IPWEA Vic Blog

THE MEFvic Board of Trustees have announced the MEFvic Scholarship recipients for 2012.  Two tours will be held in 2012, one to Europe in June to join in the IFME conference in Helsinki and the other in August to USA to join in the APWA conference.

Six participants have been selected to participate in the following tours –

The first tour is to Europe on an itinerary of up to two weeks planned by the recipients and is to include the International Federation of Municipal Engineering World Congress in Helsinki, Finland from 4th to 10th June 2012.

Scholarship recipients are –

Cohen Van der Velde, Infrastructure Projects Manager, Bass Coast Shire Council

Oliver Vido, Manager Infrastructure Services, Greater Dandenong City Council

Simon Thomas, General Manager City Works, Stonnington City Council

The second tour is to the United States of America and Canada on an itinerary of up to three weeks planned by recipients and is to include the American Public Works Association Congress in Anaheim, California, from 26th to 29th August 2012.

Scholarship recipients are –

Glenn Deaker, Manager Operations, Central Goldfields Shire Council

Vito Albicini, Director Infrastructure Services, Yarra City Council

David Elson, Manager Asset Planning, Boroondara City Council

Bookmark to:

In accordance with the organisations tradition the IPWEAvic Presidents Medal was passed from outgoing president, Mark Varmalis, to incoming president, David Sutcliffe at teh IPWEAvic Business Luncehon held on 11 November 2011 at The Gables Mansion in East Malvern.

Bookmark to:

MEF Victoria is making scholarship awards available during 2012 to engineers who are working within local government in Victoria.  Two tours each of three tour places are being offered and it is proposed that the recipients will participate in Victorian group focused tours.
Nominations are now being invited for these scholarships.

• The first tour is to Europe on an itinerary of up to two weeks planned by the recipients and is to include the International Federation of Municipal Engineering World Congress in Helsinki, Finland from 4th to 10th June 2012.
• The second tour is to the United States of America and Canada on an itinerary of up to three weeks planned by recipients and is to include the American Public Works Association Congress in Anaheim, California, from 26th to 29th August 2012.

Each selected recipient will receive a scholarship of $8,500.

MEF Victoria has formed the view that there are a number of important community issues including the planning and delivery of public works, environmental sustainability, asset management and project management, where the results of research overseas may significantly benefit the municipal engineering profession.  The Foundation would welcome applications that nominate a topic of study that addresses an issue of importance and has specific application to municipal engineers.  Tour recipients will be required to provide a report on their topic of study and research.

Closing Date : The closing date for applications for scholarships is Friday 27th January 2012 and are to be forwarded to the MEF Secretary by email to mefvic@ozemail.com.au.

Further Details : Requests for conditions and specifications and all other enquiries regarding scholarships should be made to the Secretary, Municipal Engineering Foundation Victoria, Telephone (03) 9699 1599 Fax (03) 9682 8977, (PO Box 5175, South Melbourne  3205).  E-mail: mefvic@ozemail.com.au or are available on the MEF Vic website at www.mefvic.org.au.

Bookmark to:

2012 IPWEAvic Excellence Awards – Nominations are now open.  A copy of the Nomination Form and accompanying details can be obtained by sending an email to Anne Gibbs at agibbs@ipwea.org.au or downloaded here.

Categories include:

1. Capital Project Award(s)

2. Asset Management Award

3. Public Works Engineering – Innovative Practice and /or Service Delivery Award

4. IPWEAvic Public Works Practitioner of the Year – People Awards

* IPWEA Engineer/Technician of the year

* Young IPWEAvic Engineer/Technician of the year

Applications close Friday 17 February 2012.

visit the awards website at http://www.ipwea.com/awards2012

Bookmark to:

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

Bookmark to:

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.

Bookmark to:

Read the article in the Maryborough Advertiser about the Shire of Central Goldfileds win in the Capital Project over $3M category in the 2011 IPWEAvic Awards for Excellence. Access the article on the Station Domain Project here

Tony Rijs, winner of the 2011 MEFvic Cedric Tuxen Medal was honored by his municpality.  Read the article here.

Read the IPWEAvic Media release of the IPWEAvic Awards for Excellence 2011 here.

Bookmark to:

The Municipal Engineering Foundation is prepared to offer three scholarships in the form of the registration fee (i.e. $1,870 each) to attend the IPWEA National Public Works conference to be held in Canberra  21-25 august 2011.  Accommodation and transport and food costs are to be paid by the recipient.

The scholarships are open to:- 

1.  “young” engineers
2. first timers at a National IPWEA Conference
3. with preference given to engineers of rural councils.

Submissions should contain details of the applicants organisation, position, and contact details and one paragraph as to why the canditate is seeking a scholarship to this event.

If you would like to apply for one of these scholarships please email your submission to Anne Gibbs at agibbs@ipwea.org.au or phone on 03 9005 0860 for a confidential chat.

Applications close Friday 29 July 2011. 

Note that the conference is to take place in a parliamentary sitting week so accommodation in canberra will be scarce.  Information relating to the conference can be found at 
http://www.alloccasionsgroup.com/ipwea-conference-2011-registration

Bookmark to:

The MEFvic will hold a luncheon to present the awardees of the 2011 Study Tour Scholarships on Friday 5th August 2011.  The luncheon will be held at Kew Golf Club.  You must register to attend.  Download details and registration form here

Winners of the study tour scholarships for 2011 are:

• Katherine O’Connell from Stonnington,
• Peter Robertson from Warrnambool,
• Chris Lyne from Mornington Peninsula

Bookmark to:

Tony Rijs has been awarded the Cedric Tuxen Medal by the Municipal Engineering Foundation of Victora at a Gala Dinner on 11 May 2011.

Tony is a Director at City of Kingston and is a public works engineering practitioner who has displayed engineering excellence continuously over a long and distinguished local government career.  He has at all times shared his experience and knowledge with colleagues in the sector for the advancement and promotion of public works engineering and local government engineering in particular.

• Tony served as an IPWEA(Vic) Board representative on the joint IPWEA/MWOA Conference Committee for over 15 years, overseeing the Conference program and the technical content in particular.  In that time, he was instrumental in taking the Conference from a State event to a National event.  The Conference proceeds over that time have continuously grown and been fundamental to the financial wellbeing of both the MWOA(Vic) and IPWEA(Vic).
• Tony actively served on the IPWEA(Vic) Board for over a decade and gave generously of his time to the development of local government and public works engineering.
• Tony has been a regular presenter at conferences, seminars and industry events, and is widely regarded in the sector for his expertise and knowledge
• Tony has undertaken at least two overseas study tours to research and report on key municipal engineering activities.
• Tony has held Executive positions in local government engineering for over two decades at Mordialloc and Kingston Councils and provided industry leadership and innovation in areas like waste management, rehabilitation of old landfill sites, procurement and WSUD.

Bookmark to: