Welcome

Message from the Mayor of the City of Townsville

On behalf of the City of Townsville, I’m delighted to welcome you to the 2017 Queensland State Conference of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia.

The theme for this year’s conference is ‘sustainability through inspired leadership and community engagement’ which will feature across 12 streams and keynote presentations.

We’re thrilled to be hosting this event for the opportunities it provides to further grow our city and its aspirations.

In Townsville we have several transformational projects under way and about to commence, including the $250m Integrated Stadium and Entertainment Complex and the Waterfront Priority Development Area, which will provide greater connectivity between key precincts.

So, it’s of special interest that this year’s compere is internationally renowned business and leadership authority, Alan Patching, who has overseen the management and redevelopment of several major stadiums, including Sydney’s Olympic stadium and Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

I’m also looking forward to this year’s topic for the Great Debate, the final session of the program, which is ‘smart cities are not that smart’.

As the first community to be part of the City Deal in Australia, under the joint agreement between all three levels of government, Townsville has a renewed focus on improving the lives of residents through job creation, economic growth, investment in infrastructure, a revitalised urban centre, and a more vibrant and liveable city.

We all learned a great deal at last year’s conference about collaborative engineering and, as Townsville continues to grow and develop into the capital of the North, we look forward to hearing more about your experiences in public works engineering.

I hope you enjoy this year’s conference and you have a pleasant stay in Townsville.

Cr Jenny Hill Mayor