IPWEA Vic Blog

Show what your organisation can do and nominate for the 2014 IPWEAvic Awards for Excellence.

4 categories are available:

1. Capital Project Awards (under $1M and over $1M)

2. Asset Managmenet Award

3. Public Works Engineering – Innovative

4. People Awards

Download an application from HERE

Nominations accepted until Friday 7th February.

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MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING FOUNDATION VICTORIA – 2014 OVERSEAS STUDY TOUR SCHOLARSHIPS

MEF Victoria is making overseas study tour scholarship awards available to engineers who are working within local government in Victoria to participate in a Victorian group focused tour during 2014.

Nominations are now being invited for these scholarships. Four scholarships are being provided directly by the Foundation.

An additional scholarship is being jointly funded by the Foundation and the City of Boroondara as a tribute to the late David Powell, Trustee of the Foundation and Director of Environment and Infrastructure, City of Boroondara. This scholarship will be provided to a young engineer applicant from a rural council within Victoria.

MEF Victoria has formed the view that there are a number of important community issues regarding project management, storm water and waste management, impact of climate change, and the planning and delivery of public works where the results of research overseas may significantly benefit the municipal engineering profession. The Foundation would welcome and give priority to nominations that address these important topics. This is not to exclude other study topics of choice that has been a successful feature of the program in the past and particularly if the topic is important and has specific application to municipal engineers.

These scholarships provide for the selected recipients to attend the APWA Congress in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 17^th to 20^th August 2014 followed by a further two weeks study on an itinerary prepared by the study tour group that may include USA, Canada and UK. The scholarships provide grants of $10,000 to each engineer selected.

Closing Date

The closing date for scholarships is Friday 30^th January 2014 and applications are to be forwarded to the MEF Secretary by email to mefvic@ozemail.com.au.

Further Details

All other enquiries regarding scholarships should be made to the Secretary, Municipal Engineering Foundation Victoria, Telephone 0412 115 055, e-mail: mefvic@ozemail.com.au. Conditions & Guidelines for applications are available here.

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A 5 minute member online poll was held early December seeking members input to the prioritisation of the strategic direction of IPWEAvic for 2014.  The IPWEAvic Board met on 6 December to consider the strategy into 2014.

Thankyou to all who took part in the member poll.  The results were as follows:

Top Strategic Objective for 2014

The number one objective for 2014 from the member survey was determined as providing professional development opportunities in the form of conferences, seminars, information sessions, webinars and networking opportunities.

54.3% – Professional Development and Events
36.4% – Best Practice
18.2% – Information Exchange
18.2% – Policy and Advice
18.2% – Strategic Alliances
18.2% – Organisational Capability
9.1% –  Leadership and Innovation

Importance of Each of the 7 Strategic Objectives

The importance of each of the 7 strategic priorities was ranked in the member poll in the following order from highest importance to lowest importance:

• Professional Development and Events
• Best Practice
• Information Exchange
• Policy and Advice
• Strategic Alliances
• Organisational Capability
• Leadership and Innovation

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Asset Management in Parks Seminar was held on 27th November 2013 at Manningham Function Centre and sponsored by Yardstick and Citywide.  It was a terrific conversation with much networking and exchange of ideas between the 70+ participants.

The Seminar program can be downloaded here

The powerpoint presentations of the speakers are listed below and can be accessed  by clicking on the presenters name:

Issues for Asset Management in Parks – Steve Verity, Asset Management Specialist, JRA (2.8MB)

Industry Perspective, John Hennessy, MAV (888MB)

Yardstick Program, Jayson Kelly, Director, Yardstick (2MB)

Case Study: Brimbank City Council – Creating Better Parks Strategy – Adrian Gray, Acting Manager Urban Design and Bright Osagiede, Asset & Spatial Information Coordinator, Brimbank City Council (16.8MB)

Asset Management Along Waterways, Gavan O’Neill,Manager Special Areas & Asset Management Improvement  Melbourne Water  (7.7MB)

Different Ways of Approaching Asset Management in Parks

• Phil Plumb, Manager Horticulture Services, City of Monash (10.3MB )
• Shane Waldon, Manager Parks, Wyndham City Council (0.7MB)
• Craig Medcalf, Manager Parkswide, City of Whitehorse (0.6MB)

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The IPWEAvic President, Ross Goyne, has made a submission to the Draft Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan.

Thankyou to all those who contributed to the submission and in particular, Maurice Stabb, who co-ordinated input to the submission.

Take a look at the IPWEAvic submission HERE

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IPWEA CEO, Chris Champion, is profiled in the November edition of Associations Magazine as an expert in member engagement having been instrumental in recently increasing the number of members to IPWEA with the introduction of the NewZealand Division.  Congratulations Chris.  Read the article HERE

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IPWEAvic has prepared a submission to Plan Melbourne.  Take a look at the submission HERE

Thankyou to all those who contributed to the submission and in particular to IPWEavic Board member, Jane Waldock, who co-ordinated the submission and to Maurice Stabb and Ross Goyne who reviewed the submission.

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The Civil College Board of Engineers Australia has signed the Jakarta Protocol, Civil Engineering for a Sustainable Future, together with eleven other country professional engineering bodies.

Take a look at the Jakarta Protocol here

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Rosanne Kava was the guest speaker at the IPWEAvic End of Year Leadership Luncheon held on 6th December 2013 at Green Acres Golf Club.  Rosanne shared her career journey and spoke about the challenges she faced as a CEO in a rural council, particularly those relating to

• natural environment
• built environment
• political environment
• economic development
• community demographics, needs and expectations
• access to services
• governance issues
• staff culture

Rosanne has a particular interest in coaching and mentoring and as an engineer is interested in coaching those in technical roles.  She offers the following five insights to those working in technically flavoured leadership roles

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Roads Australia are holding a local government forum  on strategies for sustainable local infrastructure on Thursday 5th December 2013 at Fenix, 680 Victoria StreetRichmond commencing at 8:30am and concluding at 2:30pm.  A luncheon is included with CEO Metropolitan Planning Authority, Peter Seamer as the keynote speaker.  The opening address will be given by Hon Terry Mulder MP – Minister for Public Transport, Minister for Roads.  Other speakers include CEO Downer Infrastructure East, CEO VicRoads, CEO Franskton City Council, Director Advocacy City of Wyndham, Partner Ernst & Young, Group Manager Greater Dandenong City Council.

More details and registation avaoilable through the Roads Australia website.

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