From the President

THE AUSTRALASIAN SOCIETY FOR TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY ABN 43 893 870 966 18 Frinton Place Greenwood, WA 6024 www.astt.com.au jeffpace@astt.com.au President: Ben Crosby Secretary: Jeff Pace Vice President: Blair Telfer

COUNCILLORS Western Australia: Trevor Gosatti Queensland: Ben Crosby New South Wales: Matthew Boyle Victoria: Justin Shepherd South Australia: Shaun Melville New Zealand: Blair Telfer Northern Territory: Vacant Tasmania: Vacant

INTERIM REPRESENTATIVES Sudipta Basu

Welcome to the December 2021 edition of Trenchless Australasia.

This issue brings to a close another year of this publication and what a year it has been. Like 2020, the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has meant it’s not been without it’s challenges. However, during my personal and the society’s interactions with our members and the wider industry, I have been heartened by the optimistic outlook and the ‘business as usual’ attitude which has been adopted over the last two years. Some have found it harder than others, and for them, I am sure 2022 promises to be a more positive one.

These challenges included the postponement of what was scheduled to be No-Dig Down Under 2021. While the situation was forced, with the majority of Australia and New Zealand in lockdown for a period of time, I was thrilled to see the overwhelming majority of the supporters of the event re-commit to the new dates in March in 2022.

Like many in the industry, I can’t wait to catch-up with old faces and meet the new additions to our industry – of which there are many – since the last No-Dig in Melbourne in 2019. While the exhibition has now sold out, if your company missed out on the opportunity to secure a stand then I would encourage you to register for the waitlist in the event space does become available. Failing that, there’s always the option to register for the event as a delegate and attend our social functions, which are always a lot of fun and a great opportunity for networking.

Coinciding with No-Dig next year the frequency of this magazine will be increasing from quarterly to bi-monthly, reflecting the continued growth of the industry and the uptake of trenchless solutions. There’s more than enough news, project and products to sustain these additional issues and it also means the magazine will cover New Zealand and each major Australian state or territory once each year.

In addition, in 2022 each edition will incorporate and focus on a specific theme. These include topics which are integral to our industry, such as women in trenchless technology, emissions reduction and safety. Trenchless Australasia continues to be one of the world’s leading proponents of no-dig news and information, and these introductions for 2022 will only serve to solidify the publication’s international standing.

In the meantime, I wish you all the best for a prosperous and safe Christmas and New Year, and look forward to seeing you all in person in 2022!

Ben Crosby ASTT President bencrosby@bamser.com.au