Tell us about yourself.
I am a civil engineer with over 44 years’ experience. The first 27 years was spent in local government in both NSW and Victoria. Between 2005 and 2018, I was consulting across a number of fields including Asset Management, Contract Management, Project Management, Service Reviews & Service Planning and Locums. Since then I have undertaken work on a casual basis with the view of getting to a “retired” situation.
In 2013 I was the recipient of the prestigious Municipal Engineering Foundation Victoria, Excellence in Engineering Medal (The Cedric Tuxen Medal).
I have been a member of IPWEA for 36 years joining the Local Government Engineers Association back in 1986. This then morphed into the Institute of Municipal Engineering (IMEA) and then to the current IPWEA.
I became a Fellow back in 1992 and was very proud to be recently awarded Emeritus IPWEA Membership. I was a Director of the IPWEA Vic Division Board for 16 years and served as President for a two-year period from October 2013. I also served on the Australasian Board for 7 years and was the Australasian IPWEA President from June 2015 until my retirement from the Board at the end of 2017.
I am still actively involved with IPWEA including as Chair of the IPWEA Asset Management Committee. I became the IPWEA representative on Standards Australia mirror committee MB-019 and an independent expert on ISO TC251 – Asset Management in 2020. This has seen me active in the current review processes of the ISO 55000 series asset management standards.
Another important task is convening the IPWEA Vic Division’s AFL Footy tipping competition. 😊
As an Emeritus IPWEA member, you have had a long association with the organisation. What impact has IPWEA had on your career?
As a member for over 36 years, I can attest to the value of IPWEA membership in supporting my knowledge and skills improvement through networking opportunities and training. The skills development through IPWEA has not only been technical but provided growth in communication skills and working with a diverse group of people.
IPWEA provided me with countless opportunities for practical learning and networking and supported my career growth over many years. It taught me the value of volunteering and contributing back to the very important industry we work in.
I strongly recommend to younger people working in Public Works area to join IPWEA and access the same opportunities I have had the privilege to enjoy.
The Asset Management Committee is a key group providing expert technical guidance. How do you anticipate this group will help drive IPWEA’s goal to facilitate an informed debate on policy and education in the asset management discipline as it relates to the public works sector?
The Asset Management Committee has recently adopted a Project Plan 2022-24. The Project Plan incorporates actions that identifies key stakeholders and proposed methods of engagement. The committee membership incorporates a diverse range of skills and experience in the asset management and communication fields. The AMC will hold itself accountable to achieve the Project Plan and progress will be monitored at each meeting.
Various mediums and venues will be used to engage with the industry and members. This will include social and mainstream media as well as relevant conferences and forums. The “company you keep” approach will be at the forefront and opportunities for submissions, input and contributions, at all levels of government will be pursued. An example of this was our recent submission to the Independent Review of Infrastructure Australia.
The committee will strive to play an ongoing leadership role in asset management.
IPWEA already has great training opportunities in asset and financial management and numerous supporting products to support that training and organisations working in public works. The aim will be to identify further opportunities to support our members through clear policy and public works educational leadership.
