Archive for August, 2011

The Engineers Australia Geelong Group met over dinner on Thursday 28th July at Sailor’s Rest in Geelong in conjunction with Women In Engineering and supported by IPWEAvic and CCF.  Over 50 people (both men and women) were present to listen to presentations from Mark Toner and Gunilla Burrowes regarding improving your career prospects in a male-dominated organisation.  Some advice given included:

  • figure out the organisation’s unwritten rules
  • be fun to work with
  • figure out how your organisation rewards its staff
  • create opportunities to show your manager and senior mangement that you are:
    • conscientious, responsible and respectful
    • trying to make the organisation more successful
    • creative
    • ambitious
    • uncomplicated as a person
  • don’t accept bullying
  • ask for mentoring and coaching
  • develop internal and external contacts to assist your organisation and your careeer
  • work hard at your job as an engineer, make hte most of IPWEAvic membership and EA membership and CPD
  • raise your visibility in the organisation by taking on new roles internally or externally
  • read self improvement and management books
  • plan your career

Engineers Australia Victoria diviosn is calling for nominations for hte EA Victoria Divison Individual Award in two categories:

  • Professional Engineer of the Year
  • Young Professional Engineer of the Year

Nominations close Friday 26 August 2011.  Nomination form and details available at http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/divisions/victoria-division/awards

The next IPWEAvic Leadership Series Business Luncheon is to be held on Friday 12th August 12noon to 2pm in Shepparton, 90 Welsford Street at the Council offices of Greater Shepparton City Council. 

Peter Harriet will speak on leadership in regional areas.  The Minster for Local Government, Hon Jeanette Powell, has been invited to attend if she can fit this into her busy schedule.  RSVP by Wed 10th August for catering purposes would be appreciated.

Download flyer here

Test your Attraction Power and answer this one question

If you were to seek advice from one of only two people available one who was a competent jerk (ie great with the technical aspects of the job but low on people skills) or an affable fool (ie someone who has great people skills but not so competent at their job) who would you choose?

IPWEAvic Board would like to put together a history of IPWEA and its predecessor organisations in victoria.  The Board is interested in documenting the past presidents and brief biographies of those involved in past contributions to our wonderful organisation and those who have provided significant service to the local government engineering industry.  If you are able to asssit on this project please contact Anne Gibbs at agibbs@ipwea.org.au or Ross Goyne at ross@rjgconsulting.vic.gov.au

The next IPWEAvic Geelong Regional Group Meeting will be held on Thursday 11 August 2011 at Grovedale Hotel, 236/258 Surfcoast Hwy Grovedale.  The event will be sponsored by Stabised Pavements nad will commence 6pm for 6:30pm.  Please RSVP to Dianne Chrimes by Friday 5 August 2011 via email dchrimes@geelongcity.vic.gov.au or phone 5272 4345.

Downlaod Agenda here

The next IPWEA Wimmera Mallee Regional Group Meeting is scheduled for 10am on Tuesday 16 August and  is to be held in the Wimmera Room, HRCC Civic Centre, Roberts Av, Horsham.  Items for discussion inlcude channel decommissioning, results of Regional Asset Management,  MERO’s meet the new Emergency Management (Fire) Co-Ordinator for WWSC, HSC, YSC and HRCC, Rhonda McNeil.

If you would like to attend please notify the new Regional Group co-ordinator, Martin Duke martin.duke@hrcc.vic.gov.au

The American Public Works Association is running a webinar on microtrenching on Thursday August 25th 4am Eastern Standard Time!  Yes 4am so you may need to be keen.  The webinar  is scheduled for 11am on Wednesday 24th Agusut Pacific Time in USA and Canada (GMT -7hrs) which translates to 4am Melbourne Time (17 hours ahead).  Here’s a bit about the webinar:

“To meet the ever-growing demand for bandwidth-consuming Internet applications, network service providers are rapidly deploying state-of-the-art fiber networks. Answering the call, utility installers are considering new and cost-effective installation options like microtrenching.
Microtrenching is an installation method in which a narrow (.75 to 2.25-inch) and relatively shallow trench (8 to 16 inches) is cut, typically on one side of a roadway. Then a vacuum system connected to the cutter wheel attachment diverts and transports the dry and dusty spoil away from the worksite. Once the conduit pipe is laid, the trench is backfilled with a grout compound. An asphalt sealer may then be used to finish the cut flush with the surface. It’s all completed in one quick and efficient pass.
This webinar will provide an overview of the microtrenching process and equipment, as well as present a case study in how the system has been used on fiber projects in the Southwest.”

For more details and to join the webinar place the following url in your browser https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/402547115

If you do join the webinar I would be interested in your feedback to vic@ipwea.org.au

The IPWEAvic Board will attend the North-East reigonal Group meeting on 12th August in Shepparton at Greater Shepparton City Council, 90 Welsford St Shepparton, commencing at 12noon with a light luncheon.  Guest speaker, Peter Harriet, General Manager Asset Development at Greater Shepparton City, will share some of his thoughts on the key challenges facing the Public Works professionals in the coming years in regional Victoria.  The Minister for Local Government, Hon Jeanette Powell, who will be in Shepparton on this day, has also been invited to attend the meeting but as yet has not indicated if she can fit it into her tight schedule.  A draft agenda can be accessed here.

Both members and non members are welcome to attend.  To assist iwth catering it would be appreciated if you could advise by email to vic@ipwea.org.au of your intention to join the meeting.

The MEFvic held an awardee luncheon on Friday 5th August 2011 at Kew Golf Course.  Three study tour awardees for 2011 were acknowledged:-

  • Katherine O’Connell, Project Manager, City of Stonnington
  • Peter Robertson, Director City Infrastructure, City of Warrnambool
  • Chris Lyne, Project Manager, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council

The recipients will participate in a Victorian group focused tour which will include attendance at the American Public Works Association Congress in Denver, Colarado and include visits to municipalities in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom.

We look forward to hearing of thier tour and reading their study tour reports.

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