Leigh Cunningham
Chief Executive Officer
Please contact
Leigh Cunningham for all inquiries.
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IPWEAQ
Enhancing the
quality of life for all Queensland
communities
2021 Great Debate!
Meet the Team
Join us at the 2021 Annual Conference for the legendary IPWEAQ Great Debate! The topic this year is 'technology will make engineering redundant'.
The debate is intended to be entertaining and lighthearted while also offering an opportunity for debaters to address key, topical or divisive issues, and score a few points for their team. Political correctness should be observed at all times.
Delegates vote for the winning argument using the conference app.
Team for the Affirmative:
Stephen Bolden, Coordinator Design & Survey Services | Capital Projects Delivery | Design & Survey Services Unit Infrastructure Services | Cairns Regional Council
Janice Wilson, Director, Double Black Diamond Solutions
Cameron Ives, Professional Engineer, GenEng Solutions Pty Ltd
Team for the Negative:
Jordan Maultby, Water Resources Team Lead, AECOM
Jo O'Brien, Qld Program Manager, Tonkin Consulting Pty Ltd
Justin Fischer, Manager Asset Engineering, Cassowary Coast Regional Council
2020 Great Debate
"Engineers are introverts and are disconnected from the world around them"
Winners: Negative Team
Team for the Affirmative:
Josh Flanders, Project Engineer, St George Project Services
Moira Zeilinga, Director, Clear Idea
Dr Rob Fearon, Director, Innovation Partnerships, qldwater
Team for the Negative:
Seren McKenzie, Director Infrastructure Services, Southern Downs Regional Council
Trevor Dean, Executive Manager Engineering & Technical Services, Fraser Coast Council
Maddy Stahlhut, Graduate Engineer, GHD
2019 Great Debate
"Rural (public works) engineers are more adaptable than their city counterparts"
Winners: Affirmative Team
Team for the Affirmative:
Glenda Kirk, Director Infrastructure Services, Mareeba Shire Council
Andrew Johnson, Director Operations, Somerset Regional Council
Ben Ash, Civil Engineer and IPWEAQ Ambassador, George Bourne & Associates Consulting Engineers
Team for the Negative:
Joe Bannan, Manager Asset Management, Brisbane City Council
Paul Wilson, Principal Engineer Project Development, Logan City Council
Jessica Kahl, Civil Engineer and IPWEAQ Ambassador, Aurecon
2018 Great Debate
"Tradition has no place in a modern workplace"
Winners: Negative Team
Team for the Affirmative:
Ged Brennan, Managing Director, GenEng Solutions
Jimmy Scott, General Manager, Operations, QRA
Cate Fennell, Cadet Engineer, Parkes Shire Council
Team for the Negative:
Matthew Brennan, Civil Engineer,
George Bourne & Associates Consulting Engineers
Kym Murphy, Regional Director | Downs South West Region, Program Delivery And Operations Branch | Infrastructure Management and Delivery Division | TMR
Mark Lamont, Director, Information & Resources, IPWEAQ
2017 Great Debate
"Smart cities are not that smart"
Winners: Negative Team
Team for the Affirmative:
Bruce Gardiner, General Manager Infrastructure Services, Cairns Regional Council
Sandra Burke, District Director (FNQ), Program Delivery & Operations
Department of Transport and Main Roads
Ren Niemann, Partner, McCullough Robertson
Team for the Negative:
Jenny Hill, Mayor, City of Townsville
Andrew Ryan, Principal, Sabre Management Solutions
Alton Twine, Director City Infrastructure
City of Gold Coast
2016 Great Debate
"Women make better engineers than men"
Winners: Affirmative Team
Team for the Affirmative:
Angela Fry, Principal Project Manager, GHD
Stephen Hegedus, Senior Asset Manager, Shepherd Services
Gavin Blakey, Principal Engineer, Strategic Asset Management | Asset Management Branch, Brisbane City Council
Team for the Negative:
Julie Mitchell, Chief Engineer, TMR
Dawson Wilkie, IPWEAQ Past President, Director all.PM
Gerhard Joubert, General Manager Infrastructure & Utilities, Central Highlands Regional Council
History of The Great Debate
The IPWEAQ Great Debate was launched at the 2016 Annual Conference in Brisbane with the topic, ‘women make better engineers than men’. This inaugural debate was highly successful and has become a key part of the annual conference, bringing the event to a close on the third day.
The Negative team has won three times and the Affirmative team, twice. Will the Affirmative team - technology will make engineering redundant - win in 2021?
If you have suggestions for topics or would like to volunteer to join a debating team, please contact the CEO, Leigh Cunningham.
