italy

196

RS-051 Heavy Duty Vehicle Crossing

176

RS-080 Kerb and Channel Profiles and Dimensions Including Edge Restraints

132

RS-065 Pathways Concrete Pathways Construction Detail

116

Genoa bridge collapse a sign of things to come if infrastructure maintenance ignored.

Chinchilla Botanic Parklands – Brandon and Associates

96

Queensland Urban Drainage Manual Background Notes

88

Learning Hub Men in Engineering Module 3

88

SWQ21: Photographs

88

May 2021 Title

Views

RS-080 Kerb and Channel Profiles and Dimensions Including Edge Restraints

234

RS-051 Heavy Duty Vehicle Crossing

152

114

RS-065 Pathways Concrete Pathways Construction Detail

140

Land Reclamation – Hydraulic/Coastal Engineering

110

RS-140 Subsoil Drains Details and Locations

96

Harbours – Land Reclamation

108

Complete Streets: Guidelines for Urban Street Design

104

RS-049 Vehicle Crossings Residential Driveways Plan 1 of 2

102

SWQ21: Photographs

100

2021 SEQ Branch Conference Photographs, Caloundra

98

84

Engineering a remote future – McMurtrie Consulting Engineers DS-050 Drainage Pits Field Inlet Type 1 and Type 2

94

PWTV – Emerald Airport Resurfacing Project

92

A01 Sewer Pump Station Upgrade – Large Pump Station Construction in a Constrained Environment – AECOM Australia

92

April 2021 Title

Views

RS-080 Kerb and Channel Profiles and Dimensions Including Edge Restraints

162

RS-065 Pathways Concrete Pathways Construction Detail

132

RS-051 Heavy Duty Vehicle Crossing

112

DS-050 Drainage Pits Field Inlet Type 1 and Type 2

104

RS-049 Vehicle Crossings Residential Driveways Plan 1 of 2

102

Queensland Urban Drainage Manual

96

RS-140 Subsoil Drains Details and Locations

96

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

IPWEAQ ANNUAL CONFERENCE

SAVE THE DATE

CAIRNS CONVENTION CENTRE | 12-14 OCTOBER 2021

Please join us for the 2021 IPWEAQ Annual Conference to be held at the Cairns Convention Centre, 12-14 October 2021.

DELEGATE RATED

We are thrilled to welcome you to #IPWEAQ21 in Cairns in October 2021!

www.ipweaq.com/events

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available please contact Monica Robertson on 3632 6802 or Monica.Robertson@ipweaq.com

#IPWEAQ21

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If you have attended an IPWEAQ conference, you would be aware of the importance of our community coming together. Our program includes three incredible keynote speakers, multiple streams, Tech Tours, Emerging Professionals Workshop, Women in Public Works Engineering Masterclass and the 2021 IPWEAQ Excellence Awards gala dinner and ceremony.

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

The IPWEAQ Annual Conference is a must-attend event so please join us and 500+ other professionals involved in our sector in Cairns, 12-14 October.

Dr Richard Harris SC OAM: Australian anaesthetist at the forefront of the 2018 Thai Cave rescue, saving the lives of twelve young soccer players.

Lehmo: Renowned comedian who plays Jim Gibson, government liaison officer in Utopia.

David Bartlett: Former Premier of the Australian State of Tasmania.

David is also joining us again as our Conference MC.

TECHNICAL TOURS 1. City Centre Masterplan 2. Boral Quarry and Bitumen Plant 3. Cairns City Waste Facilities Tour WORKSHOPS • Women in Public Works Engineering Masterclass • Workshop for Elected Members • Professionals Over 35 PANEL DISCUSSION Planning for more resilient and sustainable communities in vulnerable locations THE GREAT DEBATE Technology will make engineering redundant, which will no doubt generate a robust discussion!

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



SOCIAL FUNCTIONS • Excellence Awards gala dinner/ ceremony • Welcome Function – In the Tropics • Conference Closing Function All activities and events are included in your full conference registration. Early bird registrations opening late June!

We look forward to welcoming you to Cairns at the premier gathering of those working in the public works sector in Queensland 4061

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

www.ipweaq.com

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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COMMUNITY NEWS

RPEQ BOARD

Glenda Kirk, Director Infrastructure Services, Mareeba Shire Council has joined the RPEQ Assessment Board, following the resignation of Moira Zeilinga. Thank you Moira for your contributions to the RPEQ Assessment Board and welcome, Glenda!

CAREER CHANGES Congratulations to the following members on their new roles.

Raad Jarjees (SEQ Branch President) has been appointed Network Engineering Manager of Unity Water, having previously worked with Cardno as its Technical Lead for Infrastructure.

RECENTLY REGISTERED RPEQS!

Congratulations, Matthew McCullouch, Project Engineer, Department of Transport and Main Roads. Matthew was presented with his certificate by Graham Keen, Operations Manager at TMR.

And congratulations Matthew West, Senior Water Engineer, Engeny Management Pty Ltd.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION Livingstone Shire Council has taken out top honours for Queensland in ‘Water of Origin’, held at the WIOA QLD Conference.

Earning the right to compete after winning qldwater’s Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test, Livingstone Shire Council reigned supreme over the NSW winner.

Coordinator Water & Sewerage Process Operations, Angus Bowles, and Treatment Plant Operator, Anthony Shackleton.

CONGRATULATIONS Philip Keirle has recently been appointed CEO of Cloncurry Shire Council. Philip was previously CEO at Burke Shire Council from 2014 to 2016.

Congratulations to Angelo, Raad, and Philip on these new roles. We wish them all the best.

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Congratulations, Dwayne Honor who turned 40 last month! Dwayne is the Branch Manager, Engineering Services at Bundaberg Regional Council. He was a member of the IPWEAQ Board from 2015-2017.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

COMMUNITY NEWS

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

AUSTRALIA DAY AWARDS

Congratulations Victor Mills, Director Works and Building Services, Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council for being awarded a National Emergency Medal. The Medal recognises Victor’s contributions during the 2019 Far North and North Queensland Monsoon flooding event, assisting trapped tourists and locals to evacuate to safety.

Do you have a mentor or colleague who has inspired you and achieved great outcomes for Queenslanders?

Nominate them for an award.

The Commonwealth Public Service Medal (PSM) recognises public service employees who have made an outstanding contribution to public service.

Or nominate a public works engineer for the Queensland Greats awards to recognise the significant contribution they’ve made to Queensland communities.

We would be delighted to act as a Referee to validate a nominee’s IPWEAQ activities and contributions.

Having our public works engineers recognised with state and national awards is a great way to inspire the next generation to become engineers in public service.

FELLOWS APPOINTED Congratulations Glenda Kirk and Lorna Oliver on their appointment as Fellows of IPWEAQ. Glenda is IPWEAQ’s NQ Branch President, IPWEAQ Director, and Director Infrastructure Services at Mareeba Shire Council. She has spent most of her 17-year engineering career in local government; five years with Mareeba Shire Council. She has ben the project manager on various civil and mining projects throughout Western Australia and North Queensland.

During Lorna’s 17-year engineering career, she worked in state and local government from Sydney to Central Queensland and is currently working for the Department of Transport and Main Roads. She has fond memories of her time on the CQ Branch Committee and is looking forward to further involvement with IPWEAQ.

Glenda Kirk

Lorna Oliver

AWARDS & RECOGNITION qldwater Water Skills Partnership has been shortlisted for the Premier’s Industry Collaboration Queensland Training Award. The nomination celebrates ten years of the Partnership’s operation and its successful collaboration to ensure water industry staff have access to essential training and skilling to deliver safe, secure, and sustainable urban water and sewerage services to Queensland communities.

The winner will be announced at a state gala event in September 2021.

Good luck, qldwater!

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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EVERY COMMUNITY NEEDS AN ENGINEER

MARCH 2021

ENGINEERS BUILD COMMUNITIES Western Downs Regional Council Chinchilla Parklands

Parklands Community Career card New career card for Urban Planning

Knowledge Centre

URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNER

New content in the new Parklands Community

Outdoor Rating:

Expected Salary: $75k-$140k+

Job Description: • Explore the economic, environmental, cultural and social needs of particular regions • Develop policies and plans • Outline the utilization of land and resources Required Study (University): Urban and Regional Town Planning

Award winner: Projects $5 - $10 million (2020)

Variations of Jobs: • Urban Town Planner • Landscape Architects

Recommended School Subjects: (This will vary depending on the university) • English

Type

Audio Visual Recording

Year

2021

Title

Chinchilla Botanic Parklands – Ray Hicks, Brandon and Associates

Type

Audio Visual Recording

Year

2018

Title

Munro Martin Parklands Upgrade - Creating a Vibrant City Parklands in Cairns CBD, Bruce Gardiner, Cairns Regional Council

APRIL 2021

ENGINEERS PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE

Memorials Community PW-TV

Knowledge Centre

This April we celebrated the role engineers play in preserving our heritage as featured in the Every Community Needs an Engineer (ECNE) calendar with Winton Mayor, Gavin Baskett and Brian Jackson, Peak Services on the resurrection of the Waltzing Matilda Centre.

Access the ANZAC commemorative booklet in the new Memorials Community

Gavin Baskett

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Winton Shire Council & Peak Services Resurrection of the Waltzing Matilda Centre

Type

Presentation

Year

2021

Title

IPWEAQ Anzac Commemorative Book

Brian Jackson

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

Award winner: Projects $5 - $10 million (2019) sponsored by BPEQ

ANZAC Commemorative Book

LEST WE FORGET

EVERY COMMUNITY NEEDS AN ENGINEER

MAY 2021

ENGINEERS ARE LEADERS

Man-made Waterways

Capestone Lake Moreton Bay Regional Council

Professional Development Earn up to 1.5 CPD hours at our Wastewater Mini Conference

Wastewater (109 minutes) Topic

Speaker

Dur.

Townsville’s water supply and sewerage demand by land use

Darron Irwin

26 mins

Mareeba Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade: Striking the balance between environmental and financial sustainability

Glenda Kirk

30 mins

Yeppoon Sewage Treatment Plant Augmentation Project

Jessica O’Hare and Eemonn Flynn

24 mins

Geopolymer Concrete - The Future of Wastewater Infrastructure?

Michael Kemp

29 mins

PW-TV

Justin Cronin

Knowledge Centre

Justin Cronin, Principal Engineer, Moreton Bay Regional Council discussed the Capestone Lake project - a pumped saltwater exchange system which draws water from the adjacent creek which flows into several discharge points turning over its volume in a 30 day cycle. The lake is the first of its kind in south east Queensland and provides flood immunity for the Capestone southern precinct.

Type

Audio Visual Recording

Year

2021

Title

NQ Conference Proceedings: Mirani Water Recycling Facility & Bowen Sewage Treatment Plant

Type

Audio Visual Recording

Year

2021

Title

A video of Dr Rob Fearon’s presentation, The History of Urine

Type

Audio Visual Recording

Year

2021

Title

PW-TV Session, Shared Superintendency with Jason Devitt, Mackay Regional Council – Water Services

Type

Audio Visual Recording

Year

2021

Title

Wastewater Mini-Conference

Type

Audio Visual Recording

Year

2021

Title

Roles and Responsibilities: Environmental and Waste Management Issues for Local Government, Sarah Hausler

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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MEMBER NEWS

MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES JULY – SEPTEMBER 2021

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• Craig Young • Glynn Mihan • Jeffrey Turner • Sean Rice

•E ligibility to sign up to our CPD scheme, we will track and audit your CPD hours • Access member-only content in our globally recognised Knowledge Centre - IPWEAQ publications, proceedings, papers and presentations delivered at our events are searchable by subject matter, author etc •T he opportunity to enhance your reputation and profile participating in one of our technical Working Groups and committees delivering solutions for Queensland communities •B e considered for member profiles published in our quarterly e-journal, Engineering for Public Works (EPW).

• Receive industry-specific updates with our quarterly e-journal, Engineering for Public Works (catalogued in university libraries) and our monthly issue of Connect.

•A dvocacy, we represent your interests to government ensuring your voice is heard

Members who renew by 30 June will receive a $100 discount on their 2021-2022 membership subscription

Contact Relationship Manager Johanna.Vanling@ipweaq.com

3632 6803

20212022

• Member post-nominals and seals:

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Membership subscription fees to 30 June 2022 Member

$390 plus GST

Graduate*

$280 plus GST

* Graduate rates are applicable up to 5 years post-graduation (Bachelor’s degree).

RENEW ONLINE

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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• Complimentary attendance to all Public Works TV (PW-TV) episodes, regular presentations on issues affecting our sector and continuous professional development (value, $30 per episode) • Save up to $600 on your IPWEAQ Annual Conference registration • Save up to $550 on branch conference registrations, with four branch conferences annually held in CQ, NQ, SEQ and SWQ • Save up to $300 per course/workshop when undertaking your ongoing Professional Development with our program tailormade for our sector • Save up to $300 when purchasing access to our leading-edge technical products and publications • Save $300 on your RPEQ application with IPWEAQ • Receive invitations to member only networking events such as our annual President’s Breakfast, branch Christmas gatherings, fundraising events etc

We are very pleased to invite you to continue as a vital part of our vibrant community and renew your IPWEAQ membership.

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MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

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• Cameron Meizer • Alister Daly • Ben McMaster • Chris Porter • David Bremert • Fei Ngoo • Jeremy Wagner • Lachlan Rankine • Mathew Yin • Nicholas Debritz • Pippa Sullivan • Steve Hughes • Stuart Doyle • Will Somerville

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• Anthony Jacobs • Trevor Williams

• Angelo Casagrande • Bret Arthur • Bruce Janke • David Close • Jenna Devietti

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• Gerard Franzmann

• Graham Cook • Ian Bilkey • John Gwydir • John Perry • Keith Luckhurst • Peter Bratt

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• Bruce Stevenson

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MEMBER NEWS

SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH

Kym Murphy Regional Director (Southern Queensland) Department of Transport and Main Roads

Kym Murphy is still running for good causes. Below she shares the motivation for her latest goal, participating in the Village Roadshow Theme Parks Gold Coast Marathon 2021 in team R U OK? My running started as a family affair about 6 years ago - I started so I could keep active with my 3 sons without being so puffed.

Entering 5km fun runs (the fun is questionable!) was something we could do together as a family, even though they tended to finish at least 10 minutes before me!

We’ve run together in Bridge to Brisbane, several Gold Coast Marathon 5.7km runs, and our pinnacle was the Gold Run for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, along with the 5km (and 10km for my oldest son) run to celebrate the opening of the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (one of the projects I’m particularly proud of being involved in).

Running might be a strong word; I started jogging “between power poles” and slowly built up my fitness and resilience. The Highfields Parkrun family has been a constant in my health and fitness journey, an encouraging force of community-minded people (who also enjoy a cuppa, brekkie and chat afterwards).

I’m a firm believer that exercise is essential for a healthy mind.

I’ve needed to make running or walking most mornings a habit.

If I break the habit, it’s just that little bit easier to find an excuse to not get up early the next morning. A couple of winters ago, I did just that and it was amazing how quickly my coping skills and mental health deteriorated.

I include my regular exercise routine in my “caring for Kym” column of life’s priorities; even though I might whinge about it on a wet and windy, or frosty, day, I know how it’s very much central to my wellness and mental health strategy.

I believe it’s incredibly important to foster a caring workplace and community around us, to check in with each other because often suffering poor mental health is not visible. Maybe the simple question R U OK? could be enough for that person to know there is kindness out there you can tap into and lean on, even just for a few minutes as you share how you are really going. As human beings we have a fundamental need to feel connected and heard. “It all comes down to regular, face-toface, meaningful conversations about life. And asking, “Are you OK?” is a great place to start.” (ruok.org.au).

Given that kindness and empathy feature strongly in my list of leadership and life values, along with my advocacy for mental wellbeing, R U OK? is an organisation I’m passionate to support. And, what better inspiration for committing to run all the way for the 5.7km Gold Coast Marathon fun run, than raising awareness for mental health and funds for R U OK? whilst doing it?!

to shine and be my best self at the Gold Coast Marathon 5.7km run. I travel a lot for work at the

moment, so I have been running and walking in many interesting places throughout Southern Queensland and working out creative ways to combat the early morning frost and dark streets.

I’d love you to get behind me and my adventure, and support R U OK? along the way.

Here’s to meaningful conversations, letting people in when the going gets tough for you, and being kind to yourself and one another.

So, my personal fitness challenge continues as I prepare myself

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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MEMBER PROFILE

NEXT GENERATION RAY AND RYAN HICKS

Born and bred in Chinchilla, Ray commenced with Brandon and Associates Pty Ltd in November 1975 as a Junior Engineer, progressing through to become its Managing Director. Ray assumes ultimate responsibility for all facets of Brandon and Associates Pty Ltd and his ability to build strong relationships with clients and his team has ensured the sustained growth of the business. He is highly regarded and respected for his practical knowledge of local government engineering, particularly in the area of design and construction of rural road systems.

Here they each discuss their role in the public works sector and their time working together.

He has worked across a developing spectrum of energy generation, providing civil and geotechnical services for coal fired power generation, gas fired power plants, through to renewables such as wind and solar power generation and battery storage.

These projects include design and project management of roads and facilities on behalf of the various local authorities that Brandon and Associates consult to. Overseeing the design, preparing tenders and project management of the construction of external and internal roads for the Kogan Creek Power Station on behalf of Chinchilla Shire Council is a career highlight for Ray. The project consisted of over 20 kilometres of road works and two concrete bridges and was successfully completed under cost.

It is the variety of projects that Ray can undertake with Brandon and Associates that keeps him enjoying his role in the public works sector. Working with both local government and private industry has been rewarding and brings interesting opportunities.

Similarly, variety is a draw card for Ryan. ‘I also enjoy the variety of work from building subdivisions, building new roads and highways and maintenance on old ones.

As well as working across different sectors including local government and the Department

Ray consistently nurtures young engineers throughout the company’s offices and is committed to helping them succeed in the engineering profession. For the past 12 years this has also included his son, Ryan, who is a civil engineer.

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) as well as private clients and the resources industry’. One of his favourite aspects of his role is the opportunity to work across western Queensland from Toowoomba, through to the border of Queensland and South Australia. When asked, Ray knew that the variety was a motivation for Ryan, as well as the ability to work in a rural environment, alongside staff that he has grown up with.

Growing up around engineers was a factor in attracting Ryan to his role. ‘Getting to see Dad work on big projects as a young kid and watching large machines working on construction sites has been fascinating. I guess getting to build big things and knowing they will be there for years to come was also attractive’.

Working together has enabled Ray and Ryan to work on many ‘big projects’, such as a couple of large subdivisions in Chinchilla, a career highlight for Ryan. It was early in Ryan’s civil engineering career, and he valued his father’s experience, knowledge, and

MEMBER PROFILE

Kogan Creek Power Transformer Traversing Banana Creek Bridge January 2006 – Bridge designed and project managed by Brandon and Associates.

ability to solve any issues that arose. Ray has been able to provide mentoring and support to Ryan throughout his career.

‘There isn’t much Dad hasn’t seen working in public works for the last 45 years and having that experience to guide me through my career has been a big help’.

Both Ray and Ryan see mentoring as essential for graduate engineers, particularly to bridge the gap between the theory of engineering and its practical application. Having a mentor has been valuable for Ryan, ‘because when you finish university and start working you realise pretty quickly how much you don’t know’. Ray has impressed upon Ryan the importance of taking advice from people with experience in the work being undertaken before proceeding with the task at hand. ‘University can equip you with the theory, but experience is needed to get the job done’ says Ray. Ryan has learned that listening to experienced personnel is useful, as ‘most of these people have faced the same issues with projects and know what has worked and not worked to solve them’.

Ray counts having to repair cracked prestressed concrete piles in the middle of the Condamine River as a particularly challenging engineering issue to solve. It took six weeks to repair completely, aided by the fortunate fact that the river did not run during this period. Being the Managing Director for two companies (Brandon and Associates and the now sold South Queensland Soils Pty Ltd) with a combined staff of 180 across offices and project sites has been another challenging aspect of his career in public works.

As a Managing Director, training is an area of senior leadership that Ray feels is vitally important.

‘The public works sector is desperately short of experienced engineers. We need public work engineers trained for the future as many of the engineers in the public sector are nearing retirement’. Both Ray and Ryan enjoy the opportunity IPWEAQ membership gives them to network with other engineers and suppliers involved in similar work to update their knowledge of the public works sector. The training provided by IPWEAQ

helps them to develop their skills, assisting them to maintain their CPD requirements.

Ryan, as a younger generation engineer in the public works sector, feels that helping the community is one of the most rewarding aspects of his work: ‘It is a proud moment when you can see the project you have worked on makes the community a better and more enjoyable place to live’. Both Ray and Ryan enjoy the opportunity they have to share this positive aspect of public works engineering with each other – to share their experiences working with DTMR and various local government organisations to whom they consult.

Ray is passionate about his involvement in the community and has many professional and personal affiliations particularly in his hometown of Chinchilla.

It is perhaps this link to the community that has been their home for so long that makes public works engineering the career that continues to give them both such satisfaction.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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MEMBER PROFILE

Janice Wilson

Janice is a water and wastewater treatment engineer with 15 years experience across mining, utilities and private industry. She is a director at Double Black Diamond Solutions, an engineering consultancy based in Mackay offering water and wastewater engineering, project management and contract management services. Janice serves on the Australian Water Association Queensland Committee as Regional Liaison, an inaugural role developed to connect with regional and rural stakeholders and highlight achievements across the state, “up north and out west.” In 2015-16, she was awarded a full scholarship to attend the International Water Centre Water Leadership Program, which built lasting relationships with other emerging leaders in the water industry across the country. Janice is a chartered professional engineer in the colleges of Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Asset Management and is a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ).

She juggles her busy professional life with being a mum to twin boys (Norris and Nolan), wife to Heath and dog owner of two golden English Cocker Spaniels (Statler and Waldorf).

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What have been your career highlights?

Leading the team who performed the first membrane slack adjustment on ZeeWeed 500D cassettes in Australasia at the Sarina Water Recycling Facility in 2017 was a moment I look back on with pride. It was uncharted territory for us and the supplier – we had no procedures and had to figure it out as went, working on critical equipment on a plant with extremely tight effluent requirements as it discharges to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. There was little room for error. Our whole team came together, and everyone rolled up their sleeves to play their part, learning a lot in the process. It was a very successful exercise. We provided the

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

supplier with our procedures and made some design recommendations to make it easier for future models to get better access for maintenance.

What has been the most valuable advice you’ve received that you will pass onto others?

I have a young family, so I’ve been so lucky to connect with other working parents who have blazed the trail on the work-life balance front, such as Lauren Rovelli from G&S Engineering Services, Narelle D’Amico from Bundaberg Regional Council, Rebecca Caldwell from Maytree Studios, Anna Whelan from Townsville City Council and Carlie Sargent from the Queensland Water Directorate. They are like my Board of Directors for being

MEMBER PROFILE

a working parent and I regularly reach out to them for advice and reassurance. The most valuable takeaway from these amazing mentors is that the key to juggling all of the things we are responsible for is to understand which ball is made of plastic and which ball is made of glass. If you drop a plastic ball, it bounces – no harm done. If you drop a glass ball, it shatters, so you need to prioritise the glass ones. The takeaway is not to prioritise kids over work, or work over kids – just understand that some kid stuff is plastic, and some is glass. It’s OK to drop a plastic ball if you need to catch a glass ball – be kind to yourself.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The area that I’ve enjoyed the most is the interface between engineering and the public. I believe, as professionals in the public works space, that we need to make sure we design and build assets that can be easily used – by a water treatment plant operator, by a fitter trying to access a valve for service, or more broadly by a family using a library space. When the design team makes an effort to understand

the end user and incorporate that feedback into their design, we end up with assets that perform as they should and achieve their intended goal. This translates into improved outcomes for public health, environmental protection and the standard of service for the community, not to mention value for money.

I delight in working in that design and operations and maintenance interface, smoothing communication and fostering understanding between all parties. I see my role as a public works engineer in this space to make sure the end user feels comfortable to speak up about their wealth of experiences at a design review, and to help the design engineer, or a supplier understand these issues so it’s easier for the frontline staff in water and wastewater treatment to get on with the delivery of essential services – taking care of your tap and your toilet.

It is International Women in Engineering Day, 23 June 2021.

What can women in leadership positions do to increase the intake and retention of females in engineering and in the public works industry?

Pay equity is a serious issue – the Workplace Gender Equality Agency estimates that female professionals have a pay gap of 18.3% by 2019-20 figures. Anyone in a leadership or management position, regardless of gender, can review their direct reports’ salaries with a view to identifying and addressing pay gaps. This is just one thing that will help to attract and retain female talent in the engineering and public works industry.

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

I completed the IPWEA Asset Planning course in 2017 online.

It was a challenge to juggle full time work with study, but I learned so much about asset management and planning.

The most valuable aspect for me specifically was how to frame asset management funding decisions in terms of service levels to the community and how to simply communicate risk to executive teams so they can make informed decisions. I highly recommend this course to anyone who works in the asset management space.

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MEMBER PROFILE

Steven Pirlo

Steven is a Project Manager with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, working specifically on the development of a 10 year capital works program for the 392 Aids to Navigation sites around Australia. He has worked in the asset management field since 2011, working across local government areas and state borders, slowly making his way north. Steven has worked in regional councils in Victoria (Warrnambool City Council and Glenelg Shire Council), in New South Wales (Port MacquarieHastings Council) and now here in Brisbane, gaining experience across a variety of asset types in capital works, water and sewerage. He has learned the importance of quality data for optimal asset management.

How did you become involved in public works? Were you working in another industry before public works?

I have a background as a research scientist. The skills as a research scientist in project management, record-keeping and data analysis have been beneficial in Asset Management. My career change was due to a lack of opportunity in science where I have become too specialised within my field.

If you moved from another industry to public works, is it a temporary move for a particular position or experience or is this a more permanent move for you?

My aim is to continue my career

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Split point - General View of AtoN.

in Asset Management. I have found a career path that I find both challenging and rewarding.

The fact that Asset Management continues to develop as a field is also exciting.

What have been your career highlights, outside the industry if applicable, and since you joined it?

My career highlights have been seeing the change I have helped implement in every organisation that I have worked for in terms of Asset Management. The ability to demonstrate the benefits of good service provision and the underlying asset management through the development of a suite of interconnected documents including Asset Management Strategy, Asset Management Policy, Asset Management Plans, Service Plans and the Organisational Strategic Plan at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council would be a highlight.

What do you enjoy most about working in this industry?

The variety of the job is most enjoyable. I have gained experience managing assets from a wide range of asset classes. I get to interact with staff from across the organisation and a range of stakeholders, whilst learning and developing new skills along the way.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

Lihou Reef.

What have been the challenges – professionally and personally?

The biggest challenge in Asset Management is bringing senior management along on the journey of developing an organisations asset management capability. The development of a sound business case including examples of how Asset Management will benefit the organisation help greatly.

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

The best way to become

MEMBER PROFILE involved is to become an active member of professional bodies such as IPWEA (QLD), IPWEA (Australasia) and the Asset Management Council.

Did you have any perceptions about engineers before you joined the industry? Have they been confirmed or reconsidered?

I had the perception that engineers were difficult to work with unless you were an engineer yourself. I have found this to be false and have developed many successful working relationships with engineers to the benefit of the organisation and myself.

White Tip Reef.

Port Walcott.

What do you wish others in the public works industry understood better about your role/occupation?

Asset Management helps an organisation to make smart, logical decisions around how a service is provided.

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

On my first day in my new career in Asset Management, John Finnerty at Warrnambool City Council, Victoria told me to join IPWEA and sign up to the ‘Ask your mates’ discussion forum.

The active community of IPWEA has helped me greatly to develop as an Asset Manager.

Breaksea Spit.

Three Isles.

Nardana Patches.

Cape Moreton.

Coquet Island.

Warburto Point.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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MEMBER PROFILE

MEMBER FOR

Bruce Stevenson

45 YEARS

I am a retired Civil Engineer having worked in the Local Government area for over 40 years.

My qualifications include a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) from Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education (now USQ) completed in 1972, and a Certificate as a Local Government Engineer. I am a Non-Practicing Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland, a Member of Engineers Australia, and a retired Fellow of IPWEAQ. I have worked across seven shires and councils, a federal government department, as well as in private consulting. I retired in 2016.

What was the industry like when you started your career?

In the 1970s, local government engineering offered many opportunities, particularly if you were willing to move to rural areas. The works environment was much less formal than it is now but working in rural areas meant a degree of professional isolation. There were no computers, no mobile phones, WH&S was much less prominent and job quality was assured by adequate supervision and inspection, rather than by more recent QA systems.

Although we didn’t appreciate it at the time, funding for engineering functions was relatively greater than current times, due in part, to councils, particularly rural councils, tending to concentrate on their road, water and sewerage functions, rather than spending significantly on the variety of other functions embraced these days.

Standards were a little lower than today, although adequate for the time, and costs were relatively

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Sheffield, Tasmania during a hiking trip with a group of bushwalkers in 2017 (not every day that you see an alpaca in the main street - Bruce, on the right).

lower, due in part to there being less “red tape”.

What are the most significant differences then and now as you understand it?

One of the most significant changes between then and now, to my mind, is computerisation.

I started using computers in my job in the late 1990s and now, it would not be possible to function without them. I refer not only to the personal use of computers for things such as day to day report writing and use of spreadsheets, but also to the design, modelling and control functions computers are used for.

The introduction of the internet and mobile phones have also occurred over my working career, from being unavailable early on to being essential tools now. It is hard to imagine working without these modern aids these days and there can be little doubt that efficiency has improved as a result. However, I believe there are downsides, including the time taken to service the requirements of these systems, such as emails, and the intrusion

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

Hiking in north west Tasmania during a 2 month caravan trip in 2019.

on our private lives as a result of being instantly available at all times.

Is it better or worse than it used to be? What changes had the most impact?

There is little doubt in my mind that things have generally changed for the better with local government engineering over the years even though it is tempting to look back, perhaps with “rose coloured glasses”, at how things were, even though some of the changes were certainly challenging at the time of implementation.

MEMBER PROFILE After four years he encouraged me to start applying for Shire Engineer positions in rural shires, as a way to further my career. I was successful in my application to Booringa Shire as their Shire Engineer and wouldn’t have pursued such an application if not for Arnold’s encouragement.

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

Lake Alexandrina at the mouth of the Murray River, following a boat cruise up the Murray in 2016.

Significant beneficial changes include the introduction of Workplace Health and Safety legislation which has led to a greater and much needed emphasis on safety in the workforce and the requirement to undertake Asset Management Planning for our various assets, including roads, bridges, water, sewerage, and buildings.

Engineering standards, construction techniques and plant have been improved, and matters such as road safety and environmental issues given more emphasis at design stage.

On the downside, I believe that funding for the basic engineering functions has suffered due to the ever-increasing expansion of local government’s range of functions and exacerbated by the fact that costs have inevitably risen.

What do you consider is your legacy?

This is a difficult question for me to answer because I believe it is up to others to judge the legacy that I may have left. I would like to think that I left the places in which I worked in better stead than when I arrived, with workforces more efficient and producing better quality work, in keeping with the increasing expectations of the industry

and that there was a genuine increase in the standards of the engineering assets in those Council areas.

I also believe I did my part in ensuring that the engineering profession continues to be held in high regard within the community.

I am proud of the fact that I was part of the Jondaryan Shire team that negotiated a successful agreement with Toowoomba City to supply water to the Township of Oakey, without which the town would have been in dire straits as the bore water supply at the time was inadequate in both quality and quantity.

Who inspired you in the earlier days of your career and why?

Arnold Philp, who was City Engineer of Rockhampton City, offered me the position of Assistant Engineer in 1973.

Arnold and his staff took me in, “showed me the ropes”, and instilled a working habit which served me well all my working life.

I was entrusted with challenging projects early on and had to “swim hard” at times to keep afloat, but Arnold had a can-do attitude which I always admired, and the other engineering staff were always there to advise and assist.

The most satisfying outcome for me, working as an engineer in public works, was the ability to make a difference to the community at a grass roots level.

I always made sure I listened to the concerns of the public and tried to facilitate the alleviation of those concerns. The majority of people I worked with, both “outside” staff and “inside “staff as well as Councillors, were great people who were a pleasure to work with.

Engineers are the fourth most trusted profession (after medical professionals) – how have engineers earned this trust and maintained it over such a long period of time?

I believe engineers are generally seen by the public as promoting high standards and having integrity and are seen as can-do people. There is no doubt that organisations such as Engineers Australia and IPWEAQ have had a major role in promoting this trust in the engineering profession and continue to do so.

What do you wish our citizens understood better regarding the engineering of their communities? What are some common misconceptions you’ve had to address?

I have found that the majority of citizens or ratepayers in the areas that I have worked in have been genuine people who generally accept that local government is working in their best interests.

However, I think there is a common misconception that once an asset is built; e.g., a road is sealed, a pipeline laid, it should last forever without the need to refurbish or replace at considerable cost.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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MEMBER PROFILE

Wakefield Race Track near Goulburn.

What advice would you pass on to recent graduates?

My advice to recent graduates would be to accept the challenges presented to you and don’t hesitate to ask the advice of your peers and supervisors.

Engage with your workers, if you have a supervisory role, as they often have a lot of good, practical knowledge to impart, which can broaden your experience.

Mistakes will be made, so learn from them and move forward and use them as part of your learning experience.

Be honest and fair in your dealings with the public – I have found that they will usually (sometimes reluctantly) accept a negative response if dealt with fairly and given the facts.

How has IPWEAQ been involved in your career?

What were your memorable moments?

I first joined IPWEAQ (Institute of Municipal Engineering Australia

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Queensland Division, it was called back then) in 1977 and attended my first Annual Conference in that year, experiencing wonderful comradery which continued over the years. Older, experienced members were only too willing to offer friendship and advice, which was very welcome given my relative professional isolation out at Mitchell at the time.

Over the years I attended many memorable Annual Conferences and South West Branch Conferences. Additionally, I hosted a SW Branch conference in Oakey on one occasion, which was certainly memorable. The updating of knowledge imparted by the various conference papers was invaluable, but so too was the ability to mingle with fellow practitioners to discuss mutual problems and issues or to simply socialise.

I was fortunate to have been a Board Member with IPWEAQ for a term and have fond memories of a number of trips to the Board

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

Meetings in Brisbane with Ray Moore from Toowoomba City.

If retired, how do you occupy your time? What are your interests and hobbies?

I am often asked how I fill in my days now that I’m retired and do I get bored. My answer is that I don’t know how I had the time to go to work, because there is so much to do – I definitely don’t get bored.

Some of the things I do to occupy my time include travel, usually with a caravan in tow (I have visited many areas throughout Australia, but have only scratched the surface) and family – I have 4 kids and 10 grandkids and spend a lot of time visiting, helping celebrate birthdays, etc. Other interests include bushwalking on the weekends and mid – week, bike riding, playing golf and motorsport.

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

JOIN US FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN ENGINEERING DAY ENGINEERING A PATHWAY: A LUNCH WITH

Else Shepherd Else was one of the first females to receive a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Queensland in 1965.

What she has achieved since has been outstanding with little regard for gender imbalances.

To celebrate, International Women in Engineering Day, we welcome our community to join together and hear about Else’s incredible story including her pioneering spirit, challenges she has faced, and lessons learnt along the way.

Limited registrations available. Registrations include keynote presentation with Else Shepherd, followed by a networking lunch.

Member

$90

Non-member

$120

Member Package (event registration plus membership to 30 June 2021)

$140

Member Package (Graduate) (event registration plus complimentary membership to 30 June 2021)

$90

All prices plus GST

REGISTER NOW SPONSORED BY

3919

WEDNESDAY 23 JUNE 12pm – 2pm Level 1, 6 Eagleview Place Eagle Farm

  ENGINEERING www.ipweaq.com FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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WOMEN IN ENGINEERING

Nadine Story

Nadine Story is a Team Leader Sewer Network at Urban Utilities. She has a Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering and a Masters of Complex Project Management , both from the University of Southern Queensland.

Hello, I’m Nadine Story and I’m proud to lead the Sewer Isolations team at Urban Utilities.

Every year, there are well over 500 sewer maintenance and new connection jobs within the Urban Utilities’ service territory that require an isolation plan. These ‘flow control plans’ ensure the network is isolated in a way that is safe for our workers and the environment, minimises impact on residents and businesses, and is economical. We also schedule jobs to ensure there are no conflicts in the network and, where possible, we leverage jobs to be more cost-effective.

My team develops nearly all flow control and contingency plans, which keeps them very busy.

Working as a sewer engineer is not the most obvious career choice, so how did I end up in this field? Sixteen years ago, after graduating from high school in Germany (my home country), I delayed my university studies to take a gap year with a friend in Australia. Not long after our arrival, we found ourselves working at Story Fresh – a grower and processor of leafy vegetables in Toowoomba. The name is no co-incidence, as years later, I married into the lettuce family!

I extended the gap year by a few months and in 2007 I returned to Australia to commence my Bachelor of Environmental

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Engineering studies at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba.

During my studies, I worked in the lettuce processing factory and a few years later as an undergrad engineer for the Toowoomba Regional Council.

After graduating from university, I was accepted into the full-time Council Graduate Program, which laid a strong foundation for my career. As part of the program, I rotated through the Stormwater, Water & Wastewater planning departments to expand my skills and, fortuitously, my fulltime tenure came shortly after the global financial crisis which saw demand for engineers drop significantly.

In 2013, we relocated to Brisbane with our newborn daughter, Grace, and the cat to pursue my husband’s career opportunities.

Following maternity leave, I continued to commute with Grace to Toowoomba every week for work, but after eight

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

months, the travel was becoming increasingly difficult. I decided to stay in Brisbane full time to finish my Masters in Complex Project Management and then reevaluate career options. In 2014, I was offered the role of Operations Engineer at Urban Utilities, which was akin to winning a lottery ticket! Our family could finally stay together – permanently – in Brisbane. In 2016, our second daughter, Lexa, joined the Story clan.

Now, after nearly seven years at Urban Utilities, my team and I find ourselves at the forefront of Brisbane’s most exciting sewerage projects. Most recently, the team was involved in the connection of the new Centenary Highway rising main in Kenmore, the connection for the new Queens Wharf development at North Quay, the new Grey Street Pump Station and the condition assessment of Brisbane’s biggest rising mains from Eagle Farm Pump Station SP10 to Luggage

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING

Large Lampe Plug fully inflated at the workshop.

Crews getting ready for a confined space entry.

Point Treatment Plant.

found that a simple plastic bag is the best way to float a rope from one maintenance hole to the next. That’s innovation in action!

Flow control plans are not just about closing valves and isolating pumps stations. We need to have comprehensive understanding of the network when we are developing isolation methodologies. We consider time to overflow, what happens to other parts of the network (sometimes many kilometres away), work around discharge patterns of major customers, consider how rainfall affects the storage and what diversion options we may have available to reduce the need for tankering.

Tankering is often associated with the requirement of traffic permits, noise and odours, which means we select the lowest impact discharge locations and time windows.

One way to isolate parts of the gravity sewer is using plugs.

Urban Utilities owns plugs that can isolate sewers between 100 mm and 2.8 m in diameter.

Whilst smaller plugs are relatively easy to control, large plugs are in a completely different league.

They often require back ropes, winches and jacks to hold them in place – a set-up that easily takes hours to complete. Over the years, the crew has developed lots of fascinating tricks to expedite the process. For example, they

In the city, we have several penstock and knifegate valves, which we refer to as sewer doors.

We can back up more flows behind a sewer door compared to using plugs, because they are designed to withstand a much higher-pressure head. Some of these sewer doors require thousands of turns to operate, which can take 45 minutes to shut just one valve.

Just as important as selecting the right isolation methodology is how we return the network back to service. For example, on trunk sewers, we must ensure we return the flow at a rate that allows air to expel from the system or we risk launching maintenance hole covers onto roads and footpaths as the pressure builds. Similarly, when returning several pump stations, we require our Control Room to slowly feed the flows to the treatment plants to ensure they don’t go into dry weather bypass mode, which would create a significant environmental problem.

Since most large sewer jobs happen at night and underground, some of them

Setting up of winch to hold back a large plug at North Quay.

can be ongoing for years and still remain largely unnoticed.

As part of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade, Urban Utilities had to reline 5.5 km of the up to DN1575 S1 Main Sewer under one of Brisbane’s busiest roads, which was a mammoth task and took seven years to complete.

Noel Ralph, Urban Utilities’ Wastewater System Specialist and I recently presented the challenges of this project at the QldWater Essentials Webinar.

The last metres right in front of Brisbane’s biggest pump station, SP10, still need to be condition assessed and renovated by hand, which means tube entry for the crews just meters from the 7300 L/s capable pumps, whilst holding back 70% of the River City’s flows and lots of people at designated locations to ensure a minimum freeboard remains. A similar isolation – the “Megashut” – was successfully performed in October 2020 to conduct CCTV of the pipe. Urban Utilities is currently working on the installation of a large penstock sewer door right outside of the pump station on Kingsford Smith Drive to enable an easier flow control. Who would have thought sewer works could be this exciting?

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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EXCELLENCE AWARDS

YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR With the annual excellence awards closing 25 June, it is timely to review how past winners have progressed in their careers.

Here’s an update on five Young Engineer of the Year award winners: Justin Fischer (2006), Darren Shepherd (2008), David Brooker (2010), Mitchel Bichel (2011) and Aaron Meehan (2017). Where are they now and how has the award contributed to their careers?

Justin Fischer | 2006 Career summary I started my career as Works Engineer at Laidley Shire Council in 2004. Working on a range of projects and challenges with some wonderful mentors like Gerry Franzmann and Mike Butcher really exposed me to a wide variety of what Local Government had to offer. When Lockyer Valley Regional Council was established in 2008, I found myself as Manager Road Infrastructure which included looking after the external workforce and project deliveries in the transport and parks areas.

The 2011 Lockyer Valley floods presented a major challenge and opportunity and exposed me to a wonderful new team of consultants and contractors as we sought to restore the significant amount of infrastructure damaged during this event. I then decided to change things up and worked for Aurecon, predominantly on National

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Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements and Coal Seam Gas related projects in Roma and Emerald. This was a great experience, and I enjoyed the time as a consultant but missed the ability to really be close to the community I was working for. In 2013 I moved with my young family to the Cassowary Coast, a naturally beautiful part of the world. The role I have has changed significantly over 7 years, which has definitely kept it challenging but provided great opportunities to grow and develop new skills. Council have really supported the application of asset management principles and have been demonstrating courage and leadership to take some long overdue, but necessary opportunities to transition to a more sustainable organisation. I have been blessed to work with such a wonderful team (including accountants J) and continually enjoy the opportunities I have to make our community a better place to live.

Your current role and general responsibilities.

Manager Asset Engineering – Cassowary Coast Regional Council.

I look after the design, facilities, and asset management teams.

Some recent projects of interest include the Tully Grandstand, Council asset rationalisation project and a major seawall upgrade at Flying Fish Point.

We have also been working on developing principles and a framework for the use of council assets by community groups. This has been far from engineering work but most enjoyable as we seek to balance asset costs, community needs and wants in a transparent way.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

The impact of the Award on your career.

It was humbling to be recognised by my peers. It gave me great encouragement and confidence to continue within the industry.

Any advice for upcoming young engineers.

The world needs courageous people (including engineers) to apply their skills, minds, and hearts to make our communities better. Think about the people you are helping. While we can focus on a project, methodology or system from a technical perspective our real goal should be about making people’s lives better. Think about where the money is coming from, ensure that you really need to spend it and that it really adds value to the community.

Reasons why organisations should nominate an emerging professional for this Award.

There is such a genuine display of appreciation for someone’s skills and effort when you nominate them for an award. Your people will appreciate it. It also helps promote your organisation as a place where people are challenged, encouraged, and rewarded.

EXCELLENCE AWARDS Any advice for upcoming young engineers.

Early in my career I received some great advice that I continue to share today. That is, to have a go at delivering a technical paper to share your project or process success and importantly, the lessons learnt.

Darren Shepherd | 2008 Career summary Having started my engineering career in Local Government, I recognised the opportunity to offer specialist asset management and GIS services to regional and remote councils struggling to attract and retain technical staff.

In 1999 I went out on my own, establishing Shepherd Services and steadily grew the business as a sole proprietor for the next 16 years.

I was awarded Young Engineer of the Year in 2008 in recognition of delivering very successful Best Practice Unsealed Roads Training courses through IPWEAQ right across Queensland. At the time Shepherd had two staff, a GIS Officer and me, and we started to develop our own asset management processes and tools.

A key to my success as an engineer is the ability to marry technical theory with practical application to come up with a useable approach. I learnt this by seeking and appreciating advice from the operations team on what actually works.

Your current role and general responsibilities.

As Partner/Director of Project Services, my role is split across overseeing projects in my area of expertise as well as product and service development.

Innovation continues to be a big part of the Shepherd culture and we are always looking for how to use technology to solve client issues, improve processes, and influence industry best practice.

In 2010, the team had grown to eight and we developed the first Road Asset Condition Assessment System (RACAS) unit as an affordable alternative for smaller councils.

My latest project has been the development of our new Online Road Management Hub, designed to deliver a seamless process from road condition capture to programming works live.

In response to widespread flooding across Queensland in 2010/11, Shepherd was the first to use GPS enabled cameras and develop integrated processes that produced submissions in half the time.

The Hub represents the culmination of my work over the last 20 years in roads management, so it is powered by comprehensive datasets and metrics to deliver meaningful programs.

The opportunity to capitalise on our continued growth was realised in 2016 when I welcomed my first business partner, followed by a second in 2017.

The impact of the Award on your career.

Today, our diverse team work with councils right across Australia.

My final piece of advice for any emerging professional is to first be clear on the project outcomes, and then work your way backwards. Ask yourself – what is actually needed to make informed decisions, what is the end result, and what is the practical use?

Reasons why organisations should nominate an emerging professional for this Award.

I believe receiving this level of recognition encourages young people to keep persevering and moving forward.

For me, organisations that nominate staff for awards demonstrate that they care about improving their people and creating a positive culture that in turn attracts more talent.

There is no doubt that winning the 2008 Young Engineer of the Year Award gave my career a tremendous boost. I leveraged off it to deliver unsealed roads training in New South Wales for the next 18 months.

The resulting recognition led to other business opportunities which enabled me to extend our GIS and Asset Management team to eight people within two years.

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EXCELLENCE AWARDS

David Brooker | 2010 Career summary I started my career as a process engineer at Brisbane Water (now part of Urban Utilities), working in operations and designing sewage treatment plants. My career pivoted into management when I made a lifestyle change and moved to Sarina in Central Queensland. It was there that long-time IPWEAQ member, Andrew Gibbs, offered me the role of Manager of Sarina Water.

An industry stalwart, Andrew provided great support in leadership in the early stages of my career. Not only was the region of Sarina and Mackay a great place to live, it also allowed me to work in a variety of roles in water and solid waste management, including the role of Chief Operating Officer of the Water and Waste Business at Mackay Regional Council. Since that time, I have worked as part of the private industry, managing the Ventia Water Business to deliver maintenance services, and have now come full circle, returning to where it all began at Urban Utilities.

Your current role and general responsibilities.

My current role is the Executive Leader of Service Delivery at Urban Utilities – Australia’s fourth largest water utility that services the local government areas of Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Somerset, and Scenic Rim. The

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Service Delivery group delivers the majority of customer-facing services, including operating the water and sewerage networks, managing the customer contact centre, undertaking the billing operations, providing customer advocacy services and maintaining our assets. Having both network and customer operations within one group allows us to deliver a streamlined experience for both our customers and our people. Urban Utilities has an amazing purpose, to Enrich the Quality of Life, fosters a collaborative, constructive and innovative culture and strives to continually improve the way services are delivered. Together this makes Urban Utilities a great place to work.

The impact of the Award on your career.

It was a privilege to be recognised as the Young Engineer of the Year in 2010, given IPWEAQ has a strong reputation and the critical role it plays in supporting professionals. An IPWEAQ award is a great inclusion on any resume or career summary and, undoubtedly, aids in the expansion of professional networks. This was certainly the case for me at a pivotal time in my career.

Any advice for upcoming young engineers.

While it is a privilege to be recognised for individual contribution, I have learnt that success is linked to the effectiveness of team performance, rather than that of an individual. This is especially true in public works engineering where we are part of a broad system of services that contribute to the liveability of the communities we serve. When I received this award in 2010, we were forming a diverse team of passionate people dedicated to the Mackay community in which we lived and worked. That team would go on to deliver improved services and drive innovation across the broader industry. I have carried these lessons forward in my career. At Urban Utilities, we believe that

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

the success of the organisation is directly linked to the culture we foster. My advice to emerging professionals is that while technical skills are important, they will only get you so far in your career. Learning to be a great team member is essential for us to continue to improve the way we deliver services.

Reasons why organisations should nominate an emerging professional for this Award.

IPWEAQ provides a great opportunity to expand networks and learn from others in your own and related industries.

IPWEAQ’s awards are a great opportunity to not only provide recognition for staff but to learn about how others are paving the way forward.

Mitchell Bichel | 2011 Career summary I started my career at Laidley Shire Council in 2006 as a Cadet Development Assessment Engineer assessing development applications and undertaking compliance inspections for both residential and commercial developments. In 2009, I took on the role of Works Engineer, at the newly amalgamated Lockyer Valley Regional Council.

In this role I was involved in all aspects of local government engineering from strategic asset management, capital program management, project planning and delivery, and maintenance operations. I was also involved in disaster operations and recovery at Lockyer Valley during the January 2011 floods. Following this, I joined consulting firm, Cardno, in 2012 as a project engineer, working on a range of civil projects for various clients across the government, development and mining sectors.

In 2013, I started with Logan City Council, where I still work

EXCELLENCE AWARDS today. In my normal role, I am the Principal Engineer – Capital Program Management and am responsible for the coordination and program management of Council’s $100M+ Capital Roadworks and Drainage Program. This involves the coordination of over 600 projects annually across our planning, design, external contract delivery and internal construction teams.

Currently I am seconded to Council’s Road Construction and Maintenance Branch as the Acting Road Construction Program Leader.

Additional responsibilities include engaging with Council’s elected representatives, key stakeholders across the organisation and our senior management team.

The role is also responsible for strategic business planning, performance reporting, development of budget initiatives and resource management for the Construction Program.

The impact of the Award on your career.

I was grateful to have even been nominated for this award. I was honoured to have received the Queensland Young Engineer of the Year Award in 2011 and be recognised by my industry peers.

It is something that I am very proud of. It has certainly provided increased recognition and networking opportunities with fellow IPWEAQ members. I just can’t believe it has been 10 years already!

Any advice for upcoming young engineers.

I have been fortunate throughout my career so far to work with and be mentored (both formally and informally) by a number of great engineers and managers.

My general advice to any young engineers is to seek out those opportunities or mentoring programs for experience, career advice and leadership development opportunities.

Your current role and general responsibilities.

As the Acting Road Construction Program Leader, I lead a team of approximately 70 staff consisting of engineers, technical officers, supervisors and outdoor construction workers. We are responsible for the delivery of road and drainage projects totalling approximately $2025M per year. Projects vary in size and complexity from minor footpath rehabilitation projects through to major urban road and intersection upgrade projects. My general duties involve the overall management and performance of the team to ensure that projects are delivered on time and on budget.

Reasons why organisations should nominate an emerging professional for this Award.

To reflect and show appreciation of the contribution that an emerging professional has made to your organisation.

Nominating them for this Award can be extremely rewarding and motivating for that individual. The recognition for a job well done is always something that can lead to improved job satisfaction or to encourage a young engineer to take the next step in their career. For an organisation, it also provides an opportunity to be recognised as an employer that values the contributions of staff and to attract and retain those individuals.

Aaron Meehan | 2017 Career summary I’m approaching four years in October as the General Manager Infrastructure at South Burnett Regional Council and have enjoyed being part of the leadership team focused on asset management and building organisation performance over the short and medium terms. Prior to this role I spent approximately 10 years in Works Management roles at Western Downs and Whitsunday Regional Councils Your current role and general responsibilities.

My current role is really focused on leadership and execution of strategies for activities across the organisation in relation to asset management and sustainability and delivery of core infrastructure elements such as infrastructure planning, works, water and wastewater. I do have a lead role in delivery of the “Kingaroy Transformation Project” which involves the transformation of Kingaroy CBD into what would arguably be one of the most advanced regional centres in the country. To give you an idea there is some 22 conduits under a single footpath which carries capacity for smart and telco infrastructure now and into the future. We have partnered with industry leaders in design, pavements, telco and smart infrastructure and the state and federal governments to build a once in a generation project for this region.

The impact of the Award on your career.

Lol, not a lot... I actually changed jobs the week after I got the award! In reality, it’s great to be recognised by your industry for your efforts to your organisation and community. I think probably the benefit of the award has been the opportunity to participate more in industry

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EXCELLENCE AWARDS particularly when you get to interact and listen to people who are innovative leaders.

Any advice for upcoming young engineers.

For some young engineers they might be aiming to receive award recognition and let’s face it, everyone feels a sense of achievement when they are recognised. I think young engineers should concentrate on setting themselves objective goals

over the short and medium term to taking opportunities when they are given. Also, not every opportunity involves you doing what you want to do. If you work hard and perform, then you’ll get recognition by the right employer.

Recognition doesn’t always mean awards but even if you’re nominated for an award, it means someone thinks highly of you.

teams. Many projects and individuals are supported by good teams and any award is recognition of the environment and culture of an organisation.

Reasons why organisations should nominate an emerging professional for this Award.

I think it’s important for organisations and particularly management to recognise high performing employees. As managers in a busy organisation, we often just keep moving and we actually don’t stop very often to recognise not only individuals but also the performance of

2021 Excellence Awards Categories New Awards in 2021!

• Community Road Safety • Road Safety Infrastructure • Projects over $20 Million • Employer of the Year (Public Sector) • Employer of the Year (Private Sector

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Project Categories: • Innovation • Projects under $1 mil • Projects $1 to $2 mil • Projects $2 to $5 mil • Projects $5 to $10 mil • Projects over $10 mil • Asset Management • Environment & Sustainability • Innovation & Sustainability in Water • Coastal Engineering

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

People Categories: •E ngineer of the Year •W oman in Engineering •E merging Professional of the Year •T eam Member of the Year •P resident’s Award - chosen by President •F utures Challenge - chosen by delegates

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

NEW CATEGORIES FOR 2021!

Nominations open February 2021, and close June 2021. To enter, please submit via the IPWEAQ Excellence Awards Platform

IPWEAQ EXCELLENCE AWARDS IPWEAQ recognises organisations and employers which have developed leading workplaces that maximise the full potential of their people.

We are delighted to announce two new employer awards:

EMPLOYER AWARDS Employer of the Year (Private Sector) Employer of the Year (Public Sector)

We are also launching two new project awards for 2021:

PROJECT AWARDS Community Road Safety Road Safety Infrastructure NEW IN 2020 3810

Coastal Engineering

Contact Senior Manager, Events & Marketing Monica.Robertson@ipweaq.com or 3632 6802

   www.ipweaq.com

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

39

ADVERTORIAL

WHO IS CLOUD A2K?

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The organisation strives for national market coverage and is continually seeking to enhance its reputation within the industry for honesty, integrity and competence as an end-toend service provider.

Cloud A2K’s product range and services are at the forefront of the market. We offer a number of unique solutions resulting in a distinct point of difference from our competition.

Cloud A2K are truly a multinational business with offices in QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, WA and New Zealand.

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Trusted by over 2 million AEC professionals worldwide, Bluebeam® Revu® allows you to simplify complex tasks and collaborate in real-time to get the job done, faster. Whether you’re in the office or the field, Revu

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gives you the smart tools you need to keep your team in sync and get the job done right — anytime, anywhere.

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Bluebeam surveyed users* from around the world and Revu helped: 82% saved time 88% improved work quality 76% boosted efficiency Revu gives you better results for every phase of your project Design Review Design reviews go faster when teams can mark up the same digital documents in real time.

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

Submittal Review Revu simplifies submittals with powerful markup and editing tools.

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ADVERTORIAL Get more done, together Studio in Revu allows you to easily invite team members from anywhere in the world to securely collaborate in real time and finish projects faster. It also gives you a centralised place to create, annotate and share documents, so projects always stay on track and teams are aligned every step of the way. Studio is built for secure, global collaboration, with regional servers in Australia, the UK, USA, and Europe.

Choose the edition that’s right for you. Bluebeam Revu comes in three editions (Standard, CAD and eXtreme®) and runs on Windows®.

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• View and revoke licences via our online admin portal, the Bluebeam Gateway • Available for Revu eXtreme only • Includes Maintenance • Annual subscription In supporting Bluebeam® as the only Bluebeam Platinum Partner in Australia and New Zealand Cloud A2K have a number of highly experienced technical staff who have come from all industries including Architecture, Engineering and Manufacturing to support the implementation and training in Bluebeam, driving best-in-class adoption to industry requirements.

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

41

TECHNICAL

NEW BASEGRADE STABILISATION TECHNOLOGY RESOLVES THIN PAVEMENT ISSUES IN REDLAND CITY

Scott Young BE (Hons), MPavtTech, RPEng (Civil), RPEQ

Sealed flexible pavements typically consist of a wearing surface, a base layer and a subbase layer to protect the subgrade from damage caused by traffic loads over time.

Local government urban roads in Australia often only have a base layer sitting directly on the subgrade.

When the thickness of the existing granular base layer is deemed too thin to satisfy rehabilitation design requirements, the base and subgrade layers can be insitu stabilised simultaneously with an appropriate binding agent.

This is termed ‘Basegrade Stabilisation’ (Young, 2020).

Experimental research completed in 2020 developed a mix design procedure for basegrade stabilisation to allow practitioners to confidently evaluate an existing pavement structure and select a trial mix design for laboratory testing.

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This paper explores the background of basegrade stabilisation, the subsequent development of a new mix design procedure and how it can apply to a local council asset management plan. A case study from Redland City also demonstrates the effectiveness of basegrade stabilisation.

INTRODUCTION The typical pavement structure often designed in new flexible pavements consists of multiple pavement layers that absorb the traffic induced loads to protect the subgrade from permanent deformation. This typical pavement structure is illustrated in Figure 1.

Wearing Surface Base Subbase

Typical Pavement Structure

Subgrade

Figure 1. Typical Flexible Pavement Structure (Young, 2020).

Local government roads however are not always this fortunate, and thin granular layers (or just a single layer) commonly exist between a bituminous wearing course and the subgrade. When these common pavement structures are identified for rehabilitation, the absence of a subbase layer results in the base layer having inadequate thickness to recycle using insitu stabilisation based on the requirements to satisfy structural design requirements (e.g. a 20year design life).

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

Wearing Surface Base

Common Pavement Structure

Subgrade

Figure 2. Common Flexible Pavement Structure in Lightly Trafficked Roads (Young, 2020).

This challenge however can be overcome by adopting the process of basegrade stabilisation in lieu of other more expensive renewal treatments, such as complete removal of all pavement materials and replacement with imported quarried materials.

BASEGRADE STABILISATION DEFINED Basegrade stabilisation (Young, 2020) is the process of insitu stabilising existing granular pavement materials that are mixed with subgrade materials with a suitable binder to improve the engineering properties of the combined layers. Basegrade stabilisation occurs when the existing pavement gravels comprising a base course (and/ or subbase course) are not thick enough and a deliberate decision is made to incorporate subgrade materials into the granular materials to satisfy the required depth of stabilisation (refer Figure 3).

Wearing Surface Base Subgrade Subgrade

Required Depth of Stabilisation

Figure 3. The ‘Basegrade Stabilisation’ Concept (Young, 2020).

Basegrade stabilisation as a process is not a new concept and has been used widely in Australia,

TECHNICAL mostly in the local government road network where thin pavements overlying subgrade materials exist and were treated simultaneously through insitu stabilisation. However, there is no documented protocol to enable mix design optimisation based on the blended properties of the pavement and subgrade materials.

In 2001, a survey by Monash University distributed to more than 450 local councils across Australia was undertaken to assess multiple aspects about the use, performance and hindering aspects of pavement stabilisation (Young, 2020). Even after earlier publications in the preceding decades emphasized the need to carry out mix designs for proposed stabilisation works, the survey revealed a resounding lack of mix design procedures were readily available for engineers to follow.

This form of multi-layer insitu stabilisation and the gap in mix design protocol formed the basis of the 2020 research undertaken by the author which is subsequently examined in this paper with applications for implementation into local government asset management strategies.

APPLICATIONS FOR BASEGRADE STABILISATION The predominant application for basegrade stabilisation in local government is existing roads that have inadequate granular thickness and have been evaluated through structural analysis as requiring a thicker treatment at the time of intervention. Figure 4 illustrates this where the design thickness exceeds the available thickness of existing pavement material.

Figure 4. Basegrade Stabilisation Composition (image ref: Young, 2020).

Therefore, when a site evaluation identifies the deficiency in existing pavement thickness, basegrade stabilisation can be considered. Since increases to existing pavements can occur in rural environments or locations where no level control exists, basegrade stabilisation solutions are more commonly suited to urban environments where kerb and channel structures inhibit increased levels.

materials of varying plasticity and subgrade proportions of 20%, 35% and 50%. Three binders were added to the nine pavement types at various application rates.

They were:

This mix design procedure developed in the 2020 research will benefit local government engineers, consultants and geotechnical engineers across Australia by providing evidence that blending subgrade materials with pavement granular materials can achieve desired strength outcomes with the application of suitable mix design protocol and minimal variability in strength gains.

Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) testing was the principal test. The target strength was 1-2MPa which was based on the success of lightly bound materials used in local government in Australia for more than 50 years.

THE EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH PROGRAM The primary objective of the research work conducted in 2020 was, ‘To develop a mix design procedure for basegrade stabilisation treatments on local government pavement rehabilitation projects identified in lightly trafficked environments.’

• Various lime/cement/flyash triple blends • 60/40 slag/lime blends • 70/30 cement/flyash blends after pre-treatment with 3% hydrated lime

Selection of each subgrade source was intended to provide distinct variations in properties, particularly the consistency limits.

The raw materials are illustrated in Figure 7.

Table 1 summarises the host material properties of the four individual materials, while Figure 8 illustrates the variation in linear shrinkage between each material type.

The mix design procedure aimed to optimise the binder type, the binder application rate and the construction procedure based on the properties and proportion of subgrade materials proposed to be mixed into existing granular pavement materials using insitu stabilisation.

Nine pavement types were examined in the research. They comprised three subgrade

Figure 8. Linear Shrinkage: Raw Materials (Young, 2020).

Figure 7. Raw Materials (Young, 2020)

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TECHNICAL Table 1. Raw Material Characteristics (Young, 2020)

Raw Material #

1

2

3

4

Type 2.3 Gravel

Pittsworth Alluvial

Redlands Silt

Wallum Court Clay

Liquid Limit (%)

19.6

82.4

65.4

38.8

Plastic Limit (%)

17.6

33

37

24.6

Plasticity Index (%)

2.0

49.4

28.4

14.2

Linear Shrinkage (%)

1.4

21.4

16

3.4

Maximum Dry Density (t/m3)

2.18

1.34

1.35

1.68

Optimum Moisture Content (%)

8.5

29.5

38

21

4 Day Soaked CBR (%)

70

1.5

2.5

8

Swell (%)

0.0

0.8

0.3

1.9

Property

Table 2 shows the characteristics of the blended basegrade materials developed for each of the nine trials used in the research.

Table 2. Blended Raw Material Characteristics: PT1-PT9 (Young, 2020)

Subgrade Material Pavement Type

Pittsworth Alluvial PT1

Gravel/Subgrade Proportions 80/20

Redlands Silt

Wallum Court Clay

PT2

PT3

PT4

PT5

PT6

PT7

PT8

PT9

65/35

50/50

80/20

65/35

50/50

80/20

65/35

50/50

Liquid Limit (%)

36.4

69.6

74.0

38.2

59.0

61.0

25.2

32.0

36.0

Plastic Limit (%)

15.6

31.0

32.8

16.4

28.8

30.2

16.4

23.0

21.4

Plasticity Index (%)

20.8

38.6

41.2

21.8

30.2

30.8

8.8

9.0

14.6

Linear Shrinkage (%)

6.0

13.2

16.6

10.0

10.0

12.0

3.4

6.6

6.6

Maximum Dry Density (t/m3)

2.00

1.85

1.76

2.05

1.89

1.82

2.10

2.07

1.96

Optimum Moisture Content (%)

12.5

15.5

18.5

12.0

16.0

18.0

10.0

11.0

12.0

Passing 0.425mm Sieve (%)

35

45

55

36

47

57

32

39

46

Passing 0.075mm Sieve (%)

27

38

48

28

40

52

23

30

38

Weighted Plasticity Index, WPI (%)

728

1737

2266

785

1419

1756

282

351

672

Weighted Linear Shrinkage, WLS (%)

210

594

913

360

470

684

109

257

304

Fines Ratio (%)

0.77

0.84

0.87

0.78

0.85

0.91

0.72

0.77

0.83

All UCS test results have been reproduced below in Table 3. Those complying with the target 1-2MPa

44

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

TECHNICAL strength (cured for 28 days) for lightly bound materials are shaded green.

Table 3. Summary of all UCS Results (MPa) (Young, 2020)

Averages

1.5

2.0

1.5

2.3

1.4

0.8

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.6

1.6

1.5

PT1

PT2

PT3

PT4

PT5

PT6

PT7

PT8

PT9

3% Triple Blend

1.5

0.6

0.3

1.9

1.1

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.0

1.0

5% Triple Blend

1.8

1.5

0.6

2.0

1.9

1.6

1.3

1.5

1.3

1.5

7% Triple Blend

2.3

1.7

1.3

3.1

1.9

1.3

1.8

2.0

1.8

1.9

5% 60/40 Slag/Lime

2.9

1.2

0.7

3.3

2.1

1.0

2.0

1.8

1.3

1.8

7% 60/40 Slag/Lime

3.3

2.0

0.9

3.1

2.7

1.5

2.3

2.3

2.2

2.3

3% Lime + 2% 70/30 GB

1.6

1.3

0.5

1.6

1.6

1.2

1.2

0.9

1.2

1.2

3% Lime + 3% 70/30 GB

1.9

1

1.2

2.4

1.9

2

1.4

1.3

1.6

1.6

3% Lime + 4% 70/30 GB

3.1

2.1

0.8

2.8

2.6

2.6

1.7

1.8

1.6

2.1

Subgrade %

20

35

50

20

35

50

20

35

50

Averages 1.5

2.0

1.7

THE MIX DESIGN PROCEDURE A mix design in the context of pavement stabilisation is simply the determination of a binder type and the quantity of that binder to specify for use. This is a relatively straightforward task; however, optimisation of a mix design requires further evaluation and engineering judgement to specify the binder type that is not only geographically available and commercially viable but is able to react appropriately with the host material and produce the required strength or other engineering improvements with the minimum amount of that binder as possible.

The recommended mix design procedure for basegrade stabilisation is illustrated in Figure 9.

Left to Right

Gate No.1 Preliminary Screening

Gate No.2 Basegrade Properties

Gate No.4 Mix Design Trials

Gate No.3 Subgrade Properties

3% Lime1 + 2% & 4% 70/30 Cement/Flyash

Insitu CBR of Subgrade < 3% Existing granular thickness is < Design thickness &

Design traffic (DESA) is < 1.0E+06

Additional material is unable to be added

25% - 55% of Basegrade passing the 0.075mm sieve

3a.

Linear Shrinkage of Basegrade is < 14%

4a.

3% & 5% 30/40/30 Lime/Cement/Flyash Triple Blend

Subgrade is < 30% of Design thickness

or Plasticity Index of Basegrade is 10% - 40%

Insitu CBR of Subgrade ≥ 3%

3c.

and/or 4b.

1b.

2a.

3b.

2b.

3d.

A Basegrade Stabilisation mix design may not be the most suitable option.

Consider alternatives.

Are UCS Results between 1 - 2MPa

Specify mix design

5% & 7% 50/30/20 Lime/Cement/Flyash Triple Blend

Subgrade is 30-50% of Design thickness 1a.

3% & 5% 60/40 Slag/Lime

Perform UCS Testing using selected Mix Design Trials

and/or 4c.

5% & 7% 60/40 Slag/Lime

4d.

i. Select a different binder; or 4g. ii. Adjust binder content; or iii. Adjust % of lime in trial blend

4e.

3e.

Interpolation is acceptable

4f.

1. Minimum 24 hours amelioration period recommended prior to addition of 70/30 cement/flyash.

Figure 9. Basegrade Stabilisation Mix Design Procedure (Young, 2020)

General and specific user notes were provided in the research thesis to accompany the mix design procedure. These are sequenced via the unique alpha numeric identifiers shown in the bottom left corner of each box of the procedure.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

45

TECHNICAL APPLICATIONS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT Implementation of the basegrade stabilisation mix design procedure as part of a local council asset management strategy will provide significant value to their commercial position and sustainability footprint. Wherever a basegrade stabilisation project is undertaken by a local council, previous experience is that the council returns a financial saving compared to the otherwise more expensive pavement rehabilitation alternatives (Young, 2020).

Although the current limitation for application of a basegrade stabilisation treatment is for lightly trafficked roads (DESA<1.0E+06), implementation should be at the discretion of the council engineer based on a risk assessment for the specific project being analysed. Other factors may preclude or permit basegrade stabilisation being implemented on a project.

In the mix design procedure shown in Figure 9, there are ten different mix design trials available. Apart from offering these to optimise the UCS strength with the least amount of binder, the variations in binder types are also aimed at allowing the use of basegrade stabilisation in as many local government areas of Australia as possible.

Each state of Australia has access to different binders from different suppliers. Not all geographical locations in Australia can access the same products.

From a quality control perspective, local government specifications for stabilisation are wide and varied in Australia.

They range from highly detailed and specific to the individual council, to adoption of specifications prepared by others such as state road authorities or NATSPEC which is a not-for-profit organisation owned by government and industry. Regardless of the specification source, one of the most important elements of any specification in achieving

46

the desired strength that was achieved in the laboratory mix design testing, is the compaction quality, or density profile throughout the thickness of the treatment. Since a basegrade stabilisation treatment is ultimately requiring compaction of a stabilised layer directly on a subgrade, if that subgrade is weak at the time of construction, conforming density may be difficult to achieve. A number of strategies can be employed to reduce this risk.

Application of the triple blend in two phases, as an initial lime pre-treatment followed by the cementitious blend provides opportunities to minimise this risk. The initial lime treatment can be specified to a depth that is at least 50-100mm greater than the design thickness. This will produce a subbase or buffer of material that has improved characteristics from the untreated subgrade for the cementitious treated layer to ‘sit on’ when stabilised the following day.

Where a basegrade stabilisation treatment is being considered in local government, the coefficient of variation in material types and therefore quality of materials can often be high, as a result of multiple construction activities of varying consistency over the years. One method to increase the likelihood of success with a basegrade stabilisation project is with the initial material sampling phase as part of the geotechnical investigation. It is recommended that the frequency of testing be no less than 1 per 100 lineal metres.

CASE STUDY 1: Port Macquarie Hastings Council (NSW, Australia) The municipality of Port Macquarie Hastings Council (PMHC) in New South Wales is located approximately 540km south of Brisbane. The local council has adopted basegrade stabilisation methods to numerous roads in urban areas in the past 3-4 years.

It is understood that one of the primary drivers for their

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

decision to take this approach was due to inadequate existing pavement thickness and the desire to reduce the cost of conventional ‘remove and replace’ rehabilitation treatments (Young, 2020).

Solutions incorporating basegrade stabilisation at PMHC have evolved over time through trial and error due to a lack of published guidance on mix design procedures. It has been at the discretion of council engineers combined with the experience of the stabilisation contractor who eventually arrived at a standard mix design of 5% 60/40 slag/lime.

An example of some initial projects trialled by Port Macquarie Hastings Council using basegrade stabilisation were taken from their 2017/18 capital works program. Ten urban sites in the town of Wauchope located approximately 20km west of Port Macquarie were identified as candidates for basegrade stabilisation and subsequently rehabilitated using that method.

The locations of these sites are illustrated in Figure 5 (see below).

Each site was insitu stabilised to a depth of 350mm. The target UCS for each project was 1.5MPa after 7 days accelerated curing.

CASE STUDY 2: Redland City Council (QLD, Australia) The municipality of Redland City is located on the coastline directly below Brisbane City in south east QLD. In 2020, three adjoining existing roads in Cleveland’s Raby Bay harbour precinct (~10,000m2) were identified for a standard thin asphalt mill and resheet treatment. When this did not work due to the soft subgrade beneath the thin pavement, Council decided to seek advice from Stabilised Pavements of Australia (SPA) and their engineering design consultancy (SP Design) to devise an economical solution.

After extensive geotechnical investigations (13 test pits) and laboratory testing were undertaken, a basegrade

TECHNICAL

Figure 5. Basegrade Sites in Wauchope from 2017/18 Capital Works Program, NSW (Young, 2020)

Figure 6. Basegrade Stabilisation Candidate Sites in Raby Bay

stabilisation solution was recommended to Council. The three roads were split into two separate design sections based on the condition of the subgrade, as illustrated below.

The base was a reasonably well graded Gravel (GP) while the subgrade was predominantly a Sandy Clay (CH) or Clay (CH). The

gravel was only 165mm thick on average throughout the site. The subgrade material had soaked CBR’s ranging from 1.0% to 8% with swell characteristics as high as 11.0%, signifying a very highly expansive behaviour. The subgrade was also as high as 32% wetter than OMC which was indicative of the high water table

given the reclaimed land and harbour side location.

Representative samples of the base gravel and subgrade were blended in the laboratory in proportions where the subgrade represented 15% and 40% for Sections 1 and 2 respectively.

By following the Basegrade Stabilisation mix design

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47

TECHNICAL procedure, trial mix designs were performed using 60/40 slag/lime.

Trial application rates varied for each site. UCS results are shown below.

Figure 7. Basegrade Stabilisation Section 1 (green) & 2 (orange).

Figure 8. Trial Mix Design UCS Results

The mix designs adopted based on 1-2MPa target strengths were 2.0% 60/40 slag/lime and 5% 60/40 slag/lime for sections 1 and 2 respectively. Subsequently, the final designs implemented at Raby Bay for both sections are detailed below.

1970s, although it has never been categorically defined until 50 years later (Young, 2020). Further, published mix design procedures normally applied for basecourse or subgrade stabilisation are not suitable for basegrade stabilisation due to the distinct variances in material properties being assessed for treatment.

The mix design procedure for basegrade stabilisation developed in the 2020 research program provides a sound basis for use in local government.

Figure 9. Basegrade Stabilisation Designs

Images of Bollard Court in Raby Bay illustrate below the condition of the site during and after basegrade stabilisation.

SUMMARY Local Government’s use of pavement recycling in Australia through insitu stabilisation commenced in the 1950s after WWII. Basegrade stabilisation as a specific road rehabilitation technique comprising a blend of existing granular materials and subgrade materials has been applied on Australian local government roads since the

48

One of the most encouraging trends from the research results which underpins the strong potential for success in using the mix design procedure, was the relatively small change in UCS with variations in the basegrade materials. This concept can be reflected in field conditions, usually under two situations. The first is when changes in material type occur within a project site (e.g. from a clay to a silt). The second situation to present variations in basegrade material properties is when the proportion of subgrade changes in the field. This is relatively common where the thickness of existing pavement gravels varies along the length of a site.

The Port Macquarie Hastings Council case study demonstrates the historical use of basegrade

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

stabilisation, albeit with a trial and error approach to optimise the mix design. Subsequent to the release of the new basegrade stabilisation mix design procedure, Redland City Council were able to leverage off this technology and benefit from a solution that utilised the existing thin gravel and the poor quality subgrade clays to produce a lightly bound pavement base fit for a 20-year design period.

REFERENCES Young, S. (2020). Development of a Mix Design Procedure for Basegrade Stabilisation.

Masters Thesis. Centre for Pavement Engineering Education.

[Online] http:// stabilisedpavements.com.au/ innovation

TECHNICAL

Figure 10. Bollard Court, Raby Bay (during construction).

Figure 11. Bollard Court, Raby Bay (post construction).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Scott Young is the National Technical Manager for Stabilised Pavements of Australia (SPA) and also holds the position of Managing Director for the group’s Malaysian business, Stabilised Pavements Malaysia (SPM).

Scott is a Registered Professional Civil Engineer with Honours and holds a Masters’ degree in Pavement Technology.

Scott is a member of Professionals Australia, REAM, BPEQ and the Australian Chapter of the REAAA. He is a current technical committee member with the REAAA and is the Chairman of AustStab’s Technical Working Group. He has been heavily involved in the stabilisation industry for 20 years and during that time held positions of Director, Vice President and President in Australia’s national association AustStab.

His experience covers civil and geotechnical engineering, predominantly in pavements with areas of responsibility including asset management, structural design, performance specified maintenance contracts, asphalt production and laying, spray sealing, pavement rejuvenation and pavement recycling.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

49

TECHNICAL

ISOLATION OF A CRITICAL ASSET IN THE WATER SUPPLY NETWORK

Craig Rieck Fraser Coast Regional Council

How do you take the largest water reservoir in your network offline for a period of three months for re-lining? The short answer is you bypass it. The reality (or the long answer) is that is takes 12 months of planning, trials and teamwork to ensure water security.

The Urraween Reservoir at 33 ML is the largest potable water storage in the Hervey Bay water supply network and is the main buffer storage for the majority of Hervey Bay suburbs. The reservoir is also the lowest in the network and has a pump station to boost the flow to the final gravity supply reservoirs before the reticulation network. The configuration of the reservoir site pipework has all flow entering the reservoir before being able to be pumped.

Isolation of the reservoir would eliminate the existing pump station and limit flow to gravity, which was deemed to provide insufficient security of supply.

The reservoir is an earth-based dam style reservoir with a HDPE floor liner and geomembrane floating cover. The floating cover on the reservoir had reached the end of its useful life (22 yrs) and required replacement. To

50

Figure One – Photo of Urraween Reservoir (prior to refurbishment).

achieve this the reservoir had to be removed from service for a period of 3 months while the liner and cover material were removed and replaced.

The complexity was that, since it was 22 years since the last time this asset had been taken offline, there was no documented process to ensure water supply security.

This paper covers the process that Fraser Coast Regional Council went through to ensure the security of water supply during the period the reservoir was offline for refurbishment.

The Urraween reservoir is a critical asset in the potable water supply network for the Hervey Bay town site. The reservoir is the largest in the network and provides the following functions: • Acts as buffer storage for peak consumption demands and as contingency in the event of a trunk main or treatment plant failure. The reservoir provides sufficient storage for approximately 2 days in summer and up to 5 days in winter

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

• Provides a secondary supply to the two adjacent hospitals in the event of a failure in the reticulation network. Back supply is via a dedicated emergency pump station located on the reservoir site • Maintains water quality via the dosing and monitoring of chlorine, as it is the only chlorine dosing station between the treatment plant and the customers • Delivers boosted pumping of water to the reservoirs that supply customers via gravity, complicated by the fact that all water must flow through the reservoir to get to the pumps • Bypass of the reservoir was via gravity only, with no pipework in place to allow pumping The reservoir was constructed in 1990 from an ex-quarry site with part fill embankment and part excavation construction. At 138m long, 67m wide and 6.3m deep it holds a total of 33ML of potable water. It is a membrane lined earth reservoir made up of a floor liner from High Density

TECHNICAL

Figure Two – Photos of deteriorating condition of the floating cover.

Polyethylene (HDPE) and a floating membrane originally from polypropylene to form a storage bladder.

The floating cover was replaced in 1998 due to an early life failure while the floor liner was original from 1990. In order to ensure the quality of the water was maintained, having a sealed containment is of the utmost importance. After 22 years of service, the condition of the floating cover had started to deteriorate with several external patches already applied due to mechanical damage from rubbing of internal components used for rainwater drainage system. The regular internal dive inspection had highlighted that the cover was rapidly approaching the end of its useful life.

The declining condition of the floating cover had significantly increased the risk of water contamination and therefore required urgent replacement.

Bladder material replacement would require the reservoir to be taken offline.

A tender package was developed and released for the replacement of the floor liner and floating cover with the contract awarded to a membrane specialist contractor whose proposed construction program would require the reservoir to be offline for a minimum period of 3 months. The contractor was to have no responsibility for

isolation, draining, and filling with Wide Bay Water to be responsible for these functions.

The reservoir was last taken offline some 22 years ago with no documented procedures for ensuring water supply during periods of isolation, which was going to be a challenge. There were members of the Operations team that had been around since last isolation; but their recollection was that the reservoir was simply turned off due to a much smaller demand for water back then.

Isolation of the reservoir from a personal safety risk perspective was easy with valving already in-place to physically separate water from the reservoir internals but now that the reservoir was integral to the Hervey Bay supply network a detailed ‘security of supply plan’ was required.

• Network Operations & Maintenance (internal) • QLD Health (external) – adjacent hospitals that relied on the reservoir as an emergency supply The process for developing a security of supply plan commenced with gaining a common understanding across all stakeholders of how the reservoir fitted into the supply network. Council currently uses a GIS mapping tool (Intramaps - infrastructure) to record the location and asset data for each of the individual components in the water network. However, using this as our primary tool communication/planning tool had the following issues: • System doesn’t record the configuration (open or closed) status of the valving in the network

The challenge was set; how to isolate the most critical reservoir in the network for a period of 3 months when it had not been done in recent history.

The solution was in utilising the experience across all of our teams via a bit of old-fashioned teamwork to develop a plan that provided acceptable risk of supply.

• Not a good visual tool for use in meetings as its resolution is poor at increased levels of zoom

The reality was 12 months of collaboration between the following stakeholders:

However, what Wide Bay Water did have across the teams were some very experienced individuals that had an immense knowledge of the network and its resilience to change. A

• Planning Department (internal) • Process Operations (internal)

• Filtering of pipes based on size and not function (not easy to select trunk versus retic) • Designed to be used on screen and not as a paper tool during discussions in the field.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

51

TECHNICAL

Figure Three – Screen Shot Showing the Reservoirs from GIS software.

Figure Four – Network Schematic example.

simple visual tool was needed that could be stuck up on the wall during a meeting or taken out into the field for recording of configuration changes. This network schematic would then become the tool that was used to discuss alternatives, develop proposals for trials and record changes.

A network schematic (initially only from the treatment plant to the supply to customers) was developed as follows:

52

• Hand sketched the network using the current GIS software • External drafting in AutoCAD to form a schematic • Reviewed and amended by the operational teams • Configuration ‘for existing’ network recorded Following the development of the network schematic, it was then time to understand consumption for the shutdown period to allow for assessment of

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

the system resilience in dealing with changes to the network for the supply of water. The intent was to undertake the work during the winter period when consumption was at its lowest thereby reducing the load (and risk) on the network.

Consumption data collected from the Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition System (SCADA) and water treatment plant production records was used to undertake modelling on alternative network configurations.

This initial data collection and modelling phase identified two main options for further review: • Gravity bypass • Easy to implement but contained risk around hourly peak consumption demands • Pumped bypass • Meet all demand requirements but would require further delays to project commencement

TECHNICAL

Figure Five – Photos of the installed bypass.

On detailed analysis of the gravity option, it was realised that the occurrence of peak flows during the morning and after peaks daily peaks could potentially cause supply interruptions and was abandoned in favour of a pumped bypass option.

consider the use of the existing pump station at Urraween versus alternative portable pump bypass options. The major factors for consideration in determining the best solution were as follows:

Now that the pumped bypass option had been selected further options analysis was required to

• Ability to deal with the high delivery pressures in the trunk main (>450kPa)

• Provide peak flows in the order of 450L/s

• Availability of power and connection to the existing control system • Reliability and security of equipment to provide continuous supply Analysis of possible options using the considerations above resulted in the selection of the existing pump station as the best solution and would require the design,

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

53

TECHNICAL

Figure Six – Reservoir Following Relining.

procurement and installation of temporary bypass pipework.

This bypass pipework would take water direct from the incoming trunk main and route it to the suction side of the pumps to allow for the boosted supply.

Now that a pathway forward had been selected it was time to commence consultation with the primary stakeholders internally (networks and process operations) and externally with QLD Health to ensure all supply risks had been mitigated. Due to the reservoir providing an emergency back-up supply to the hospitals of Hervey Bay, lots of consultation was undertaken with QLD Health to develop alternatives in the event of a failure of the pumped bypass or the normal. Utilising the network schematic tool, we were able to develop a staged contingency plan that would ensure the hospitals would always be supplied with water.

In parallel to the stakeholder consultation process an inhouse design was undertaken for the bypass that resulted in the following major construction steps: • Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) on the off take from the trunk

54

main (to deal with the high head pressures) • Installation of an additional valve in the pump station suction pipe work (to segregate the reservoir open to atmosphere surge pipe) • Installation of a tapping band on the suction manifold (to provide water supply to into the pumps) • Installation of HDPE above ground pipework (divert water prior to the reservoir into the pump station) • Installation of additional chlorine dosing pumps and pipework (to maintain water quality) • Modification to the control system software • Control of additional dosing • Provision for additional selfprotection Since this bypass work would require temporary shutdowns of the reservoir, interim supply plans were needed to prove security of supply. As a starting point the previous consumption modelling work provided an understanding of the potential windows available to undertake the work but would require trialling.

Undertaking a trial would provide the following:

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

• Validation of the shutdown period available at low risk due to being able to revert to reservoir pumping at any time • Familiarisation to networks team of the valving configuration required • Data for the reverse calibration of the modelling software Change control was managed by a set of documents specific to each step change in the network.

The basis for each change management was as follows: • A plan document detailing the risk assessment • Network schematic detailing the specific valving configuration required • Change checklist to record the configuration changes Following the installation work, bypass commissioning commenced including the hydrostatic testing of the pipework, adjustment of the PRV and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) of the control system software. During this process further problems were identified with water hammer in the trunk mains that required further investigation.

Water hammer testing showed

TECHNICAL that the pressure spikes were inherent to the original design of the pump station and were amplified by the bypass but were never identified previously as there was never any pressure monitoring undertaken during the pump station construction.

As a result of this investigation operational risk assessments on the potential and consequence of failures were undertaken with the outcome being that this risk was to be accepted on the basis the risk of floating cover failure was deemed to be higher than trunk main failure.

The next phase was to test the reliability of the control system software by undertaking a 7-day Proof of Performance Test (PoPT) with final acceptance to be based on the following: • System to run in fully automatic without the need for operator intervention • Downstream reservoirs to remain at safe levels • Chlorine residuals to remain with limits and be stable The PoPT was completed successfully and operational approval was given to bypass the reservoir based on the following: • Bypass system provided the same water supply boosting as per the existing

• All stakeholders were kept informed throughout and were accepting of the risk • Gravity contingency plans had been developed and communicated The reservoir could now be emptied, isolated and taken offline to allow the refurbishment works to be carried out. The reservoir was bypassed on 31 July 2020, 54.5 weeks after the process to determine isolation had begun.

Relining commenced shortly after with the reservoir being offline for a total of 3.75 months.

Iain Everiss (Project Engineer) for his commencement of the network schematic Stephen Hinks (Water Treatment Superintendent) - for his guidance and support on risk management of the security of water supply Robbie Muller (Network Coordinator) - for his knowledge and assistance during the development of the network schematic and contingency plans Michael White (Principal Fitter) – for his support with all things mechanical David Gibbs (Infrastructure Electrical Engineer) – for his guidance during control system development and implementation

All of the efforts placed into planning and stakeholder engagement meant that the project was completed successfully with no supply interruptions and only one incident requiring shortterm implementation of a contingency supply plan (due to a mains failure on the inflow to the reservoir) were required throughout the duration of the project.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Acknowledgements The author would like to thank the following people who contributed significantly to making this high risk project a success:

Craig is a Mechanical Engineer who joined the Fraser Coast Regional Council in 2019 as an Infrastructure Delivery Engineer working in the Council’s Wide Bay Water Business Unit. Prior to joining Council, Craig worked as a Specialist Engineer with Rio Tinto in Western Australia delivering Rollingstock capacity expansion projects.

MINI CONFERENCES

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

Wastewater (109 minutes) Topic

Speaker

Dur.

Townsville’s water supply and sewerage demand by land use

Darron Irwin

26 mins

Mareeba Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade: Striking the balance between environmental and financial sustainability

Glenda Kirk

30 mins

Yeppoon Sewage Treatment Plant Augmentation Project

Jessica O’Hare and Eemonn Flynn

24 mins

Geopolymer Concrete - The Future of Wastewater Infrastructure?

Michael Kemp

29 mins

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

55

TECHNICAL

CONTAMINANTS OF EMERGING CONCERN FOR THE URBAN WATER INDUSTRY Dr Louise Reeves Program Research Coordinator qldwater

Water and sewerage services in Queensland are provided by a diverse group of businesses, ranging in scale from tiny remote councils servicing just 100 sewer connections to very large, distributed retailers with up to 60,000 sewer connections. For at least half of Queensland’s Water Service Providers, meeting a level of service that meets health and environmental regulatory requirements is particularly challenging due to the combined factors of a small rates base, a dispersed population, and remote locations. However, these WSPs all work within the same regulatory framework and must manage challenges common to all modern utilities.

The Sewerage and Water Environmental Advisory Panel (SWEAP) is an expert group comprised of representatives from water service providers across Queensland. The panel was originally convened in 2012 to provide a forum for discussion and consultation on environmental matters relating to sewage treatment, arising

56

from legislative changes which concerned multiple service providers. Since then, the group has been meeting regularly to provide advice on environmental management and regulation of treatment plants, sewers, and sewage pump stations, and to foster collaboration on joint submissions to the Queensland Government on policy issues.

One of the issues that has arisen in recent years, partly due to community concerns that have been exacerbated by media attention is that of contaminants of emerging concern (COEC). Water and sewerage service providers are an important gateway between the community and the environment. Wastewater treatment plants accept, manage, and treat water from domestic, industrial, trade waste and landfill sources on its journey to the broader environment.

Many contaminants enter our sewers as the result of normal human activities: preparation and cooking of food; bathing; laundry; managing our health with medications and supplements; exercise and leisure activities… the list goes on. Concern about contamination from legacy and emerging contaminants is high and likely to grow as community and regulator expectations continue to increase in parallel with the ability to detect these trace contaminants.

At the behest of the SWEAP, expressions of interest were sought from members for developing a Consortium of water utilities to participate in national industry research and innovation on COEC. Individually, most councils do not have

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

the resources to maintain membership in national research organisations or to influence the direction of research. It was felt that a cooperative consortium coordinated through qldwater could provide opportunities to direct research in technology and policy at state and national levels on this important topic. As a result, the qldwater Consortium for Research and Advocacy on Contaminants (qCRAC) was established with the initial aims to: • Jointly address political drivers and Regulator and public reaction to media concerns on COEC. • Avoid duplication, information collection.

• Influence research and advocacy at state, national and international scales.

• Create new resources for members.

The costs to Queensland WSPs of dealing with contaminant issues will inevitably increase but can be mitigated through joint action and collaboration in national and international initiatives for research, policy and advocacy. The strategic objectives of the Consortium are outlined here, summarised using the mnemonic SAFETI for emerging contaminants.

S

is for Source Control.

Delineate source vs treatment issues in sewage Recognise need for controls on emerging contaminants from residences as well as industry National policy to reduce contaminant inputs (e.g. why remove PFAS at the STP)

TECHNICAL WWTPs are the end of the line for a lot of contaminants that are disposed or flushed from industry, trade waste and domestic sewage.

Domestic sources are the most significant input of some classes of contaminants such as the pharmaceuticals and personal care products which include medications and their metabolites, fragrances and antimicrobial agents to name a few.

Domestic wastewater is also a prominent source of microfibres from clothing and PFAS from food packaging, clothing and consumer goods. None of these compounds should be discharged to the environment but are both technically difficult and expensive to remove by treatment processes. However, Australian legislation as yet does not recognise the role of manufacturers and importers of these products in contributing to pollution of our wastewater.

A

is for Assessment.

Developing methodology and limits for new contaminants (e.g. PFAS in biosolids) Tracking, surveys and online sensors Assessing contaminant levels in the environment At the moment, there is not much information available for many emerging contaminants within the Queensland context. Using PFAS as an example, there are numerous international studies that have examined environmental PFAS contamination in the USA and Europe, but Australia is different, because PFAS has never been manufactured here. Determining the extent and level of COEC presence in the Queensland environment must be a priority to encourage appropriate regulation. The first step is to have standardised reliable and reproducible analytical methods for measurement of COEC in matrices from wastewater to fresh and marine waters, biosolids and soils. For some contaminants like microplastics analysis is a real

challenge because of the diversity of materials, particle sizes and shapes which mean that no single analytical technique can provide the answer.

F

is for Fate & Risks.

Understanding fate and risks of emerging contaminants compared with other substances Better mechanisms for understanding pathways and accumulation The risk posed by many individual COEC to ecosystems is not completely understood. Media attention (and consequently, regulation) is directed to highprofile COEC, but without consideration of the actual risk to the environment and human health. Risk is conventionally categorised using tools such as the PBT paradigm which use the Persistence, Bioaccumulation and Toxicity of a pollutant (sometimes with the addition of Mobility) in combination to determine the relative risk of a pollutant to the ecosystem. To that we would add Distribution. A pollutant that is found everywhere because it is present in many consumer products may potentially pose a greater risk than a more toxic but rarely used compound.

E

is for Education & Communications.

Review, collate and circulate information on new contaminants Share consistent information across the sector Tools for communication with customers and communities Having access to accurate information about emerging contaminants, their distribution and the level of risk that they pose to human and ecosystem health is very important for organisations such as water service providers. Shared information helps to provide a consistent message across the industry and can be used to manage the concerns of all industry stakeholders, from

customers and workers to NGOs and regulators.

T

is for Treatment.

Novel mechanisms for removing contaminants Understanding efficacy of various existing treatment technologies Advancements in treatment technologies promise opportunities for improving the potential to remove contaminants from treated water before it enters the environment. However, technologies are not always able to remove all contaminants, despite being almost universally energy and resource expensive.

The development of novel treatments or technologies that can augment existing treatment processes has the potential to reduce the costs and therefore accessibility of contaminant removal to WSPs leading to improved environmental outcomes.

I

is for Influence.

National and International influence on policy and decision-making Taking lead on environmental stewardship rather than a reactive approach Building networks with state and national agencies to share information/experience The water sector needs to take a strong position to influence policy at the national and state level to ensure that policy is appropriate, proportionate and practicable.

We can do this by forging linkages with government and industry stakeholders and research institutions that are already influential in COEC policy. Through the work of the Consortium we hope to inspire the industry to be leaders in environmental stewardship.

For further information, contact Dr Louise Reeves, Program Research Coordinator lreeves@qldwater.com.au

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SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT OUTCOMES FOR THE SUNSHINE COAST COMMUNITY – A RISK BASED APPROACH Sunshine Coast Council manages over 2500 km of sealed roads and over 500 km of unsealed roads.

With an ever-increasing demand on the local transport network, it has become critical to core business operations to identify innovative ways of delivering value for the Sunshine Coast community.

This article explores one example of an innovative approach that is being taken by Sunshine Coast Council’s capital program delivery team in order to maximise value in relation to Council’s road network management and most importantly, minimise the impact on the natural environment to ensure the natural resources we enjoy now are there for generations to come.

• Tony Gallagher (HIG) Consultant • Rod Leach (HIG) - Consultant

Victor Mantilla Victor is a Civil Engineer with varied experience in road design, bulk earthworks construction, stormwater management and design for mine sites and railway corridor design. Victor has worked with Sunshine Coast Council since 2015 and has been working as a Design Engineer and is now Coordinator of the Engineering Design Services unit. Victor’s experience prior to joining Council involved working for major consultancies with a focus on EPCM of major projects.

Lead Authors: • Victor Mantilla – Coordinator Engineering Design Services; and • Paul Rickert – Transport Capital Works Manager Co-Contributors: • Donald Pitt – Manager Transport Infrastructure Management • Karl Sinnamon – Design Engineer

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Paul Rickert Paul holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) and has worked with Sunshine Coast Council since 2009 (11.5 years). During this time Paul

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has been fortunate to have worked across a variety of roles including project delivery, asset management, capital works planning, PMO Coordinator as well as his current role of Transport Capital Works Manager. Prior to joining Council, Paul worked in the private construction sector for multiple Tier 1 contractors on medium to large scale ($100M+) construction projects.

Paul also holds a Diploma in Sustainability and has a keen interest in ensuring the outcomes of Council’s Transport Capital Program are sustainable and deliver value for the community.

Karl Sinnamon Karl is a Design Engineer who has been with the Sunshine Coast Council since 2007 (14 years) within the Engineering Design Services unit. Prior to finishing his Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and obtaining the position of Design Engineer, Karl was a Civil Designer.

Karl’s experience includes managing and designing major corridor upgrades, urban road upgrades, intersection upgrades, stormwater upgrades, separated cycleways and streetscapes.

TECHNICAL

Tony Gallagher Tony Gallagher is the Design Manager for Harrison Infrastructure Group, overseeing design teams in Toowoomba, Brisbane, Bundaberg and Rockhampton. Tony is a civil engineer with over 38 years of design experience. Prior to the establishment of Harrison Infrastructure Group, Tony was the Managing Director for Highland Infrastructure Group.

He spent 27 years with the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) in both the Roma and Toowoomba districts and in his previous position as Principal Advisor (Design) he was responsible for the management of the design office. Tony was also the Technical Director and founder of the Road Design Training Centre for DTMR in Toowoomba.

Rod Leach Rod is Senior Project Manager who has been with Harrison Infrastructure Group (HIG) since 2009 (12 years) and formally with Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) for 37 years in the Planning and Design area.

Rod has worked as Design Office Manager in both HIG and DTMR. Rod is a Senior Registered Road Safety Auditor and has recently presented training sessions in the Lower Order Roads Design Guidelines through IPWEAQ. He has worked with several councils assessing and developing design philosophies to allow upgrading of sub-standard roads.

Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Steep terrain of Brandenburg Road.

Sunshine Coast Council’s Vision: Australia’s most sustainable region. Healthy.

Smart. Creative To support Sunshine Coast Council’s vision, the Transport Capital Program Management team maintain a focus on road user safety, delivering value for money and sustainable transport infrastructure outcomes for the Sunshine Coast community.

A common challenge for all local government program managers and designers is being able to develop engineering solutions to transport problems that deliver ongoing benefits and a fit for purpose outcome for the community while keeping cost, environmental and social impacts to an absolute minimum.

For the Sunshine Coast Council, the roadside environment is particularly challenging in rural and hinterland areas where the terrain is steep and traffic volumes are often relatively low in comparison to the urban transport network.

One project the Sunshine Coast Council is currently working on that has presented a variety of challenges to the design team due to steep terrain and limited road widths is the Brandenburg Road gravel road sealing project.

Brandenburg Road is located in the hinterland region of the Sunshine Coast and is part of an important link for the community between Mooloolah Valley Township and Landsborough Maleny Road. As this section of the road network runs east / west up the local escarpment it is quite steep for much of the 4.8km and has severe drop offs for much of the length as well.

During the initiation phase of this project, it was recognised that the application of engineering design standards typically applied for sealing of Council’s gravel road network based on initial concepts would result in a project cost that would run in excess of $10M. This is many times the available budget for the project.

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TECHNICAL

Existing speed humps.

Existing cattle grids.

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TECHNICAL The Transport Capital Management team and Engineering Design Services team had been in dialogue about fit for purpose designs with a particular consideration of a sitespecific risk-based approach and the development of an internal guideline was considered.

However, the consensus of the group for the starting point for this journey was to supplement the recently developed Lower Order Roads Design Guide (LORDG) developed in 2016 and published by IPWEAQ.

Sealed narrow section.

As Harrison Infrastructure Group (HIG) played a lead role in the development of the LORDG, Council engaged HIG to work with them to develop a fit for purpose solution.

Council’s Transport Capital Program team includes: • Don Pitt – Branch Manager, Transport Infrastructure Management • Paul Rickert - Transport Capital Works Manager

Gravel narrow section.

• Victor Mantilla - Coordinator Engineering Design Services and • Karl Sinnamon - Design Engineer Harrison Infrastructure Group (HIG) consultants include: • Tony Gallagher – Design Manager/Executive Civil Engineer • Rod Leach – Senior Project Manager

Gravel narrow winding section with blind corners.

Gravel narrow winding section with steep drop offs.

Case Study Details Brandenburg Road links Mooloolah Valley Township and Landsborough Maleny Road and does not have a consistent arrangement with gravel sections and some upgraded sealed sections address landslips and safety concerns. Rural residential properties access the site, some housing cattle that at times can be seen crossing the road.

The vehicular traffic is 201 AADT with 1.4%HV. The intent for the road has been to maintain the current function by not increasing vehicular traffic

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TECHNICAL or operating speeds, while conducting the upgrades to increase safety and reduce dust nuisance to local residents.

Upon review of the road link operation, consideration of the community’s expectations and initial concepts to continue the upgrades of sections along Brandenburg Road it was evident that any upgrade to the current guidelines and consistent with previous upgrades of the road would incur significant costs, amenity impacts due to significant tree removal and, if continued for the entire link, potentially undesirable consequences for the intent of the road link, potentially making it a more attractive route for vehicles travelling to Maleny. This would in fact be contrary to the Divisional Councillor’s view and community’s desire.

Council’s Engineering Design Services encouraged a review of the design philosophy that would consider the current operating condition of the road.

This was based on the driver behaviour observed in relation to the existing features of the road which included drainage structures that acted more like traffic calming devices and slow points in the form of cattle grids. Donald Pitt (Transport Infrastructure Manager), Paul Rickert (Manager Transport Capital Management) and Victor Mantilla (Coordinator Engineering Design Services) had already been in discussions about potentially developing a guideline for roads with slow operating speeds and low traffic volumes. However, given the recent experiences on other projects with the application of the LORDG published by IPWEAQ and facilitated by HIG it was considered that its use could be extended to this scenario provided a risk-based approach was adopted. The concept was to use the existing constraints that reduce the speed environment and evaluate extending their use as part of the upgrades.

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It was then decided to engage HIG to re-evaluate the design philosophy of the road given Council’s vision for the link and how the operation of the road justified the review for a fit for purpose approach. Key tasks would be to independently evaluate the operation of the road, assess the opportunities to implement the principles from the LORDG and develop a risk-based design philosophy highlighting priority sections for upgrade along the road link.

Tony Gallagher (HIG - Design Manager/Executive Civil Engineer) and Rod Leach (HIG - Senior Project Manager) were the key HIG representatives that developed the design philosophy for the link with input from Donald Pitt, Paul Rickert, Karl Sinnamon (Design Engineer) & Victor Mantilla. The design philosophy provided a design speed to be supported with the inclusion of further traffic calming and indicated the sensitivities for sightlines that would dictate the roadway width requirements that would vary from single lane for good visibility sections to a two-lane carriageway for sections with substandard sightlines. Given the low-speed environment developed as a result, this would reduce the geometric requirements of the road and the treatment of roadside hazards would be able to be reassessed by retaining mature trees to maintain delineation of drop offs and provide a narrowing effect to maintain the slow speed environment.

The Divisional Councillor and local community have since been updated about the new intent and all parties have been supportive of the new intent to keep a low-speed road. The prioritisation of sections was conducted by HIG to guide the sequence of upgrades within limitations of available funding to inform priorities and avoid developing residual safety issues between upgrades. The development of the designs have proceeded (for high priority

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sections) and construction will be planned in accordance to the prioritisation of Council’s Transport Capex program. This process has now started to be followed on other roads and the intent is to share this approach to further the LORDG, be it in the form of a supplement or a practice note.

Conclusion The result of taking a pragmatic approach to the development of a design solution for Brandenburg Road: 1. Reduced cost to the community 2. Reduced ongoing lifecycle costs 3. Reduced environmental impact 4. Community members and the Divisional Councillor supportive of the proposed outcomes Environmental impacts kept to a minimum include: • Tree clearing minimised • Ongoing dust issues reduced Community impacts minimised include: • Land impacts and land acquisitions minimised • Amenity of the existing corridor retained.

The design process that was undertaken for the Brandenburg Road project has opened up discussion on the approach being taken on other rural road sealing projects in Council’s program.

The learnings from the practical risk-based approach taken in consultation with Harrison Infrastructure Group (HIG) are proposed to be taken forward for consideration during the consultation phase for the next revision of the IPWEAQ Lower Order Roads Design Guideline (LORDG).

TECHNICAL

MICROSURFACING AND CAPE SEALS IN THE DARLING DOWNS DISTRICT

Bernie-Anne Freeman Department of Transport and Main Roads

Recently the Department of Transport and Main Roads Darling Downs District (DTMR) have undertaken alternative prior works and sealing treatments to provide value for money and sustainable outcomes on the Department’s road network.

Microsurfacing has been utilised as a rutting filling, shape correcting and roughness improvement treatment prior to resealing works, as well as a full width surfacing treatment.

Also, as an alternative surfacing treatment, DTMR has also completed some cape seals.

A cape seal is a Single/Single seal (usually using a 14mm or larger aggregate) followed by a microsurfacing layer. This treatment has benefits when restricted by height in an urban overlay situation due to its thickness. As a non-structural surfacing alternative to asphalt, microsurfacing provides adequate surface texture for all speed environments, at a reduced depth, resulting in less material required.

Rutting and roughness are two defects commonly found on the Department’s road network. Rutting is a longitudinal depression on the pavement

Fresh microsurfacing placed.

surface usually in the wheel path.

Roughness is irregularities from the intended longitudinal profile of the road surface (Austroads 2018a). Roughness can be considered in two categories: low amplitude, high frequency roughness (‘chattery’) or high amplitude, low frequency roughness (characteristic of black soils).

Aside from rutting and roughness being measured road characteristics reportable for asset review, addressing rutting defects is in the interest of road authorities from a safety and asset preservation perspective.

Water ponding on the road surface has the potential to result in aquaplaning, causing a safety issue. Water ponding in wheel paths is subject to repetitive pressure from tyres, which may cause cracks to form, allowing further water ingress into the pavement leading to deterioration. Addressing road roughness is of interest, due to its relationship to crash rates, road user ride experience and vehicle travel costs and wear.

Microsurfacing and Cape Seals An alternative treatment to address these pavement defects of rutting and roughness is microsurfacing. Microsurfacing is bituminous slurry surfacing containing poly modified emulsion binder, aggregate, GP cement, additives and water (Austroads 2018b). As of February 2021, Australia has three known microsurfacing specialist contractors: Colas, Downer and Fulton Hogan. Microsurfacing is placed using a specialist Microsurfacing paving unit and can be placed in multiple layers. DTMR currently has 3mm, 5mm, 7mm and 10mm microsurfacing mixes listed in its specification, MRTS13 Bituminous Slurry Surfacing (Department of Transport and Main Roads 2018). Microsurfacing differs from slurry seals, as microsurfacing uses polymer modified emulsion bitumen, larger aggregates and is placed in layers, to ensure suitability for heavier trafficked applications.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads Darling Downs

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TECHNICAL District has used microsurfacing primarily as a rut filling, shape deformation filling or roughness treatment. DTMR Darling Downs have also used microsurfacing and cape seals as a full width surfacing treatment.

A cape seal is the application of a Single/Single seal, followed by a microsurfacing layer. Usually a larger aggregate is used, for example a 14mm or 20mm (Austroads 2019). This process was named after its location where it was first implemented in the Cape Province of South Africa.

Case Studies: Microsurfacing as shape and roughness correction

Microsurfacing being placed in the Darling Downs District.

The following case studies are included to investigate the scenarios in which microsurfacing has been used within the DTMR Darling Downs as a shape and roughness correction treatment.

Microsurfacing Case Study #1 Moonie Highway Located on the Moonie Highway 60km west of Dalby, this 13km section of road has an Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of 628 vpd, including 31% heavy vehicles. In this section, continuous rutting and depressions were evident in the outer wheel path approximately 20-35mm in depth, with limited other pavement defects in the locality. Roughness was recorded at an average of 120 counts/km using the NAASRA (National Association of Australia State Road Authorities) roughness meter counts.

In April 2019, a 7mm mix microsurfacing treatment was placed in two layers to restore pavement shape and minimise roughness. The eastbound direction initially averaged roughness of 124 counts/km versus a post-microsurfacing average of 89 counts/km. The treatment resulted in a 28.2% improvement in the average measured roughness. For context, a 50 count/km is the Austroads standard for new roads signposted at 100km/hr

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Rutting on the Moonie Highway treated with microsurfacing.

Microsurfacing being placed on the Moonie Highway.

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TECHNICAL (Austroads 2018a). A full width reseal was completed over this section in March/April 2021.

One isolated failure was observed in this section shortly after placement, which exhibited a crescent-moon shaped failure which was deemed an adherence issue with the first layer of microsurfacing.

Microsurfacing Case Study #2 – Surat Development Rd Two sections of Surat Development Road received microsurfacing treatment, which has an AADT of 265 vpd, including 24.9% heavy vehicles.

This lower volume road exhibited fairly sound pavement, with predominately outer wheel path rutting. Roughness averaged through this section at 105 counts/km.

An infrequent failure mechanism experienced is this adherence issue occurring shortly after placement.

Microsurfacing, using three layers of 7mm mix, was completed in June 2019, with a combination of full width and outer wheel path treatment. Here roughness was initially an average roughness of 105 counts/km, which after microsurfacing, reduced to an average of 79 counts/km resulting in a 24% reduction in roughness). A full width reseal was completed over this section in April 2021.

Microsurfacing Case Study #3 Gore Highway This 1 km section of the Gore Highway has an AADT of 1,450 vpd, including 43.35% heavy vehicles. The pavement through this section was consistently exhibiting rutting, cracking, undulation and pumping of fines. Investigations showed that this has a shallow white rock pavement, with no opportunity to overlay due to flood heights.

Rutting was approximately 40mm in depth and roughness averaged 133 count/km, with a maximum roughness of 190 count/km. While these defects were significant, microsurfacing was completed with a 3-layer treatment, including 2 narrower layers followed by a 3.6m full width layer. This section was then resealed 9 months later with a

Shape restored by microsurfacing treatment placed on the Surat Development Road.

Final finish after three-layer treatment of microsurfacing on the Surat Development Road.

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TECHNICAL robust geotextile seal to address any crack migration. Roughness was reduced consistently through the treated section to 86 counts/km after microsurfacing.

This is a 35% improvement in average roughness.

Case Studies: Microsurfacing and Cape Seals as surfacing treatment The following case studies are included to investigate the scenarios in which microsurfacing and cape seals have been used as a surfacing treatment.

Cape Seal Case Study Cunningham Highway Warwick This urban environment in the rural town of Warwick on the Cunningham Highway has AADT of 4,597 vpd including 21.8% heavy vehicles. This section needed a suitable resurfacing treatment, as the current surfacing was at the end of its life (17 years old). A cape seal was chosen after some investigation, as a reseal was no longer suitable for this urban environment. The location has a history of noise concerns and asphalt surfacing was not affordable. There is also the issue of joining into driveways, services and kerbs in an overlay scenario. A cape seal was a new treatment for the Darling Downs District. The 2.5km section was resurfaced with a cape seal in March 2020, with a 14mm S45R seal (crumb rubber binder) followed by a 7mm microsurfacing layer placed the same day.

Microsurfacing (surfacing treatment) Case Study Warrego Highway Sections on the Warrego Highway between Dalby and Chinchilla have an AADT of 3,195 vpd, including 33.76% heavy vehicles. Here a freshly stripped seal was under speed reduction and needed intervention during winter. Due to widening works and the stripping seal, the surface texture presented exhibited varying textures, resulting in a more challenging seal design to

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Defects on the Gore Highway prior to microsurfacing treatment.

Measured roughness before and after microsurfacing treatment on the Gore Highway.

be undertaken in cold weather.

Microsurfacing was considered a lower risk alternative to a reseal and was undertaken with a single layer.

Learnings Observations in the summer following placement on both surfacing case studies has shown migration of binder through the microsurfacing to the surface, resulting in the occasional flushed wheel path appearance. Learnings from these experiences include reducing the initial binder spray rate and selecting a binder with a higher softening point to reduce the risk of migration in a cape

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seal application. These learnings will be incorporated in future surfacing treatments.

Overall, there have been several general learnings from microsurfacing and cape seal projects undertaken in Darling Downs District.

• Due to the nature of microsurfacing operations, this treatment provides best value for money in long continuous sections, for example full lane width for the length of a traffic setup.

• Surface texture appears suitable for all traffic environments (approximate average of 1mm

TECHNICAL

Cape seal being undertaken on the Cunningham Highway.

of texture measured), which is achieved by a hessian drag as a part of the microsurfacing operation. The surface texture is affected when a single layer is placed too thick, causing larger particles to settle and finer material to makeup the surface material. To mitigate this issue, multiple passes are recommended when rut depth increases. Multiple passes will also improve the reinstatement of crossfall.

includes the start of the run to be taped and end protected by plastic taped down. This allows for any excess material to be removed at the end of the run.

• Microsurfacing is best used over stable pavement where cracking is limited. If completed over cracked pavements, this has the potential to reflect through the microsurfacing layer over time, especially if cracks are mobile.

• Microsurfacing treatments are limited in width by standard box sizes attached to the microsurfacing paver.

Dependant on the machine utilised, width options that Darling Downs District have utilised include half box widths 1.5m and 1.8m, or full box width 3.2m and 3.6m.

Acknowledgements

• Microsurfacing works require sizeable stockpiles for aggregates, as productivity observed has reached 300400m3/day.

• Austroads. (2018b). Guidelines and Specifications for Microsurfacing, 1.1 Edition.

Sydney: Austroads Ltd

• To ensure a neat finished product, field application

Department of Transport and Main Roads Darling Downs District Delivery Team References • Austroads. (2019). Guide to Pavement Technology Part 4K, 1.3 Edition. Sydney: Austroads Ltd

• Austroads. (2018a). Guide to Asset Management – Technical Information, Part 15: Technical

Supplements, 3rd Edition.

Sydney: Austroads Ltd • Department of Transport and Main Roads. (2018) MRTS13 Bituminous Slurry Surfacing, Queensland, The State of Queensland ABOUT THE AUTHOR A Senior Civil Engineer and Project Manager, Bernie-Anne Freeman has developed her technical engineering and leadership skills working on a range of design, construction and maintenance infrastructure projects. She currently enjoys leading the Darling Downs road resurfacings team at the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads where she designs and delivers pavement maintenance, asphalt, microsurfacing and sprayed seal works. Bernie-Anne has been selected for a global leadership program for women in STEM which will take her to Antarctica.

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DEMAND MANAGEMENT The deluge of rain that has fallen over large parts of Queensland over recent weeks will no doubt temporarily shift the focus away from drought in many regions for a little while but we all know it never really goes away.

Other parts of Queensland also missed out on the prolonged rain event and many councils have water restrictions in place as we head into the drier months of the year over autumn and winter.

Over the years, qldwater have produced several research papers, fact sheets and case studies of successful campaigns. Funding through the Queensland Water Regional Alliance Program (QWRAP) also resulted in the development of a range of waterwise tiles designed to be shared on social media.

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Water demand management is defined here as managing the urban demand for water to achieve a balance between economic, social equity and environmental outcomes.

Optimal demand management programs incorporate measures that improve water use efficiency, offer the opportunity to reuse and recycle water and minimise water waste. Effectively managing water demands involves: • Understanding how and where water is used • Understanding council business drivers for demand management • Identifying options applicable to the local situation • Identifying barriers to change • Consideration of the costs and benefits of each option • Development and implementation of a demand management program

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• Reviewing progress and iteratively modifying the program based on customer response.

Community engagement is central to any demand management effort and the case studies in our research revealed some of the tools service providers used to communicate with communities about the value of water efficiency ranging from one-way transfer of information to inform and educate the public and other stakeholders to a broader spectrum of community engagement where relationships are built on shared visions and trust.

Community engagement and stakeholder collaboration – easy to say but harder to do!

According to Dr Cara Beal from Griffith University, collaborating is generally challenging as community members are

TECHNICAL

Figure 1: Historic dam levels for Fairbairn Dam. Source: Sunwater.

Figure 2: Fairbairn Dam level, treated water supplied to all three towns and trigger points for restriction levels.

typically very diverse, but clear communication and trust are the foundations of good engagement.

Reflecting on her research from the RICES (Remote and Isolated Communities Essential Services) project, Dr Beal suggests successful engagement requires around 80% relationship building and 20% supporting material such as technology, monitoring, measuring and awareness.

“Humans like positive feedback to let them know how they are

doing – we used postcards, social media with short, visual messages of encouragement about water conservation actions and behaviours. Where possible, service providers should aim to genuinely co-create any projects and ask the community what reasonable actions would work for them.”

The RICES Project combined smart metering energy and water technology with community-based water demand management strategies like education, feedback,

storytelling, information sharing and encouragement to achieve reductions in the water and energy use in remote and isolated communities.

Dr Beal’s final report for the Remote and Isolated Communities Essential Services Project – Exploring communitybased water management options for remote Australia is available at https://www. griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/ pdf_file/0036/918918/Remotecommunity-water-managementBeal-et-al-2019-Final-Report-1.pdf.

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TECHNICAL using the traffic signs during the Level 3 period compared to the November average,” Nathan said.

“Anecdotal evidence suggests that the community was more aware of the restriction levels due to the signs and the plan will be to continue to use them particularly as a low cost, short term but high impact tool.”

FNQ joins forces on water education

Visibility (and simplicity) is key Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) reported some success with the use of portable electronic traffic signs to advise the communities of Blackwater, Bluff and Emerald of the increase in water restrictions.

According to Nathan Litzow, Water Infrastructure Planning Engineer, CHRC implemented the second highest level of water restrictions for these three towns when the main water storage, Fairbairn Dam, reached a low of 7.39% on 16 December 2020, the worst it has been since the Millennium Drought.

Consumption levels in the CHRC is high against the Queensland state average and other regions but comparable within central/ western QLD, which Nathan puts down to being west of the Great Dividing Range and many residents enjoying having pools, a good garden, and green grass.

Water restrictions were increased to level 3 on 7 December 2020 when the water level in the Fairbairn Dam reached the corresponding trigger points as shown in Figure 2.

“In response, CHRC deployed electronic traffic signs in all three towns,” Nathan said.

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“In the first week the overall demand across the three towns decreased by ~ 13% from 123ML to 107ML. In the second week the overall demand decreased by a further ~18% from 107ML to 88ML, that’s ~28.5% from the demand before level 3 water restrictions.”

“We already observed a downward trend in October after restrictions were increased to Level 2 on 8 October 2020, without the use of traffic signs.

Other factors that could have contributed to decreased demand included some rainfall in Emerald in the weeks commencing 26/10/2020 (50mm), 09/11/2020 (22mm) and 14/12/2020 (10mm), and families may have travelled over the school holidays and Christmas/NY period.”

The region experienced some further rainfall in December and January, leading to a decrease in restrictions back to Level 1 on 15 January 2021.

Overall demand across the three towns the week after decreasing the water restriction to level 1, increased by ~14% from 94ML to 107ML which seems to be trending back towards the peak demand levels of November 2020 in the 100ML-120ML range.

“Overall, we experienced a 32% reduction in usage per day when

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A group of Councils in Far North Queensland have joined forces to produce consistent messaging and shared resources.

The alliance, which includes Tablelands, Cairns, Cook, Cassowary Coast, Mareeba, TSI and Yarrabah, will provide solutions tailored to communities with similar needs and avoid duplication.

The group is receiving assistance from the Water Educators Network (WEN) convened by the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water that meets quarterly to share case studies from across Queensland.

A recent WEN workshop focused on developing a communications plan to flesh out objectives, target audiences, key messages and various tactics to move the audience along the journey from awareness to interest, desire, action and ultimately advocacy.

For more information, please contact Desiré Gralton, Communications Manager DGralton@qldwater.com.au

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

Professional Development Native Title and Cultural Heritage

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Continuing your professional development

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All programs can be customised to meet your specific needs and delivered at your preferred location.

In-House Courses

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Leadership

Contact Professional Development Manager Tammi.Petre@ipweaq.com 07 3632 6807

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www.ipweaq.com

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NORTH QUEENSLAND

MIRANI WATER RECYCLING FACILITY & BOWEN SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT - SHARED SUPERINTENDENCY Dr Nicole Davis (former Mackay Regional Council Chief Operating Officer Water and Waste - now Redland Council) and Troy Pettiford Chief Operating Officer Water from Whitsunday Regional Council were instrumental in the realisation of the Shared Superintendency for Joint contract Management which facilitated significant efficiencies and lessons learned across both councils and projects. This article draws on MRC Business Cases, Greening and Growing Bowen Project Plan, Qld Water Award Submission, Qld Water Regional Alliance Program (QWRAP)Bid Pool Funding Project Finalisation Report and notes from the superintendent.

Multiple efficiencies stem from a shared superintendency across similar projects. Mackay and Whitsunday Regional councils tasked a highly skilled and qualified superintendent to oversee the upgrades to the Bowen Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) and Mirani Water Recycling Facility (WRF) with far-reaching benefits realised in technical and commercial spheres.

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Both projects resulted from community need, and environmental stewardship and regulatory compliance requirements. Lessons learned were transportable and the shared arrangement has augmented and boosted the knowledge transfer between projects and between councils.

Project drivers - Community Need and Environmental Consideration Mackay Regional Council (MRC) and Whitsunday Regional Council (WRC) jointly commissioned the Mirani Water Reclamation Facility Upgrade project and the Bowen Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade project, respectively over the threeyear forward works program from 2018-2019 to 2020-2021 financial years. Key delivery personnel for WRC were Chief Operating Officer for Water, Troy Pettiford and his counterpart at MRC, Dr. Nicole Davis (now GM Infrastructure and Operations at Redland CC) and Jason Devitt, Director of Engineering and Commercial Infrastructure, MRC. Both plants are essential to their regions’ water infrastructure, ensuring the wastewater generated in the townships is safely recycled and put to the community’s beneficial use.

The respective upgrade projects provide security of service as the old plants were reaching their capacity and failures were becoming more frequent. Plant

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Mr Troy Pettiford

Dr Nicole Davis

failures result in damage to the environment and possibly harm to the community.

The population growth in both regions has increased pressure on the aging plants. The community stakeholders are no longer prepared to accept wastewater that is harmful to the environment, in particular the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The Greater Whitsunday regional catchment can significantly

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Bowen Sewage Treatment Plant.

impact the GBR through the discharge of nutrients from Environmentally Relevant Activities such as aging sewage treatment facilities. The timely completion of these modern state of the art treatment facilities meeting the new Reef protection regulations has been critical to preventing potential environmental harm. Therefore, the use of a highly experienced and qualified professional contract superintendent has not only been in the best interest of these councils’ cost-wise but also for the sensitive GBR environment.

The Bowen STP upgrade is the final phase of the Greening and Growing Bowen Program. A range of projects developed by WRC to redirect highly treated effluent to state priority industrial areas, parklands and sporting facilities - effluent which would otherwise be discharged into the ocean, thereby protecting the GBR by reducing nutrients load release.

The significant volume of effluent being discharged into the Great Barrier Reef, while potentially harmful to the Great Barrier Reef’s health, was also going to waste, especially

when considering the number of benefits that could be had from its reuse. The program’s delivery will also conserve surface and ground water allocations for industrial, urban and food production uses (currently being used for irrigation purposes).

The Mirani WRF treats raw sewage from the Mirani and Marian catchments and discharges treated effluent as recycled water for unrestricted irrigation of golf courses, turf farms and sugar cane (often referred to as Class A water) or as effluent during a wet weather event. A high-level stakeholder analysis for the Mirani WRF was undertaken to determine the level of impact and involvement across all stakeholders. Mirani and Marian’s residents were major stakeholders in the upgrade project and a key objective was maintenance of the desired service levels through adequate wastewater treatment capacity and performance whilst the project was delivered. The upgrade projects therefore benefit their communities directly as the water produced is largely reused.

The new sediment and nutrient emission standards developed

as part of the Reef regulations, although postponed to 1 June 2021 (due to COVID-19), will apply to new, expanded or intensified regulated industrial land use activities that release nutrients and sediment. This includes activities such as sewage and water treatment plants and these activities (already regulated under the Environment Protection Act 1994) will be required to meet new discharge standards to ensure no worsening of nutrient or sediment pollutant loads.

The health and protection of the GBR and reduction of nutrients and sediment loading impacting the reef is a key priority for the State Government Environmental agencies - Department of Environment and Heritage Protection and Environmental Protection and Biodiversity conservation. The risk of noncompliance and potential to cause environmental harm were strong project drivers along with potential public health issues (Mirani) with water quality deterioration due to the original plant being over hydraulically overloaded.

Upgrading aging conventional treatment plants for state-

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NORTH QUEENSLAND of-the-art treatment facilities has improved user amenity and boosted tourism (COVID notwithstanding) through a reduction in the volume and pollutant loading of treated effluent entering sensitive coastal waterways. The Bowen STP commitment to reducing the nutrient (phosphorous and nitrogen) loads being discharged will help ensure that the health of the GBR is maintained and the reef itself will continue to be a major economic driver for the Whitsunday region.

In the case of the Mirani WRF, Mackay Water completed extensive planning and optioneering to understand the impact of a capital-intensive approach by reviewing options concerning financial costs (capital investment and annual operational costs, effluent quality, disruption during construction, operability, and maintenance.

The completion of the mulitacriteria assessment resulted in the recommendation for a new Recycled Water Storage (RWS) to be designed and constructed while the master design was for the detailed design and construction of a Liquid Stream Upgrade (LSU). The LSU was designed to be capable of providing adequate treatment for up to three times the average dry weather flow for an increased service population.

An Eye on the Future With the area given a partial drought-declaration, a rarity for tropical coastal regions, the emerging climate change issue has required all coastal regions to maximise their water reuse opportunities at their wastewater treatment plant facilities helping to augment the region’s potable water supplies.

The Bowen STP serves the community of the Bowen and the immediate surrounding area. The township area has a population of 10,377 (ABS, 2016) but has a connected sewer equivalent population (EP) of 8,000 (summer months) and 8,500 (winter periods and crops

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Bowen STP Timeline Infographic.

harvesting months). The existing plant had a capacity of 6,000EP and was constructed in the 1970s. A recent performance and capacity assessment of the STP indicated that it was operating at 142% of its design capacity and was exceeding the limits of the existing license (8000 EP) and required a substantial upgrade. The project’s proposed scope included the construction of a new 8,000 EP rated treatment plant on the existing STP site. The new plant will be a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) plant. It shall operate in parallel with the existing 6,000 EP rated capacity STP to give the treatment facility a total combined capacity of 14,000 EP. It will ultimately expand Bowen’s agriculture, industrial and urban water supplies and reliability, and reduce the reliance and consumption of potable water sources while also providing the capacity at the STP to facilitate future growth. Although the Bowen plant has been built for 14,000 EP, it will initially be set up for 11,000 EP which is closer to the current population.

The Mirani WRF services the Mirani and Marian communities, a combined population of

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5,444 (ABS, 2016). These two communities, in the picturesque Pioneer Valley west of Mackay, are placing increasing pressure on the aging Mirani WRF because of continuing population growth.

The Mirani WRF had ongoing capacity issues when it was originally constructed in 2000 and in the interim upgrade in 2012. Mackay Water Services began investigating options from the upgrade in 2012 including soft engineering options such as constructed wetlands and irrigated forest as well as hard engineering options with eight scenarios reviewed in relation to financial costs, effluent quality and disruption during construction, operability and maintenance. A key element of the RWS upgrade was the use of semi-precast concrete panels (5.4m high, 2.5m wide and 375mm thick) that were prefabricated off-site. The precast concrete panels account for 20 percent of all concrete with the remainder sourced from local companies. For the last two decades, a technology used in the UK at the Mirani site was the first in Australia to utilise this modular semi-precast system.

With successful delivery of this

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Mirani Water Recycling Facility.

were undertaken in conjunction with the Principal Contractor’s Quality, Safety and Environmental Management Systems with the proposal that an independent superintendent administers the contract; one of the many duties of a superintendent was the requirement to be fair and impartial to both parties of a contract.

Mirani Water Recycling Facility.

project it is envisaged that this exciting technology will be taken up by the water industry across the country for future projects.

• Consume less electrical power.

The Mirani plant is built for 7,000 EP with the capacity (and some connections installed as part of this project) to increase to 10,000 EP.

• Providing security and certainty for this essential service.

Both projects have been built for today but also with the future in mind representing immediate and long-term savings by: • Using significantly less chemicals.

• Have future capacity upgrades built in/considered as part of the project; and

Innovation and Collaboration Mackay and Whitsunday Regional Councils worked together in engaging a highly skilled and qualified superintendent to oversee the Bowen STP and Mirani WRF upgrades in a threeyear forward works program.

The design and construction

The recommendation was for a superintendent not directly employed by either council but engaged through a consultancy agreement to ensure that they are not perceived to be influenced by either party, particularly either council.

The superintendent’s role is to ensure that all requirements of the contracts are delivered in conjunction with the relevant specifications and codes, determined in the procurement stage.

Early collaboration through the Whitsunday, Isaac, Mackay (WIM) Alliance implemented the strategy for the new works packages to be merged, allowing the joint delivery through using the same superintendent together with aligned and consistent contract

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NORTH QUEENSLAND

Mirani Water Recycling Facility.

documentation, covering both work sites. The shared superintendent facilitated significant efficiencies and lessons learned across both councils and both projects regarding tender evaluations, technical similarities and common suppliers and engineers.

This contract administration process was simplified by the previous work undertaken and funded through the Queensland Water Regional Alliance Program (QWRAP) to develop similar contract documentation and equipment lists.

With insufficient time commitment and funding for one contract resource for each upgrade project individually, through combining the work packages and sharing resources, a highly qualified superintendent was engaged full-time despite the 180 kilometre distance between sites. Early collaboration through the WIM Alliance implemented the new works packages’ strategy to be merged allowing for joint delivery through using the same superintendent together with aligned and consistent contract documentation covering both work sites. The superintendent was engaged early and assisted with the contract initiation and set up. This facilitated fast familiarisation, delivered

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efficiency savings and reduced establishment time with a shared focus on delivering sound and safe outcomes for the community.

This project is a clear demonstration of a major joint procurement initiative under a strategic agreement and an example of what can be achieved when regional councils collaborate in the early stages of capital planning to deliver projects more effectively and efficiently. The shared superintendent has enabled regional capital planning, investment (and outsourcing) benefits to be delivered to both MRC and WRC. It also allowed benchmarking and comparison opportunities between principal contractors, behaviours, construction methodologies and subcontractor performance.

Throughout the project, there was ongoing sharing of the lessons learned through the WIM Alliance team meetings and collaboration across the Whitsunday ROC CEOs and Alliance Leadership Group members.

Knowledge Sharing and Performance – A Quantitative Relationship The knowledge and any learnings from this joint collaborative

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project were continuously shared with other service providers through the Chairs and Coordinators meetings, LGAQ and QWD’s Technical Reference Group communication channels.

The shared arrangement further enhanced the knowledge transfer between projects and councils through both the superintendent and common resources such as technical advisers. The superintendent has often been the agent of transfer and has enabled the information flow between the councils to help deliver strong project outcomes and increased internal council capability. The upgrades of both plants demonstrate what can be achieved by alignment in contract arrangements and technical specifications with the efficiencies underpinned by these shared services in the technical and commercial spheres, including: • Contractual similarities – The contracts for both projects were drafted by the same legal team using an amended version of AS4300. While there were subtle differences resulting from contract consolidation negotiations, the terms and conditions are essentially identical. With only one legal team involved, the time and

NORTH QUEENSLAND effort required to respond to questions/clarifications is minimised.

• Technical similarities – The same technical team drafted the technical requirements.

The technical solutions agreed for each site are very different.

However, the underlying technical requirements are essentially the same. Some differences did occur but with familiarity across the documents, timely responses were able to be made. Using the same engineers across both projects enhanced the relationship and the understanding of issues.

Resultant responses to any raised issues were timely, consistent and prudent.

• Both councils were involved with the other’s tender evaluation that closed around the same time, (19 and 20 June 2018), thereby enhancing each council’s understanding of the project drivers and objectives.

Joint tenders for servicing contracts covering common equipment in both plants were developed, also saving each council future monies • Both councils engaged the same engineering consultants early and provided valuable input into the development of the Principal’s Project Requirements for both projects.

These engineering consultants were also included in the contract evaluation team and as part of the technical challenge group.

Operational benefits across council water business units through cooperative efforts on: • Aligned SCADA architecture and electrical specifications.

• Shared procurement of services and suppliers across the plants covering BDO Audits, centrifuges (GEA), UV (Trojan), blowers (Aerzen) and Control systems and SCADA. • MRC and WRC’s council safety teams undertaking joint safety audits across all regional plants in both council areas.

Quality and levels-of-service benefits included preferred common equipment installed at both plants so that each council was able to assist the other with: • Critical spares replacements/ repairs, and storage of, in both council areas.

• Improved resilience during future major weather events, shorter after-hours response at Mirani WRF from Whitsunday maintenance standby personnel who can respond quicker to critical common equipment failures.

Risk Management on both projects was intensive and robust around risk to the environment, public health and OH&S with risk assessments carried out using corporate risk frameworks: • Mackay Water Services held a risk assessment workshop for the delivery of the upgrades and the risk mitigation strategy to reduce the likelihood of the risk event occurring.

• Whitsunday Water Services held a hazard and operability (HAZOP) workshop at the project’s 30% design stage. The HAZOP identified all potential risks and hazards associated with a design.

• At the 80% design stage of each project, a Construction Risk Assessment Workshop was also undertaken, detailing all constructions risks and hazards.

The joint superintendent link between these projects has enhanced outcomes for both councils, ensuring lessons learned are very transportable to other major projects: Consistent determinations (similar recent experience on the other project can be used to guide determination).

Scheduling efficiencies across the projects - on a few occasions where the superintendent was required to be at two places simultaneously, the appointment of superintendent’s representatives covered these occurrences.

The developed rapport and trust between the project managers and the superintendent have clearly been the foundation for the success of the shared arrangements.

The pricing structure and reporting were very similar on both projects, a legacy of the common team approach. There were efficiencies and time savings realised as payment claims, variation control and reporting systems were set up once and tweaked to suit both projects. Any enhancements were immediately realised on the other project.

Financial control was enhanced as comparisons between the project were readily available.

The checking and evaluation of pricing submitted for variations was enhanced. Each project was visible to the superintendent and the pricing schedule for each sufficiently granular to provide guidance when comparing submitted pricing.

The cooperation between Mackay and Whitsunday Regional Councils has extended beyond the current projects. Identical or similar major items of plant, control system, hardware and design were specified to reduce spares holdings and facilitate staff sharing across the two regions. This is being extended to maintenance contractors who provide similar services to both regions.

The innovative approach of a shared superintendent arrangement dealt with costsharing, time constraint conflicts and escalation processes whereby the councils jointly determined the outcome that allowed the contractor to focus on the work at hand.

The shared superintendent role has been the catalyst rather than the reason for success. Without underlying trust, support and commitment from the authors of this initiative, it could not succeed. The right people, in the right place, will always deliver optimum results.

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NORTH QUEENSLAND

A YOUNG ENGINEER’S VIEW OF A BIG PROJECT

Joshua Flanders

I am currently working for St George Project Services (SGPS) who have been engaged by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) to undertake the contract administration and construction verification works on the $481 million Bruce Highway – Cairns Southern Access Corridor – Stage 3: Edmonton to Gordonvale (E2G) project in Cairns, Queensland.

The E2G project is one of the stages of the Cairns Bruce Highway Upgrade Masterplan, as part of the $12.6 billion upgrade program to improve safety, flood resilience and capacity along the Bruce Highway from Cairns to Brisbane.

The area which the E2G project boundary covers is currently the busiest two lane section of the Bruce Highway between Cairns and Brisbane, so the positive outcome this project will have is evident, especially for all road users on the southern side of Cairns.

The design and construction (D&C) of the project has been awarded to John Holland, Seymour Whyte, and AECOM, trading under the HSA Group Joint Venture title. The D&C contract was awarded in October

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The northern part of the project where the new highway is being constructed on a greenfield site.

Wrights Creek where there are four new bridges: one northbound and one southbound Bruce Highway road bridge, one cane rail bridge, and one Queensland Rail bridge.

2019, construction started in July 2020 and the estimated completion date is mid 2023, depending on weather. I have been working on the project since February 2020 where I was predominantly performing design documentation and

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management plan reviews and other various document control duties. Now that the project is in its early stages of construction, I am performing construction verification engineering works for multiple different disciplines.

NORTH QUEENSLAND Although recently challenged by Cairns’ wettest April on record, with 845 mm of rain (second highest was 634 mm in April 2006, historical average is 200 mm), we are now hopefully out of the wet season and the upcoming few months of 2021 are shaping up to be the biggest of the project in terms of construction activity and key milestones.

The location of the new overpass over the Bruce Highway leading to Yarrabah to the right.

Having only been out of university for three years, I am grateful to be part of such an important and significant project for the Far North region which will produce benefits for many years to come. It is also a great project to be on in terms of my personal growth as I endeavour to learn and develop as much as I can, with the aim to develop exposure and experience to apply for my Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) status at its conclusion.

E2G – Fast Facts

Middle section of the project where there will be new Bruce Highway north and south lanes and a new local service road.

The E2G project includes most disciplines you can think of which relate to civil engineering, including earthworks, pavement, drainage, water and sewer reticulation, structures, light rail, heavy rail, environmental, as well as electrical and data transmissions and signals in upgraded signalised intersections.

The coordination required to organise these disciplines to ensure the project is completed on time and under budget without compromising on quality is no easy feat. Some fast facts on the project are listed below.

• Over 10.5 km of new duplicated Bruce Highway • Over 10 km of new service roads to remove local trips to the highway • Over 28 km of new drainage structures in over 250 RCBC and RCP long and cross drainage structures

Southern section of new Queensland Rail.

• Over 6 km of new water and sewer mains ranging in size from 100 mm to 800 mm, including new “Behana” water mains which service 98% of the

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NORTH QUEENSLAND Cairns Regional Council Local Government Area • Over 4.6 km of new Ergon low voltage and high voltage overhead and underground powerlines and cabling • Over 7.7 km of new Visionstream trenched and underbored cable • Over 8 km of new cane rail for MSF Sugar across five separate areas, as well as a new cane rail bridge • Over 4.5 km of new Queensland Rail North Coast Line separated over two areas, as well as the removal of multiple open level crossings, and two new Queensland Rail bridges

One of five new cane rail sidings for MSF Sugar.

• New Telstra trenched and underbored cable • Total of ten bridges including new cane rail and Queensland Rail bridges, as well as two new northbound and two new southbound Bruce Highway road bridges, a new cycle bridge, a new road overpass and a new pedestrian overpass • Over 10 km of new high speed cycleway along the extent of the project • Significant environmental and sustainability consideration • Total of four environmentally sensitive watercourses on the project, with design catering for fish passage at each with one red (high impact) and three amber (medium impact) classifications

The first part of the new 3 m wide high speed cycleway which spans the length of the project.

• Incentives on the project to maximise the amount of local and Indigenous work.

• Over 465 jobs supported by the project Contract Administration and Verification Role SGPS have been providing resources on the project since late 2019 and currently are providing a total of 11 personnel, comprising of three engineers, four inspectors, one document controller, one construction verifier, one contract administrator, and one contract

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New cane rail culvert installation.

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NORTH QUEENSLAND everywhere I can as I believe clear, open, and transparent communication is a vital part of teamwork.

My Experience - Opportunities

Early morning concrete pour at a Queensland Rail culvert with the Gordonvale pyramid in the background.

administrator representative.

SGPS is based in Townsville and was founded in 2006 by Luke St George who grew up in the project location of Gordonvale, so it was great to see SGPS win a job close to home.

In my role as an engineer within the construction verification team, I am required to review the progress of the contractors work and resolve any design or construction related issues to ensure that the works are being constructed in accordance with the contract and specifications.

In addition, I undertake reviews of plans, work statements, lots, non-conformance reports, design clarification requests, inspection and test plans and other similar submissions.

My day-to-day duties include liaising with the contractor and our inspectors to understand what works are ongoing and upcoming and ensuring all requirements have been met, as well as reviewing any other daily submissions or construction related queries and checking compliance and construction progress on site.

I believe there are significant opportunities for myself on this project in terms of career and personal growth. Being part of the construction verification team on the client side, there is increased opportunity for experience and knowledge development in multiple disciplines rather than being focussed on singular elements for the project duration. In addition to drainage, water, and sewer, throughout the project I am hoping to learn and develop skills in the disciplines of earthworks, pavements, structures, rail, environmental, and sustainability works. This will hopefully give me the ability to apply for my RPEQ status by the end of the project.

My Experience - Challenges

Advice to Young Engineers

It has been a very challenging and rewarding task to be one of the youngest people on the project sitting in an office with over 80 experienced individuals as well as interacting with many other on-site personnel and external stakeholders. Being the engineer within the construction verification team for drainage and water and sewer works, one of the first challenges I had was getting up to speed with multiple different technical standards and specifications spread across TMR, MSF Sugar, Queensland Rail and FNQROC to understand the scope of works required.

It was important to become familiar with these different specifications as I was able to liaise more competently with these important stakeholders.

My advice to recent graduates is to, where possible, seek graduate program positions which allow for a rotation in roles to ensure you get the most out of the company and more importantly get an idea of what you like doing. While small engineering firms and local governments may be a great opportunity to start where you can get great exposure to a range of things, do not disregard the likes of large infrastructure projects where there is potential to learn about large scale civil construction. My top tip is to take advantage of all the other people around you who have been involved in the engineering profession for years and empower yourself to seek learnings and development from others. Finally, always strive for continual improvement and have a desire to learn.

Other challenges included learning to communicate effectively between all members of the project team, managing my time efficiently, and making appropriate notes during meetings to follow up on any relevant items. One of the key “behaviours” that has been adopted on the project is “think, talk, write” and I adopt this

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SOUTH WEST QUEENSLAND

KEEPING DIRRANBANDI COOL – PROCUREMENT IN A PANDEMIC Imagine living in a regional Queensland town where the average temperature in summer is a scorching 38.7°C. You’ve just finished a hard days’ work on the farm and arrive home to run your face under the tap only to find out it’s about 54 degrees! This was the reality faced by residents of the town of Dirranbandi.

Proterra Group were engaged by the Balonne Shire Council (BSC) in early 2020 – back when wearing a mask in a bank was considered suspicious - to design and facilitate the installation of a bore water cooling tower in the regional Queensland town of Dirranbandi. This project was jointly funded by the Balonne Shire Council and the QLD State Government under the Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program.

Dirranbandi’s current water supply is a combination of treated river water and artesian bore water, which leaves the bore head at a temperature of approximately 60°C and a pressure of 400 kPa. Blending the hot bore water with treated river water has historically caused treatment process issues including increased chlorine demand, leading to difficulties in ensuring adequate disinfection is achieved. Reducing complaints from residents receiving hot water was another key driver for the project and Balonne Shire sought a solution that would provide cooled bore water to the water treatment plant at a constant 30°C.

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Figure 1: Dirranbandi WTP Artesian Bore Head.

Ground Water Quality The first task was to assess the groundwater quality to determine the risks and challenges that may lay ahead.

The key issues discovered were the high water temperature, elevated sodium levels, high pH and the presence of ammonia.

The maximum bore water temperature at the outlet of the bore had been measured at 54°C, but a conservative maximum of 57°C was adopted for the design value. The temperature does reduce during transfer to the Dirranbandi Water Treatment plant (approximately 300 m from the bore) but this varies with flow and ambient temperature during the day. The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) do not state a guideline for water temperature due to the difficulty with controlling water temperature, particularly with the variability between climates in Australia. However, higher water temperatures increase chemical reaction rates which can lead to greater corrosion of

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pipes and fittings and the use of significantly larger quantities of chemicals.

The effectiveness of chlorine disinfection is influenced by the temperature of the water being dosed. Higher temperatures result in more effective disinfection, however the chlorine decay is much faster.

Due to the faster chlorine decay, it can be difficult to maintain the required chlorine residual in the reservoirs and reticulation system. The higher reaction rate of the chlorine due to the higher temperatures may increase the amount of undesirable chlorinated organic by-products.

The Dirranbandi bore water supply has measured sodium levels that exceed the ADWG aesthetic guideline value of 180 mg/L. This affects the taste of the water, however there is no health-based guideline value that is proposed for sodium.

The sodium salts are not easily removed from drinking water as the processes that remove the

SOUTH WEST QUEENSLAND salts such as reverse osmosis or distillation are costly to operate.

As such, the sodium levels were not something focused on in this project and is instead something that council may wish to address in future.

The ADWG guidelines for pH only state an aesthetic guideline value of 6.5 – 8.5 pH, however there is no health-based guideline value. A pH value of greater than 8 decreases the efficiency of chlorination and greater than 8.5 may cause scale and taste problems. The Dirranbandi Bore recorded a pH level of 8.7 back in 2013/14 and 8.5 in 2019, which is just within the aesthetic guidelines – as such, pH was not a focus in this project.

The design basis for the cooling system was only on temperature reduction. A target water temperature of 30°C was specified by BSC and other improvements to water quality including ammonia and hydrogen sulphide reduction are also possible through certain cooling systems.

Once the target water temperature had been determined, the next step was to investigate various types of cooling systems which could be used for the project.

Options Considered Proterra Group and BSC investigated four cooling tower variants which all aim to meet the required temperature reduction. These included an Aeration Tower, Open Circuit Cooling Tower, Adiabatic Cooler and Closed Circuit Cooling Tower.

The first option consisted of treating the groundwater through an aeration tower to provide temperature reduction to the water as it gravitates through the tower. The aerated water would then be fed to the inlet of the Dirranbandi Water Treatment Plant for further treatment to achieve BSC treated water quality targets. The aeration tower allows for aeration of the water which directly treats the ammonia and

hydrogen sulphide present in the groundwater. This tower has low capital and operating costs.

The aeration tower, however, is not suitable for this scenario as it is unlikely to achieve the target treated water temperature.

The second option was an open circuit cooling tower where the process fluid is distributed from the top of the tower through spray nozzles and falls to the bottom of the tower. Whilst this occurs, the air moving in the opposite direction removes the heat which is then discharged to the atmosphere.

To meet legislative requirements, a pre-cooling tower chlorine dosing point is required. This is to produce and maintain a chlorine residual during the pass of water through the tower. This option also has low capital costs and is highly efficient at heat rejection.

The open circuit cooling tower, however, experiences water loss due to evaporation, which is not ideal with water as precious as it is.

The third option investigated, the adiabatic cooler, can run in two modes – a dry cooling system when the ambient air is below the set point to save water and energy and a precooler mode which runs water over cooling pads to depress the dry bulb of the incoming air.

This allows for an increase in the cooling capacity when needed.

No chemical treatment of the process water is required with the adiabatic cooler. This option will allow for the bypass of the Dirranbandi WTP and will be able to discharge directly into the reticulation system under the natural pressure from the bore. This has the potential for large operational cost savings as the need to operate the WTP and high lift pumps would not be required. The adiabatic cooler, however, has the potential for high power consumption, the performance is affected by the ambient temperature and does have a higher capital cost compared to cooling towers.

Figure 2: Aeration Tower Schematic.

Figure 3: Open Circuit Cooling Tower Schematic.

Figure 4: Adiabatic Cooler Schematic.

Figure 5: Closed Circuit Cooling Tower Schematic.

The final option consisted of treating the groundwater through a closed-circuit cooling tower to provide the required temperature reduction. The process fluid is circulated in the cooling tower via a coil bundle,

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31 GLASSER STREET GOONDIWINDI QLD 4390

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Figure 6: Part of Proterra Group’s Detailed Design.

whilst air travels upwards over the coils. The air moving in the opposite direction removes the heat which is then discharged to the atmosphere. A chemical dosing system will be required to treat the cooling tower process water. Like the adiabatic cooler, this option will allow for the bypass of the Dirranbandi WTP and will be able to discharge directly into the reticulation system under the natural pressure from the bore. The key advantages of this option are: there is no direct contact with the groundwater which greatly reduces the risk of contamination of the water, the performance can be independently certified and it has a small physical footprint.

A Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) was completed which evaluated technical and financial criteria to rank the options and as a result, the closed circuit cooling tower was chosen for this project.

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It allows BSC to discharge the treated bore water directly to the reticulation system due to the closed loop technology and boasts ideal temperature reductions.

Project Delivery Project delivery was certainly interesting. We were engaged by council in the second last week of February 2020, and formally engaged in the first week of March 2020 to facilitate the design, procurement, and installation of the cooling tower at Dirranbandi. Project completion was required by the 30th of June 2020, due to funding constraints, so the timeframe was extremely tight from the outset. Then throw a pandemic into the mix!

After a short tender and evaluation process, Proterra Group engaged Cooling Tower Sales and Service, the Queensland Evapco dealer for the supply and

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

delivery of the cooling tower. We were able to reduce the lead time from 16 weeks to just 10, putting delivery at the end of June. The tower arrives partly assembled and would take approximately 1.5 weeks to have in working order.

The tower had to be shipped from Shanghai and missing the loading time in China could have meant a delay in receiving the shipment by up to a month, time we simply did not have. Luckily, the tower arrived in the Port of Brisbane on the morning of the 23rd of June and was on a truck headed for Dirranbandi on the 25th.

Whilst we waited for the tower to arrive, the focus moved towards achieving the delivery date by breaking the project into key work items, each of which were procured independently. These included: • Detailed civil design including interconnection to existing WTP

SOUTH WEST QUEENSLAND

Figure 7: Inlet and outlet pipework being laid out ready to install.

• Supply and delivery of cooling tower • Site works, including tower footing, tower assembly and pipework • Supply, delivery, testing and commissioning of electrical switchgear and control systems; and • Supply, delivery, testing and commissioning of process water treatment system The detailed civil design was completed in-house by Proterra Group which included the tower position, tower footing details, electrical layout and inlet/outlet pipework.

Figure 8: Existing Switchboard.

Figure 9: New Stand-alone Switchboard.

Once the design was finalised, civil works onsite commenced which included the construction of a concrete slab footing, locating existing pipework and underground services and the installation of new inlet and outlet pipework. The cooling tower installation itself was straight-forward. A small crane was used to lift the unit off the truck and onto our steel I-beam footings.

Owing to the age and condition of the main existing switchboard at the facility, a stand-alone switchboard was prepared which drew only electricity and start/ stop signals from the existing

Figure 10: Cooling Tower Finished Product.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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SOUTH WEST QUEENSLAND

Figure 11: Cooling Tower Finished Product.

board. The new switchboard was required to start, stop and control the two fans by variable speed drives (VSD). The speed of the fans would need to be modulated to maintain a constant 30°C output water temperature. The switchboard also contained starters for the two process water pumps which operated in duty/ standby and switchgear for the biocide chemical dosing system.

Legionella risk was one of the items needing to be addressed by choosing the closed circuit cooling tower. Legionella can cause legionnaire’s disease which is characterised by severe pneumonia.

Following discussions with MJM Environmental, BSC and other Councils, Proterra Group engaged 360Water to supply a chemical dosing unit to treat the processed water used in the cooler. The packaged dosing system does both a biocide, for control of legionella, and acid for a pH correction. BSC have entered into a service agreement with 360Water to carry out monthly service visits, supply of

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chemicals and quarterly cooling tower cleaning on an ongoing basis.

Following the successful completion of all project elements, the cooling tower was commissioned on the 22nd of July 2020. Minor issues were rectified on site during commissioning.

The unit performed as designed, modulating the speed of the fans to maintain a constant cooled water temperature of 30°C. Acknowledgements J. Zhang & A. Majerowski from MJM Environmental Darren Mauger from Cooling Tower Sales and Service Brett Rollason from Downey Engineering David Birch from 360 Water Michael Shellshear from Proterra Group Peter Willey and Andrew Boardman from Balonne Shire Council

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Clare Ferguson is in her final year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Degree at the University of Southern Queensland which she has been completing for six long years whilst working full time in various engineering capacities within Queensland.

Coming from a background of entirely private enterprise projects, Clare understands the importance of being efficient and innovative and has been able to apply her knowledge to the local government projects she has worked on with Proterra Group.

Clare has worked on several major projects including the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing and Rio Tinto’s Yarwun RMA Wall Raise and has a passion for big machines and moving dirt.

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

2021 FUTURES CHALLENGE

Created to promote emerging talent, IPWEAQ’s Futures Challenge invites final year students in engineering and related disciplines to present their thesis or research project at our Annual Conference.

Nominations are accepted from universities, peers, or selfnomination.

Submission requirements: • A 500 word abstract from which our expert panel will select up to four finalists.

Selected finalists must additionally submit: • An A1 poster board including the key elements of their thesis or research project, which clearly outlines conclusions, recommendations, including appropriate text and supporting graphics.

• A 10 minute presentation with PowerPoint to be delivered in a plenary session on day 2 of the Annual Conference.

• A 500 word report on their conference and Futures Challenge experience to be published in the December issue of Engineering for Public Works.

The winner: • will be selected by conference delegates voting via the conference app following the plenary presentation session.

• will be announced at the Gala Excellence Awards Ceremony on 13 October 2021.

• will receive a complimentary registration to #IPWEAQ22 Annual Conference in 2022.

Benefits: Finalists will receive: • A complimentary registration to attend the #IPWEAQ21 3-day Annual Conference valued at more than $2,000. This offers an excellent opportunity to engage with the public works community and improve understanding of the sector.

• will be promoted on IPWEAQ’s website and other social media promotions.

• An invitation to present their paper at the next branch conference.

• Students must submit their 500 word abstract by 21 July 2021.

• A one-year complimentary IPWEAQ membership.

• Finalists will be notified by 4 August 2021.

• Publication on IPWEAQ’s Knowledge Centre.

• Finalists must submit their poster boards by 8 September 2021.

Due dates: • Nominations from universities, peers, or self nominations required by 30 June 2021 to daneele.mcbride@ipweaq. com.

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#IPWEAQ21 ANNUAL CONFERENCE | Cairns Convention Centre, Cairns | 12-14 October 2021

Contact Engagement Coordinator Daneele.mcbride@ipweaq.com

3632 6808



www.ipweaq.com

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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PARTNERSHIP

ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS AUSTRALIA: ON THE GROUND DURING THE PANDEMIC EWB AUSTRALIA IS ON THE GROUND IN CAMBODIA, TIMOR-LESTE AND VANUATU

Craig Goddard Fundraising Specialist at Engineers Without Borders Australia.

With case numbers of COVID-19 dramatically increasing in Cambodia and other countries in the Asia Pacific region organisations like Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) are needed on the ground more than ever before.

The “case identification per day” rate in Cambodia increases by a hundred every other day. Since the pandemic started some NGOs and aid organisations have had to reduce or completely suspend support overseas, with international staff and volunteers repatriated for their own safety.

In Timor-Leste, the pandemic is limiting some NGOs’ presence even as the recent catastrophic floods have displaced thousands of people in rural areas as well as in the capital, Dili.

Fortunately, EWB can continue work with these vulnerable communities thanks to our commitment to and investment in skilled local staff, engineers and technical experts in Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

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Fortunately, EWB can continue work with these vulnerable communities thanks to our commitment to and investment in skilled local staff, engineers and technical experts in Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

EWB is able to carry out life changing and vital projects thanks to the support of the Australian engineering community and the wider Australian public.

THE ACCESSIBLE MOTO PROJECT One amazing story is the difference EWB’s Accessible Moto project is making for rural people living with disability in Cambodia where approximately 1.5 million people live with disability due to landmine injuries, age, accidents, congenital conditions and Khmer Rouge era malnutrition.

Sreimom, a wheelchair user who teaches at an NGO in rural Pursat Province, was heavily reliant on her family and local drivers for transportation. Family members would have to lift her onto a motorbike-taxi or drive her to work (where a second wheelchair was needed). This cost more than US$30 per month, compared to the Cambodian average monthly transport cost of US$11.

This is a big impact, given the typical disposable income for Cambodians living with disability is less than $22 per month.

Lack of accessible, flexible

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

transportation also limited Sreimom’s ability to attend cultural and religious events, help her family in the ways she wanted, or carry out everyday activities like shopping at local markets.

And with the growing concerns about the pandemic, people’s need to maintain distance has made travel for Sreimom even more difficult.

The Accessible Moto prototype, a kind of hybrid tricycle/cart/motorbike, has changed Sreimom’s life.

She has gone from relying on her family for transport in ever more difficult circumstances, to being able to help people in her village collect items from the markets, even taking children to school and “cruising around Pursat Province whenever and wherever she needs to…”

Sreimom now has greater freedom, she can maintain independence despite community concerns around COVID, she can attend the pagoda for religious ceremonies, she can go to work, to the market - all now that she is no longer dependent on others for a lift.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE MOTO? Building on the learnings of the first model developed in partnership with another NGO, Light For The World, EWB’s Accessible Moto project is now in the iterative stage of development. Over the coming year several models will be tested with a range of users and refined by EWB’s local team in conjunction with local

PARTNERSHIP

Sreimom on her prototype Accessible Moto in Pursat Province, Cambodia.

mechanics, Australian technical experts working remotely and partner NGOs. With concerns increasing at pace as the rate of pandemic infection rises, people in rural communities are understandably reluctant to expose themselves to potential disease transmission. This has made life harder for Sreimom and others in her situation who rely so much on community support.

Solutions like the Accessible Moto are needed more than ever to give people living with disability in rural Cambodia the ability to safely take part as an equal and meaningful member of their community. To allow them to maintain social distancing, and to continue to do the work that will help them survive and thrive.

THERE’S MUCH MORE TO BE DONE And while the pandemic

escalates in Cambodia, elsewhere our EWB team of Timorese engineers and technical experts are on the ground still. They’re working on sanitation, hygiene and safe water solutions, which will be vital to control and prevent disease in the wake of the recent floods as well as providing much needed longer-term solutions.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE COMMUNITIES EWB WORK WITH

Please look out for the EWB appeal in the coming weeks, or

you can use this QR code to go directly to our appeal page, www. ewb.org.au/donate today.

Engineers are a vital part of a more equitable future.

Please support EWB in delivering a range of life changing projects across the Asia Pacific region today, tomorrow and into the future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Craig Goddard. Fundraising Specialist at Engineers Without Borders Australia.

A keen part of a multidisciplinary team working on tech and infrastructure solutions with remote First Nations communities and with vulnerable communities across the Asia Pacific region.

Can be contacted on LinkedIn or at c.goddard@ewb.or.au

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INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

NQ BRANCH CONFERENCE

Townsville 17-18 June

REGISTRATIONS CLOSING! Registration fees plus GST:

Registrations open early April.

$350

Members - Graduates (5 years post Bachelor’s degree)

$150

Non-members

$700

If you are not yet a member, join now and register for just $495 including membership to 30 June 2021.

Sponsorships opportunities are available Please contact Monica.Robertson@ipweaq.com for more details

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www.ipweaq.com

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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Call for Papers opens late March.

Members

IPWEAQ UPDATES

NQ BRANCH PRESIDENT’S REPORT Glenda Kirk, NQ Branch President Director Infrastructure Services, Mareeba Shire Council

We are just a few days away from the 2021 NQ Branch conference to be held in Townsville, 17-18 June.

The program highlights projects and challenges unique to our region and offers an economical way for you to earn 11 CPD hours at just $32 per hour. Group bookings and discounts also available with a $200 discount available for your Graduates (up to five years post Bachelor’s degree).

The Branch Conference dinner will be held at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium which will be hosting Game I State of Origin this week. The dinner includes a tour of the stadium, an interview with CEO, Jeff Reibel and a former Cowboys player, and a live charity auction of a signed Cowboys jersey.

I hope you will join us for the final IPWEAQ Branch Conference for 2021, be a part of the biggest IPWEAQ Branch conference for 2021 - the SWQ Branch set the bar high with 204 delegates in March. Registrations close this week!

Also closing this month on 25 June, are nominations for the 2021 Excellence Awards. There are 17 project categories including three new categories for Community Road Safety, Road Safety Infrastructure and Projects over $20 million. While everyone enjoys a win, it is more important we ensure our projects are featured

at the gala awards ceremony and in the annual commemorative book. One of IPWEAQ’s key roles as outlined in its Strategic Plan is to promote our achievements - as engineers, this is not something we are particularly good at. Also nominate your team members for any of the four people awards including Emerging Professional of the Year (within five years commencement of career) – see previous winners on page 35-39.

The last people award winner in NQ was Tracy Greig, Project Officer at Trinity Engineering and Consulting who won Team Member of the Year in 2019.

Featured for June in the Every Community Needs an Engineer calendar is the Mirani Water Recycling Facility – a modern state of the art facility which plays a critical role in the prevention of environmental harm to our Great Barrier Reef. Jason Devitt, Director Engineering & Commercial Infrastructure at Mackay Regional Council will be discussing this project and shared superintendency with Whitsunday Regional Council and the Bowen Sewerage Treatment Plant. The theme for this month is ‘engineers are collaborators’. If you haven’t as yet, please download the calendar and post June around the walls of your council or organisation.

With just a few weeks until the new financial year, be sure to secure approval early to attend the Annual Conference in Cairns, 12-14 October, our last chance to host the Annual Conference in north Queensland for five years as it heads to Darwin in 2023.

If you do still have a training budget to spend prior to 30 June, please contact Monica Robertson who will process a bulk registration for you. Last

year, a COVID-19 affected Annual Conference welcomed 440 delegates in Brisbane, down on the previous year’s recordbreaking 525 delegates. We’re expecting to meet or exceed this target in Cairns so please make a diary note to join us!

In the meantime, I hope to see you with your Graduates in Townsville next week.

Upcoming PD:

Townsville 14 July 2021

Cairns 11 August

Cairns 19 August 2021

Townsville 2 September 2021

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

SWQ BRANCH PRESIDENT’S REPORT Andrew Johnson, Branch President CEO, Somerset Regional Council

While it seems like some time ago, the 2021 SWQ Branch Conference 17-19 March was a huge success with a record 203 delegates.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Chinchilla, and particularly for the many words of advice for Dereck Sanderson [District Director (Darling Downs) at TMR] – on the impact of the extended wet weather on the Warrego Highway which I’m sure Dereck appreciated.

I was also at the right place at the right time, to celebrate my 50th birthday with colleagues, a cake and a song proving that engineers for the most part should not sing even for a birthday. Thank you everyone – I really enjoyed the day with you, and thank you GenEng Solutions for sponsoring the conference dinner which I’m sure was organised especially for my birthday.

The Best Paper award was won by Cameron Ives, Director at GenEng who relayed how Murphy’s Law had applied to resealing contracts in the Darling Downs which included severe drought, bushfires, an onsite safety incident, wet weather, a flooding event, road closures and a global pandemic. It was widely believed that Cameron deserved the award just for reliving the project for us.

Cameron’s presentation, and other high quality, high value and varied papers delivered in Chinchilla, can be accessed in the Knowledge Centre – complimentary access for all IPWEAQ members and for non-member delegates. It is a great benefit to be able to access these proceedings, not just from our own regional conference but all other IPWEAQ Branch conferences every year. All content in the Knowledge Centre is searchable by subject, key word, author, file type etc.

The Chinchilla Botanic Gardens delivered a damp Tech Tour (with obligatory watermelon) of this award-winning project (2020 IPWEAQ Excellence Awards for Projects $5-$10 million). There is just over two weeks to nominate for an excellence awards so please ensure all the great projects we’ve delivered for our communities are highlighted in this year’s awards program.

And to celebrate the nominees and winners, be sure to register early for the gala awards ceremony held in conjunction with the Annual Conference – contact Monica Robertson. We’ll be back in Cairns for the first time in eight years although we have regularly been reminded of the 2013 Annual Conference in Cairns with its highly publicised delegate gift.

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

Coming up next in our region will be the Rural Road Maintenance & Rehabilitation Forum in Dalby in August. Further details to be published next week. There are 150,000 kilometres of rural roads in Queensland and most of us working in the south-west have responsibility for many of them.

The rain I mentioned earlier delivered some good for our region, aside from its impact on the Warrego Highway, with the Storm King Dam and Connolly Dam now at capacity bringing an end to Seren McKenzie’s water carting project and Seren doesn’t seem at all disappointed.

I hope to see many of you in Cairns in October for another memorable IPWEAQ Annual Conference.

IPWEAQ UPDATES

SWQ BRANCH CONFERENCE We were delighted to welcome 195 delegates to Chinchilla on the 18 – 19 March 2021 – tying for highest delegate numbers with its own 2020 Branch Conference record in Stanthorpe! Our SWQ Branch Conference, hosted in partnership with Western Downs Regional Council, highlighted topics and case studies from the region.

We were pleased to welcome Ray Hicks, Director at Brandon and Associates as our keynote speaker presenting on the Chinchilla Botanic Parklands. This fourhectare IPWEAQ award winning project promotes regional tourism, community wellbeing and pride. The parkland has been recognised for its celebration of Aboriginal and European cultural heritage and showcasing the region’s endemic flora and palaeontology. Delegates were also treated to a Tech Tour of the parklands, including a delicious locally grown watermelon morning tea.

Our Branch Conference dinner, sponsored by GenEng Solutions, was meant to be an outdoor feast under the stars whilst exploring the Chinchilla Museum, but the weather had other ideas!

Luckily, that didn’t result in us missing out with the Chinchilla Museum volunteers bringing various exhibits for delegates to appreciate during the relocated dinner at the Cultural Centre.

We indulged in a spit roast feast by local caterers and enjoyed brownies arranged by GenEng Solutions and IPWEAQ. We were also delighted to partake in our live charity auction during the evening, with a portable fridge generously donated by Brandon and Associates. Congratulations to Luke Hart from HARO Civil

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

Engineering for taking home the prize meanwhile donating generously to our President’s Charity, Rural Aid. Following dinner, we were honoured to hear the emotional and thoughtprovoking story by Raad Jarjees on his life from a lieutenant in the Iraqi army to a president of our SEQ Branch.

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Thank you to conference sponsors, Brandon and Associates, GenEng Solutions and Project Delivery Managers.

Furthermore, thank you to our exhibitors for their support in making the conference so successful! Additionally, thanks go to our generous exhibitors for donating gifts for our charity

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

raffle. We were thrilled to raise over $2,500 for Rural Aid between our two fundraising initiatives.

Congratulations to Cameron Ives from GenEng Solutions, who won best paper for his presentation on “A reseal contract like no other: How external factors united in unprecedent fashion”. Cameron

IPWEAQ UPDATES receives complimentary registration and the opportunity to present his paper at the 2021 Annual Conference held in Cairns, 12-14 October. Well done, Cameron!

We were also delighted to honour our Milestone Members: Jason Cook, Kevin Chambers, Haydn O’Leary, Angela Fry, Michael Shellshear and Justin Crick (5 years), Justin Holzheimer, Debra Dibley, Dion Jones, Eric Stafleu, James D’Arcy and Stephen Gray (10 years), David Jackson (15 years), Geoff Thompson (20 year), Bryan Payne and Andrew Johnson (25 years) and Ged Brennan (30 years).

IPWEAQ Members can access all presentations from the 2021 SWQ Branch Conference in IPWEAQ’s globally recognised Knowledge Centre.

Thank you to our SWQ Branch Conference sponsors!

Overall Conference & Charity Auction Sponsor

195 ATTENDEES 119

+ Afternoon Tea sponsor

76 -

members

non members

164

31

male

female

Branch Conference Dinner Sponsor

Morning Tea sponsor

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

RURAL ROAD MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION

Forum

17-18 AUGUST 2021 DALBY EVENTS CENTRE 3877

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WESTERN DOWNS REGIONAL COUNCIL

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www.ipweaq.com

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

LOWER ORDER ROAD

MANAGING RISKS ON LOWER ORDER ROADS ONE DAY WORKSHOP Register your interest today!

DESIGN GUIDELINES

The Lower Order Road Design Guidelines (LORDG) specify minimum standards for the design and construction of lower order road assets and provide practitioners with a risk-based approach to capital improvements. As the lower order road network accounts for over 70% local and state controlled networks throughout Queensland, this approach allows stakeholders to maximise the return on funds invested.

PDF Only. Plus GST. Member

$100

Non-member

$400

One-day training courses are available for key stakeholders to achieve a common understanding of the risk management strategies and how they apply at each stage of the design and construction process from concept through to completion.

Managing Risk on Lower Order Roads Plus GST SEQ

Regional

Member

$600

$750

Non-member

$900

$1,050

Purchase at

www.ipweaq.com/lordg

3531

JOIN IPWEAQ TODAY

Contact Director, Professional Services Craig.Moss@ipweaq.com 3632 6805



www.ipweaq.com

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

CQ BRANCH PRESIDENT’S REPORT Celisa Faulkner, Branch President Manager Asset Planning, Gladstone Regional Council

I wasn’t able to make it to the CQ Branch conference held in Maryborough, 20-21 April but from all reports, it was another excellent event with a great program, socials and something different – a poet on a horse.

Congratulations to Best Paper winners: Tim Fichera, Senior Engineer (Stormwater Drainage), Program Management at Bundaberg Regional Council and Jordan Maultby, Water Resources Team Lead at AECOM, for their presentation on Bundaberg Regional Council’s Stormwater Management Strategy – a new path for Council’s long-standing challenges. Tim and Jordan will present their paper at the Annual Conference to be held in Cairns, 12-14 October 2021. Be sure to join us then!

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$1,650 was raised for the President’s Charity, Rural Aid, with thanks to our exhibitors who donated prizes for the raffle, and to Mark Ogston at Leading Roles (IPWEAQ Partner) who donated a fishing trip on Hervey Bay or Moreton Bay. The winning bid was from Thomas Haslett from SuperSealing – congratulations, Thomas! Mark and Thomas - we look forward to photos of your catch.

IPWEAQ Bingo made a return this year with the winner receiving a complimentary registration to the Annual Conference in Cairns.

Congratulations, Burak Cabir, a Graduate Design Engineer from Bundaberg Regional Council – we look forward to welcoming you to Cairns.

Our thanks as always, for the invaluable support from our conference sponsors: Dileigh Consulting Engineers (overall sponsor), Tipec (conference dinner), JAC Civil, Leading Roles, GBA Consulting Engineers, Project Delivery Managers and Shepherd.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

Thanks also to the Fraser Coast Regional Council for providing an excellent venue - the Brolga Theatre on the Susan River, and for the quality presentations from Council’s team and Council’s support for the event.

All presentations delivered at the CQ Branch conference are now accessible in the IPWEAQ Knowledge Centre CQ Branch Conference Collection. Access is complimentary for members

IPWEAQ UPDATES and non-member delegates offering 11 CPD hours. The Collection includes the audio visual recording, papers and PowerPoint presentations.

The IPWEAQ Knowledge Centre is globally recognised as a specialist resource for those in our sector with much of the content restricted to members.

If you are not a member, join this June to receive $100 discount on your 2021-2022 subscription. We look forward to welcoming you!

Congratulations to members who received a milestone membership gift at the conference in Maryborough.

YEARS YEARS

• Stuart Harvey, Rockhampton Regional Council

YEARS • Geoffrey Tweddell, Engage Y E A R S Engineers Pty Consulting Ltd YEARS YEARS

• Davendra Naidu, Fraser Coast Regional Council • Rob Hazzard, Fraser Coast Regional Council And speaking of membership, you would have received your IPWEAQ membership renewal for 2021-2022 with a $100 discount if paid before 30 June 2021. We hope you will continue your journey with us and our 1,130 strong community.

Finally, while our branch was enjoying the CQ Branch conference in Maryborough, I was in Townsville for the marriage of my brother, Dan to his new wife, Amy. Congratulations again to you both!

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

CQ BRANCH CONFERENCE From the 19 to 21 April 2021, we welcomed 142 delegates to the town of Maryborough. The event kicked off with the Welcome Function at the Brolga Theatre and Convention Centre, overlooking the tranquil Mary River.

Thank you to our host council, Fraser Coast Regional Council, represented by Rob Hazzard, Executive Manager Capital Delivery, who delivered the keynote presentation on “Boundary Road Extension Project - A new urban transport link, 40 years in the making”. The project will provide a new four lane, two-way road to help cater for the proposed population of 150,000 in Hervey Bay within the next 20 years.

Our Branch Conference dinner, generously sponsored by Tipec, was one to be remembered!

Following a home cooked meal at Susan River Homestead, delegates enjoyed a special presentation by Guy McLean, better known as The Horseman from Susan River. Guy’s mixture of bush poetry, horsemanship and interaction was a crowd pleaser, whether you are from the bush or

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the city. Mark Lamont (IPWEAQ’s Director Information & Resources and Excellence Awards Master of Ceremonies), ran the greatly anticipated Rural Aid auction.

Thank you to Leading Roles for donating a sport-fishing trip hosted by Leading Roles Principal, Mark Ogston. Congratulations to Thomas Haslett from SuperSealing on the win!

Our events are successful because of the organisations that support and sponsor IPWEAQ. Thank you to our conference sponsors, Dileigh Consulting Engineers, Tipec, JAC Civil, Leading Roles, GBA Consulting Engineers, Project Delivery Managers and Shepherd.

A special thank you to our exhibitors for offering delegates an opportunity to hear about and experience what is available to improve local communities. We appreciate the raffle prizes that exhibitors donated for our raffle alongside the auction, allowing us to raise over $1,650 for Rural Aid.

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

We were also delighted to present gifts to members who had achieved an IPWEAQ membership milestone during the last 12 months.

Congratulations to Davendra Naidu and Rob Hazzard (5 Years) and Stuart Harvey and Geoffrey Tweddell (10 Years).

IPWEAQ UPDATES Well done to Jordan Maultby (AECOM) and Tim Fichera (Bundaberg Regional Council), who won best paper for their presentation on “Bundaberg Regional Council Stormwater Management Strategy - A New Path for Council’s Long-standing Challenges”. Jordan and Tim will present their paper at the 2021 Annual Conference held in Cairns, 12-14 October.

Thank you to everyone who attended the conference and for sharing their experience, knowledge and expertise for the benefit of the public works sector in Queensland.

Thank you to our CQ Branch Conference sponsors!

Overall Conference Sponsor

Lunch sponsor

Branch Conference Dinner Sponsor

142 ATTENDEES 74

+

Name Tag sponsor

68 -

members

non members

112

30

Charity Auction Sponsor

Afternoon Tea sponsor

male

female

Morning Tea sponsor

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

SEQ BRANCH PRESIDENT’S REPORT Raad Jarjees, Branch President Network Engineering Manager at Unity Water

The inaugural Asset Management Symposium was held in Brisbane, 19-20 May with 180+ delegates from across Queensland attending a highly anticipated gathering of professionals from engineering, asset management, procurement and finance.

The Symposium provided delegates with a better understanding of the asset life cycle and an appreciation of the role they play in the efficient and effective management of the assets which support our communities. Through an ongoing asset management community, the sharing of learnings and best practice outcomes will contribute to the sustainable management of public works infrastructure, community assets and services for all Queensland communities.

The Symposium proceedings are now available for individuals or an Enterprise-wide multiuser licence. Included in the Proceedings are the audio-visual recordings of all 15 presentations from industry experts. The Enterprise subscription includes Guidelines on how to maximise outcomes to establish a baseline for future improvements.

IPWEAQ will coordinate the responses from all Enterprise subscribers to develop regional and state-wide benchmarks which will form the basis of next year’s Symposium.

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Also coming up in Brisbane this month, is the International Women in Engineering Day (IWED) lunch with the legendary Else Shepherd, one of the first female graduate engineers in 1965. I invite members of the SEQ branch to attend the event at our facilities – Public Works Professionals – in Eagle Farm. A roving (stations throughout the facilities), networking lunch will be provided with champagne.

Please join us.

Early next month, in conjunction with NAIDOC week, IPWEAQ is hosting an art exhibition to showcase our collection of Aboriginal artworks. Each piece was chosen by our CEO, Leigh Cunningham to further support the communities we support as engineers. Join us Friday 9 July at 3pm for a self-guided tour of the collection. A catalogue and map will be provided along with champagne for you to enjoy the art works.

is coming up. And a final note on Professional Development, in-house training tailored specifically for your organisation can also be arranged by Tammi Petre.

I look forward to seeing you at any of the above events!

Upcoming PD in Brisbane

16-17 June

And also at Eagle Farm next month, Dale Carnegie will deliver a workshop, the Trusted Advisor Bootcamp. This twoday program will reinforce the importance of working across boundaries whether it is internal departments or external stakeholders. Register online.

23 June

By now, most RPEQs will have renewed their registration. If you haven’t as yet registered for the IPWEAQ CPD Scheme utilising the Track My CPD portal, please contact Tammi Petre.

The IPWEAQ CPD Scheme will monitor your progress towards completion of your 150 CPD hours to ensure you remain compliant.

8-9 July

There are a lot of opportunities for us for CPD held at IPWEAQ’s facilities in Eagle Farm. Check the website for details of what

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

20-22 July

IPWEAQ UPDATES

22 July

Overall Conference Sponsor

Charity Auction Sponsor

Lunch sponsor

Afternoon Tea sponsor

4-5 August

Coffee Cart Sponsor

Morning Tea sponsors

26 – 28 October

Name Tag sponsor

Thank you to our SEQ Branch Conference sponsors!

10 November

Section 51(1) Native Title Act 1993 - an entitlement on just terms to compensate native title holders for any loss, diminution, impairment or other effect of the act on their native title rights and interests.

i M P A C T

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions now open for the first year of iMPACT!

i ntegrated M anagement

$10,000 plus GST for all councils, utilities, government departments, consultancies and mining companies

P ortal for A sessment of C ultural heritage and native T itle

A 20% introductory discount applies for subscriptions made before 30 August 2019.

1. Resource to undertake complex assessments in a logical framework with templates, lists, registers and geo-spatial mapping.

2. D etailed record keeping system which generates a PDF documenting all elements of the assessment including text, maps and photographic evidence which supports the reason for your decision.

3. U ser friendly portal with a step by step process to ensure infrastructure and other projects comply with legislation which will save you time and money.

4. I nteractive site which links to the latest information in government and other databases.

Contact Director, Information & Resources Mark.Lamont@ipweaq.com 3632 6806

  

www.ipweaq.com

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

TEMPORARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT in 2003, to a 10-part document with a much greater focus on planning and design of traffic management plans.

Craig Moss Director, Professional Services

1 August 2021 is a significant date for all roadwork worksites in Queensland as it marks the mandatory adoption of the new technical standards for temporary traffic management. These standards are made up of: • Australian Standard AS1742.3:2019; • Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management (AGTTM); • MUTCD Part 3 (2020); and • Queensland Guide to Temporary Traffic Management (QGTTM).

While the new standards have been available to use on a voluntary basis since 1 January 2021, many organisations across our sector have found the transition challenging and may not be ready for the mandatory adoption. This is due in part by the significant change in the structure of the guidance material, moving from a single document that has not changed significantly since the first edition

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Another factor that has hindered take-up is the concern from councils that the adoption of the AGTTM would place an undue burden on work activities related to roads with traffic volumes of less than 1000 vehicles per day.

In response to these issues, IPWEAQ formed a Working Group to create a suite of products and resources for the use of local government and relevant industry stakeholders across Queensland. The group is chaired by Adam Brighouse of Toowoomba Regional Council and has representation from across the state. Work is well advanced in the development of a compliant toolkit to support the planning and design of safe, cost effective and efficient temporary traffic management solutions for low volume category 1 roads. The toolkit will be made up of: • standardised tools to assist a Traffic Management Designer (TMD) make informed, riskbased decisions • a suite of generic traffic guidance schemes for all standard situations • a suite of traffic guidance schemes that can be modified to suit site specific requirements • guidance materials to assist in

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

the consistent application of products and processes Given the short timeframe, it was decided to take a staged approach with this body of work, focusing on a solution for roads with an AADT of 250 vehicles per day or less as this represents 80% of the road network. Once this has been achieved, the group will continue to develop the toolkit for higher volume category 1 roads.

The toolkit will be added to the existing range of technical engineering solutions that make up the Public Works Technical Subscription.

A Public Works TV (PW-TV) episode in late June 2021 will be dedicated to this Toolkit.

For further information, or to contribute to this initiative, please email Craig.Moss@ipweaq.com

IPWEAQ UPDATES

MEETING CPD REQUIREMENTS: TECHNICAL VS NON-TECHNICAL CPD Scott Britton Director, Policy & Partnerships

The Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland’s (BPEQ) continuing registration requirements (CRR) policy outlines requirements that, if satisfied, demonstrate the individual has maintained their competency in the area/s of engineering for which they seek to maintain their professional registration. The policy also defines allowances for claimable hours across both technical and nontechnical continuing professional development (CPD) activities while introducing new elements associated with ethics and risk management.

The CRR policy has been established to provide clarity on CRR requirements in accordance with the Professional Engineers Act 2002 (Qld). The current

Take charge

OF YOUR CPD TODAY!

version of the policy, adopted in late 2020, introduced a few subtle changes that have further enhanced the minimum requirement for technical CPD, as an overall proportion of CPD hours, while also defining a maximum number of hours that can be claimed as nontechnical CPD. In addition, requirements for minimum hours of CPD covering nontechnical ethics and nontechnical risk management have been introduced. As a result of these changes, to meet the requirements for registration an individual must: 1. complete a minimum of 150 hours of CPD over a threeyear period leading up to the renewal or restoration of their registration in the area/s of engineering for which the applicant is, or was, registered; 2. undertake a minimum 75% (112.5 hours) of the 150 hours as technical CPD; 3. undertake a maximum of 25% (37.5 hours) of the 150 hours as non-technical CPD (e.g., project management, law, communication); 4. undertake as a minimum, 1 hour of non-technical CPD covering ethics; and 5. undertake as a minimum, 1 hour of non-technical CPD covering risk management.

Where an assessment entity, such as IPWEAQ, has been selected, an individual must comply with the CRR of the assessment entity’s approved CPD scheme. Where an assessment entity is not selected, BPEQ undertakes annual audits to ensure that an engineer meets its CRR requirements. By electing to participate in IPWEAQ’s CPD Scheme, an RPEQ will benefit by having IPWEAQ automatically and regularly audit their progress towards achieving the required CPD hours to maintain eligibility for registration where the new Track my CPD portal (www.trackmycpd.com.au) is utilised to record CPD activities.

IPWEAQ will recommend relevant programs ensuring full compliance with the CRR policy each year.

IPWEAQ’s CPD offering covers a range of technical and nontechnical courses that provide opportunities to complete CPD hours required to maintain professional registration. New courses covering the nontechnical ethics and nontechnical risk management CPD requirements will be added to the professional development opportunities in the near future.

trackmycpd.com.au INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

ADAC AND THE BROADER ASSET MANAGEMENT LANDSCAPE

Mark Lamont Director, Information & Resources

IPWEAQ’s recent Asset Management Symposium provided a comprehensive overview of current asset management practices for local government.

Many of the principles discussed within the presentations were closely aligned with those that have informed the Asset Design as Constructed (ADAC) consortium since its inception.

IPWEAQ has had stewardship over the ADAC consortium for more than a decade. We have seen it grow in influence and number across those years. From a digital solution devised by a few Sunshine Coast councils, it is now twenty-three members strong and widely accepted as the national standard for asset data collection and storage. Over the last couple of years, the fastest expansion of the consortium has been into NSW, where Wollondilly, Shellharbour and Queanbeyan-Pallerang regional councils have joined Tweed Heads and Port Macquarie-Hastings to consolidate the uptake of ADAC in that state. Several more NSW councils have committed to come on board and are in advanced planning stages for their ADAC implementation.

The ADAC Technical Reference Group has created deadlines

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and is moving forward with preparations for the next version of the schema, which will launch early in 2022. Contributions to the new version from some of the newer ADAC members expand the platform’s parameters and allow greater coverage of asset types to be incorporated. As a consequence of that work, councils can come on board in the future, knowing that neighbouring authorities have been working in their interests to bring elements specific to their local conditions into ADAC, making it more widely applicable.

Despite this growth, the four original drivers of ADAC remain the vital components the schema manages. They are: Asset registration Asset valuation Maintenance management Renewals planning Compare these principles to the guideline expectations written into government asset management strategy. Public sector policy across all states has a sharp focus on the relationship between asset management and local government service provision. As such, the need to track the asset from construction to disposal is essential. For example, the direction indicated

by Queensland’s Strategic Asset Management Framework and its guidelines are serviced through the ADAC drivers listed above.

The strategic framework requires all departments to: • assess whether particular building assets are meeting service delivery needs • determine whether building assets are properly maintained and managed

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• evaluate the need for future replacement of assets • identify and plan for the disposal of surplus or underutilised building assets • quantify the cost of the services provided by the department and (if applicable) benchmark against other jurisdictions • offer improved coordination of assets from a whole-ofGovernment perspective.

The emphasis when ADAC was developed was on the entire life cycle of the asset. It continues to provide a model for achieving accountability, the central goal of asset management policy.

Every point on the list of policy requirements above is contained and addressed within the four elements that underpin the ADAC perspective. ADAC plays a specialist role in the wider strategic management of assets, enabling councils to adhere to policy guidelines more effectively by focusing on the asset from pre-construction to replacement or disposal. In this way, it fulfils policy expectations and compliments a wide variety of asset management practices that rely on the integrity of the data they receive.

Any enquiries about ADAC can be addressed to Mark.Lamont@ ipweaq.com

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS. ™

ASSET DESIGN AS CONSTRUCTED

NATIONAL STANDARD FOR ASSET DATA ADAC is the industry standard for public works infrastructure. It is open source and adopted widely by councils and utilities across Australia.

Why adopt ADAC? The ADAC specification is the national Standard and recognised ‘source of truth’ for automated asset data management.

ADAC data can be checked for errors, transformed and electronically transferred into asset management systems, efficiently and reliably and then used to populate asset databases and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The ADAC framework offers consistent and accurate results, saving time and costs for the owners, recipients and constructors of civil infrastructure assets.

Why is ADAC better than alternatives?

ADAC has been developed by industry for industry incorporating the knowledge and expertise of asset experts actively involved with public works. It is open source offering subscribers the freedom to utilise their preferred software systems and ADAC is versatile - it can be adapted to the processes already in place. It has a broad scope with more detailed asset classes than any other options.

What are the benefits of ADAC? ADAC saves all stakeholders time and resources in processing their infrastructure data. The process ensures accuracy with data integrity and transparency improving corporate governance. The asset data can be round-tripped so that data with integrity can be transferred back to developers.

Asset owners, property developers and consulting engineers can reasonably expect a high level of consistency.

Contact Director, Information & Resources Mark.Lamont@ipweaq.com 3632 6806

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Benefits of Consortium Membership Consortium members are able to influence the development of the ADAC schema participating on the various technical working groups to ensure the schema is developed and tailored to meet their particular needs for example including new attributes.

New - XML validation tool available

– Web based XML validation tool ted’ truc cons ‘as from a dat XML or design data can be validated e to ensure the required works hav ured capt and ed plet been com correctly for each council.

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ADAC (Asset Design as Constructed) is a data specification platform which enables the efficient capture and storage of civil infrastructure asset data.

www.ipweaq.com

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

BREAKING GROUND

David Thompson Industry Engagement Manager

On any given day, my portfolio leads me to a variety of interactions with industry leaders and practitioners. My base workload is aiding the development of professional services for the public works sector in the form of learning experiences for professionals, delivering workshops, product and resource development and executive support as required for several industry representative Working Groups. To achieve this, I have recently been involved in three very different projects.

First, I have commenced recording of a video segment called “Breaking Ground”.

This is an interview targeted at engineers or technical professionals currently practicing

David Thompson, Industry Engagement Manager, with Brent O’Neill ‘Breaking Ground’.

in industry. It is designed to enhance the awareness of and engagement of engineers with IPWEAQ, while encouraging potential engineers and supporting professionals to the sector. The interviews are designed to showcase the personalities and achievements of individual professionals. The format is a lighted hearted oneon-one interview with me and a willing practicing engineer or technical professional. The questions put to the interviewees are a mix of un-intrusive personal and role focused questions designed to quickly draw-out the character and personality of the interviewee. This provides the audience access to an experience that may trigger a connection to the occupation of an engineer or technical professional.

A recent interview was with Brent O’Neill, Director of Urban Design at Wolter Consulting

Group. Brent had an interesting segue into urban design coming from a Fine Arts career where he worked in theatre stage set design for major productions.

Brent says there are a lot of similarities between set design and subdivision design. You can view the whole interview here.

We intend to grow the bank of interviews and you will get to know a number of great public works professionals making a real difference to Queensland communities.

Secondly, having come from the civil sector I worked my way up from plant and field operations to manager of materials testing laboratories. I could see at times a disconnect between site practitioners and soil testing facilities and staff. Sometimes, as the soil tester, you are only seen as the bearer of bad news or the reason why a sample or lot has failed.

Materials preparation and compaction mould filling for moisture density relationship.

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IPWEAQ UPDATES

James Price, IPWEAQ Media Coordinator, setting up the shot of a sieve analysis test at DTMR Materials Testing Services.

There was something missing that caused these site challenging events. It is a simple conversation on how to understand the test results; how test results impact the field operations and how the field practices impact the laboratory results. To bridge this breakdown in understanding, IPWEAQ began a project to digitally record a series of common and some infrequently used soil and concrete tests. My role is to project manage and produce the videos and have the recordings available on our website with a suite of tests and processes built up over time.

IPWEAQ has partnered with the Department of Transport and Main Roads Materials Testing Services to produce the videos.

The recorded tests will provide an education tool and better understanding for industry practitioners by providing access to a reliable representation of tests that provide guidance and determinations for every day civil construction project processes and materials. Industry should then see a raised awareness on the methodology and intent of the targeted materials tests and

gain confidence to reach out to the laboratory for guidance and call up certain tests to assist with site production and outcomes.

Finally, another more recent project that I had the honour to be involved with is the Dream Big ‘STEAM Ahead Program’ which enhances the futures of emerging female professionals by developing their confidence and capability to succeed in the workplace. The program helps women connect with industry mentors and employers, enhances their capabilities and elevates their potential to differentiate in today’s highly competitive employment market. The program is aimed at university students completing a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics Bachelor’s degree or a dual Bachelor’s degree with Arts.

I volunteered to be an Industry Mentor where I connected with a small yet diverse group of students. The mentoring sessions provided participants accelerated access to leaders and engagement with professionals to discuss their reflections and contextualize their learning

from the program. I gained a deeper respect for these young people who asked for guidance on several very challenging workplace and interpersonal scenarios regarding leading and working with teams. Some examples of the queries include strategies for when first starting in a new organisation, how to get your point across when you are an introvert, how to have conversations with difficult individuals and handling conflict. All big challenges in the workplace.

I believe it is very important to assist the career development of new entrants to make their pathway to a profession much more knowledgeable and streamlined. Gone are the days where onboarding staff or developing the workforce is fend for yourself or deliberately letting individuals “fail” to learn.

The faster new entrants become competent, through assistance and guidance from others, the more valuable they are as corporate knowledge and assets but more importantly they are empowered to achieve and will be more connected to the organisation and industry.

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QLDWATER

QLDWATER REPORT Dave Cameron CEO, qldwater

hard work and ultimately the proponents drifted away from the model.

There is something about acquiring a certain amount of grey hair which makes you both reflective and forces you to think about what you want to achieve and whether you still have enough time to do it. In our industry, change can often be glacially slow, punctuated by disruptors like COVID or other emerging crises which capture public attention.

Now, thanks to the efforts of a few champions and the collaborating councils of Mackay, Isaac, Whitsunday, Townsville, Cairns and Burdekin, the Regional Water Industry Pilot Program (RWIPP) has won awards and is in the running for perhaps the most prestigious – as the Queensland representative in AWA’s Organisational Excellence Awards. It is also expanding to other Queensland regions through the support of the Queensland Water Regional Alliance Program (QWRAP).

As a staff group at qldwater we do a lot of brainstorming to try to keep innovating in member services and when you are one of the older heads who has been around a while, it’s a challenge to avoid saying “we’ve tried that, and it didn’t work.” It is important to remember that the reasons an idea might not have succeeded in the past may no longer exist, or it may just have needed the right champion to drive it. I can point to several projects which were completely unfeasible a few years ago but which are now part of business as usual thanks to COVID.

So being around a while also means seeing a few cycles – droughts and flooding rains, technology preferences, and many government changes. Our state government colleagues have been relatively quiet since December with the appointment of new Ministers and Senior Executives. Our federal colleagues on the other hand appear to have taken advantage of lockdowns to think of new surveys and regulatory tweaks. We’ve seen some straight-out silly stuff – a consultation period for one activity of four weeks (impossible to handle meaningfully as a peak body trying to corral the views of a diverse membership) which also included an admission that a joint industry submission was being “counted” as one vote for a topic along with all the other smaller submissions, despite reflecting the interests of over 200 organisations.

There are bigger programs in this category too. When I started with qldwater back in 2008, one of my first major tasks was to establish a collaborative program called Water Industry Worker, which built on a model developed by Brisbane Water. Thanks to some great people in SEQ it has become a fundamental part of the way network roles in several utilities were structured and trained.

After a few years, we decided to have a tilt at introducing it elsewhere in Queensland. It was

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Whinge over – what’s really important in this space at the moment?

We hope that the complementary activities of

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the (well-resourced) review of the National Performance Report (NPR), and Productivity Commission review of the National Water Initiative (NWI) start to influence urban water policy as what we’ve seen so far are some well-considered arguments and smart writing. Here is a quick summary of what various peak bodies are saying about the urban water part of the current draft PC report in their public submissions: Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) • WSAA’s main themes in its original submission recommendations were: 1. A new National Water Initiative 2. Planning Australia’s Water Security 3. Shaping Cities to Create Liveable Communities 4. Financial Resilience and Affordability 5. Delivery in Remote Areas & Recognising Indigenous Water Values 6. Commitment to Research & Innovation 7. A National Approach • It indicated strong support for the draft report, particularly referencing • Increased focus on climate change and ATSI engagement; and • “all options on the table” including purified recycled water • It is keen to see expansion of the report to provide guidance to governments, to include: • Defining better and more robust governance architecture for a new NWI

QLDWATER regulators need support to effectively address this and make significant change less threatening An example is economic regulation. The report acknowledges strongly that it must deliver a positive costbenefit to be considered.

However, economic regulation is effectively absent in Queensland at present, and the organisations which are currently impacted could question the positive costbenefit test. We are a long way from an effective model, and there is an opportunity to provide more guidance Kellie Lister, Learning and Development Project Coordinator – Water Industry Worker at Mackay Regional Council receiving the Organisational Excellence Award for the Regional Water Industry Worker Pilot Program at the AWA Qld Regional Conference.

• The role of incentives as a catalyst to national action and support for a new NWI • Further examining stormwater models for integrated water management • Clarifying the role of benchmarking to support the performance of the industry.

WSAA has called for the strengthening of the NWI with an appropriate body to govern and drive the Initiative for a long time, presenting strong evidence to support the growing neglect of the urban water sector since the cessation of the National Water Commission.

Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) • Highlights the challenges of population decline and accessing skills in the draft report and suggests strengthening • Supports integrated water cycle management, but suggests the objectives and desired outcomes need work, particularly in relation to stormwater • Support for best practice planning objectives and emphasis on climate change while acknowledging the need

for more detail in some areas • Seeks a better focus on the impact of extractive industries and incorporation into statutory planning • Support for independent price monitoring with caveats • Desire for dedicated water and sewerage funding streams • Promotion of QWRAP, seeking better recognition of the success and importance of the program Queensland Water Directorate (qldwater) • Strong support for the draft report and supporting papers, and recommendations on planning, best practice independent economic regulation, benchmarking and improvement to the NPR, established minimum levels of service and customer service obligation (CSO) concept • Pleas to re-examine some key sections to consider better describing “next steps” – something which has been done well in some sections.

Strategic reports can be very aspirational, many of the recommendations contained have political implications, and policymakers and

• Caution around the integrated water cycle management principles and incorporation of stormwater. The concept is theoretically sound – in practice the institutional impediments (noted in the report) are significant • Suggestion that the same principles of positive costbenefit must be applied to increased reporting and benchmarking to help protect less well-resourced utilities from significant costs • Reinforcing the need to rethink the current grant funding models, and specific support for the call in the supporting paper to map out a pathway to CSOs • Call to better reflect skilling challenges, including emerging issues which impact the sector nationally, not just Queensland • Call to increase the profile of regional alliances and QWRAP – collaboration which is happening through a successful model as opposed to the more aspirational reform implied throughout We are always keen to hear your views… especially if they don’t agree with those expressed here.

Until next time.

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Book your next meeting, video conference, course, product launch or function at Public Works Professionals

Onsite parking Video Recording Studio Visitor Lounge Workstations, booths and executive offices High speed Internet with unlimited data Just 8kms from the airport and 5kms from the CBD

phone-square 07 3632 6800  info@ipweaq.com map-marker Level 1, 6 Eagleview Place, Eagle Farm 4009 112

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

IPWEAQ UPDATES

NEW IPWEAQ TEAM MEMBERS Rebecca Sek – Marketing Coordinator

Varuni Chandola – Marketing Coordinator

I love discovering new places and going on scenic hikes. I recently visited Girraween National Park with my family and hiked up a giant granite rock. The views from the top were amazing! It is a great way to get in a bit of exercise and makes for plenty of great photo opportunities. If you love a scenic hike I highly recommend this one.

A soon to be Communication graduate, a nonidentical twin to my sister and an avid coffee drinker (mostly to manage stressful deadlines) would currently describe me the best! Originally from New Delhi, India I moved to Brisbane two years ago to pursue a Master’s degree and make an independent living.

In my spare time, I take on photography sessions for families, couples and small events. I love photographing couples and am looking at doing more wedding photography in the near future.

When I am not working, studying or being a mentee, you can find me browsing for the best Pilates studio in Brisbane, getting my head around Australian slang (all of which I extremely love), reading at The State Library of Queensland, or arguing with my friends about why cricket is the best sport ever!

IPWEAQ Board Elections: In accordance with clause 36(d)(i) of the IPWEAQ constitution nominations are now called for nine positions on the IPWEAQ Board:President, Vice President, At-Large (two positions), and a Branch President in each of the five branches: CQ, NT, NQ, SEQ, SWQ. Please complete the online form and declarations and submit before 4pm Tuesday 13 July 2021.

Please contact the Returning Officer, Leigh Cunningham if you should have any queries.

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MEET THE TEAM IPWEAQ LEIGH CUNNINGHAM

CRAIG MOSS

DR NEAL LAKE

Chief Executive Officer  Leigh.Cunningham@ipweaq.com

Director, Professional Services  Craig.Moss@ipweaq.com

Director, Engineering Practice  Neal.Lake@ipweaq.com

MARK LAMONT

Director, Information & Resources  Mark.Lamont@ipweaq.com

SCOTT BRITTON Director, Policy & Partnerships  Scott.Britton@ipweaq.com

MONICA ROBERTSON Senior Manager, Events & Marketing  Monica.Robertson@ipweaq.com

DAVID THOMPSON

JULIET SCHAFFER

TAMMI PETRE

Industry Engagement Manager  David.Thompson@ipweaq.com

Learning & Assessment Coordinator  juliet.schaffer@ipweaq.com

Professional Development Manager  Tammi.Petre@ipweaq.com

DANEELE MCBRIDE

JOHANNA VANLING

Engagement Coordinator  Daneele.McBride@ipweaq.com

Marketing Coordinator  rebecca.sek@ipweaq.com

VARUNI CHANDOLA

JAMES PRICE

KATIE WRIGHT

Marketing Coordinator  varuni.chandola@ipweaq.com

Media Coordinator  james.price@ipweaq.com

Bookkeeper  Katie.Wright@ipweaq.com

CHLOE BEGLEY Administrator  Chloe.Begley@ipweaq.com

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REBECCA SEK

Relationship Manager  Johanna.Vanling@ipweaq.com

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

MEET THE TEAM QLDWATER

DAVID CAMERON

DR ROB FEARON

DAVID SCHELTINGA

Chief Executive Officer  dcameron@qldwater.com.au

Director, Innovation Partnerships  rfearon@qldwater.com.au

Manager, SWIM  dscheltinga@qldwater.com.au

DR LOUISE REEVES

CARLIE SARGENT

DESIRÉ GRALTON

Program Research Coordinator  lreeves@qldwater.com.au

Project Coordinator – Skills  Carlie.Sargent@qldwater.com

Manager, Communications  dgralton@qldwater.com.au

RYAN COSGROVE

NAOMI CARRAGHER

Project Coordinator and Researcher  rcosgrove@qldwater.com.au

Project Support Assistant  NCarragher@qldwater.com.au

qldwater is a business unit of IPWEAQ

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INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

PARTNER PROGRAM 2021 - 2022 EXCLUSIVE Exclusive offerings and priority across all our partner services for our Principal Partners.

ENTERPRISE $7,700

PRINCIPAL $12,800

ANNUAL CONFERENCE, CAIRNS, 12-14 OCTOBER 2021 Check A trade booth and priority allocation before non-Partner exhibitors plus two delegate registrations (value $4,500).

Check 10% discount on all sponsorship opportunities.

All entitlements in Enterprise plus the following exclusive Principal Partner benefits: Check A double trade booth at the Annual Conference (value $9,000).

Check Branding/sponsorship of an excellence award and presentation of the award on stage (value $1,200).

Check A Public Works TV episode (value $1,000).

Check Guaranteed booths at all branch conferences.

Check A VIP table in a prime position at the 2021 excellence awards gala dinner.

Check Full page advertorial or two 1/2 page advertorials in any issue of Engineering for Public Works (value up to $1,560).

Check A branded community in our globally-recognised Knowledge Centre.

Upload videos, product guides, media releases, photos and other promotional materials (value $1,800).

Check 20% discount on venue hire at our facilities in Eagle Farm.

PRESIDENT’S BREAKFAST, BRISBANE 4 FEBRUARY 2022 Check Two tickets to our President’s Breakfast to thank our Partners for their contribution to our successes.

PROMOTING YOUR BRAND Check Your logo displayed in every issue of Engineering for Public Works.

Check 10% discount on venue hire at our facilities in Eagle Farm.

Check Your logo on our website and conference websites linked to your website.

Check Your logo featured in our Conference Handbooks and in our conference apps.

Total value $22,000 plus

BRANCH CONFERENCES Your choice of three of the following: • SWQ Branch Conference, Toowoomba • CQ Branch Conference, Gladstone • NQ Branch Conference, Mackay • Forum (date and topic to be finalised) • Symposium (date and topic to be finalised) • Host a product/services launch at our Public Works Professionals Office in Eagle Farm. Invites will be distributed on your behalf to IPWEAQ’s database.

Note: all prices plus GST

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

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

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

www.ipweaq.com

3939

Total value $10,000 plus

PRINCIPAL PARTNERS

ENTERPRISE PARTNERS

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SUBSCRIBERS PUBLIC WORKS TECHNICAL SUBSCRIPTION

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

SUBSCRIBERS PUBLIC WORKS TECHNICAL SUBSCRIPTION

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ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS

MEDIA KIT 2021 ENGINEERING

FOR PUBLIC WORKS ISSN 2652-6050 (ONLINE)

ISSUE NUMBER

18

ROAD WORKS

Future Transport Needs Innovation P 56

Who’s to Blame for Unsafe Roads?

P 48

Roads Pave a Way through COVID-19 downturn P 46

www.ipweaq.com

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

IPWEAQ is the peak body representing those actively involved in the public works sector in Queensland.

Our purpose is to enhance the quality of life for all Queensland communities by advancing the skills, knowledge and resources available to those involved in the planning and provision of public works and services.

Our Value Propositions 1 Members enjoy a strong sense of community through our proactive branch network.

2 Our Knowledge Centre is an essential resource for anyone involved in public works in Queensland.

3 Our quarterly e-journal is valued for its technical and industry relevant content.

4 IPWEAQ technical products are widelyadopted and are leading edge.

5 IPWEAQ conferences are must-attend events.

6 IPWEAQ’s comprehensive professional development program is innovative and exceeds the needs of members and industry.

7 Our water directorate (qldwater) strengths the urban water industry to maintain and improve the safety, health, wellbeing and sustainability of Queensland communities.

8 An IPWEAQ excellence award is highly sought after.

9 IPWEAQ upholds professional standards as an RPEQ assessor.

10 IPWEAQ influences government and industry.

FOR PUBLIC WORKS | MEDIA KIT 2021 ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021 1ENGINEERING 20

PUBLICATION DATES Four issues per year: • March • June • September • December (conference feature)

Special editions: • Excellence Awards commemorative book • Annual Conference handbook (November)

Artwork and editorial due 15th day of prior month eg 15 February for March issue.

WHY ADVERTISE IN EPW? Your connection to thousands of professionals delivering projects for state and local government across Queensland.

Engineering for Public Works

Articles, reports, features and news on the public works sector in Queensland with a focus on the engineering of our communities.

Distribution:

Circulated quarterly to over 6,000 contacts across the sector and around the world.

Performance:

Over 150,000 digital impressions, more than 22,000 Reads and 600 Clicks.

Readers:

Engineers, technicians, surveyors, financial professionals, planners, designers, legislators, councillors and others involved in the delivery of public works and services.

EPW reaches more than 6,000 members, industry partners and local government decision-makers.

Top 5 countries reading EPW:

Australia

20,110

USA

1,184

New Zealand

186

UK

109

India

ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS |ENGINEERING MEDIA KIT 2021 FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021

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ADVERTISING RATES AND SPECIFICATIONS Check Prices do not include artwork design Check Prices are exclusive of GST Check Artwork must be supplied in high-resolution print ready format - PDF preferred Check No crop or bleed marks (except for full and double pages)

Check Fonts must be embedded and graphics linked Check Files supplied as CMYK colour space Check Images must be at least 300dpi at the correct size Check Large files can be sent via Dropbox

Front Cover - $3,490 per issue Check Front cover image Check Full page display ad

Check Double page spread with 800 word feature article in first ten pages Check Circulated to up to 500 contacts provided by you

FULL PAGE $1,200

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD $2,200

297mm x 210mm

297mm x 420mm

3mm bleed all edges

3mm bleed all edges

1/2 PAGE VERTICAL STRIP $780

HALF PAGE HORIZONTAL $780

1/4 PAGE $480

1/3 PAGE HORIZ STRIP $650 261mm x 90mm

124mm x 180mm

1/8 PAGE $370

124mm x 83.5mm 78mm x 180mm

62mm x 83.5mm

Johanna Vanling Relationship Manager

3647

07 3632 6803 Johanna.Vanling@ipweaq.com

FOR PUBLIC WORKS | MEDIA KIT 2021 ENGINEERING FOR PUBLIC WORKS | JUNE 2021 1ENGINEERING 22

INFORMS. CONNECTS. REPRESENTS. LEADS.

PUBLIC WORKS TECHNICAL SUBSCRIPTION Check

NEW Access to IPWEAQ’s Temporary Traffic Management Toolkit

Check Access to selected IPWEAQ technical

solutions • Standard Drawings full set which can be shared with constituents • The multiuser version of the Queensland Urban Drainage Manual (QUDM) • Lower Order Road Design Guidelines (LORDG) • The Supervisor’s Handbook Check Complimentary registration to the Annual

Conference for • One delegate • Your Mayor and CEO • Councillors (unlimited) Check NEW Complimentary registrations for two team members to attend any IPWEAQ branch conference, symposia or forum (excludes Annual Conference – see above inclusion) Check 10% discount on annual ADAC subscription

Total value over $15,325 plus GST

Check 10% discount on professional development

Contact Relationship Manager Johanna.Vanling@ipweaq.com

3632 6803



3949

$5,000 plus GST

workshops for all staff

www.ipweaq.com

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www.ipweaq.com