ENGINEERING THRIVING
COMMUNITIES
THE IPWEA (VICTORIA)’S 2019 PUBLIC WORKS CONFERENCE WILL PROVIDE A KEY PLATFORM FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROFESSIONALS TO DISCUSS THE MAJOR INNOVATIONS AND DEVELOPMENTS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF VICTORIA’S PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
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ith 60 years of excellence to celebrate in 2019, the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia’s Victorian Division (IPWEA VIC) is marking the occasion this May with what CEO David Hallett anticipates will be one of the organisation’s best Public Works Conferences yet – PWC19. Held at Arts Centre Melbourne 9-10 May, PWC19 will enable IPWEA members, industry professionals and leaders from all parts of the public works sector to engage, collaborate and share ideas around the industry’s future. Attracting stakeholders from the public works sector and in local government, including engineers, asset managers, contractors and consultants, the two-day conference program and theme aims to highlight the core driver for the industry. “This year, the overall theme of the conference is ‘Engineering Thriving Communities’, which is about refocusing on who we work for – which is the community at large – and how we can best deliver what they want and need,” Mr. Hallett explains. To provide a unique platform and vital professional development opportunities for public works engineers across Victoria, the PWC19 program is split into four key streams: technology, asset management, sustainability and leadership. Led by keynotes from the Hon Trish White, Engineers Australia President, and Dr. Graeme Emonson, Executive Director for Local Government Victoria, the technology-focused aspect of the conference will shine a light on the latest innovations and milestones in this area. This includes everything from holographic 54
ROADS APRIL 2019
computing and virtual reality, through to road sensors for embedded fibreoptics and flood-resilient pavements. Mr. Hallett says asset management is another area becoming increasingly important for public works engineers and other key stakeholders, particularly at the
local government level. “Asset management, which is becoming a more and more innovative field, is a relatively new discipline that benefits from the skills and experience of engineers, especially those in local government. We’re also expecting a
The conference will enable industry professionals and leaders to collaborate and share ideas around the industry’s future.
