IPWEAQ

Raad Jarjees (Branch President)

Technical Lead, Infrastructure

CARDNO Ltd

Gleb Kolenbet (Vice President)

Principal Integrated Transport Engineer

Moreton Bay Regional Council

Jessica Kahl (Ambassador)

Project Manager

Sunwater

Larry Griffiths

Principal Engineer, Heavy Vehicle Operational Policy

Department of Transport and Main Roads

Sarah Hausler

Partner

McCullough Robertson Lawyers

Weena Lokuge

Senior Lecturer

University of Southern Queensland

Chris Mantell

Senior Civil Engineer

CARDNO Ltd

Jo O'Brien

Qld Program Manager

Tonkin Consulting Pty Ltd

The SEQ Branch ended the year with a Christmas function in the Engine Room at IPWEAQ’s new facilities in Eagle Farm with the prize for the best Christmas outfit going to Craig Murrell. Thanks to everyone who joined us!

We were also fortunate that we were able to gather for the Annual Conference last month and it was clear from the level of excitement (even for engineers) that everyone was pleased to have the opportunity to catch up once again. It was great to learn how well our community had adapted to the challenging times and how we overcame the many obstacles. As a war veteran, I saw some similarities with everyone pushed to the next level of performance and achieving the desired outcomes to keep people safe.

Once again, the Annual Conference was a very well organised event with high quality papers, a holistic program (not just the ‘technical’) and excellent speakers. Thank you to the IPWEAQ CEO, staff and everyone involved for their extraordinary efforts at this extraordinary time.

The excellence awards celebrated our sector further with a number of awards presented to SEQ Branch councils and organisations including Project of the Year for the Sunshine Coast Council’s airport expansion project. This was a complex project with an array of environmental considerations.

City of Gold Coast won the inaugural Coastal Engineering award for the Palm Beach shoreline project, designed to protect one of our most vulnerable beaches and included an artificial reef.

The City of Gold Coast also took home two of the major people awards: Woman in Engineering was presented to Tiffany Parker, Senior Structural Engineer, and Dean Ostrofski, Executive Coordinator Drafting Services, Infrastructure Delivery, Transport and Infrastructure at City of Gold Coast was awarded the prestigious President’s Award for his contributions to the Standard Drawings Working Group over a significant period.

Not long into the new year, the SEQ Branch will host its first branch conference since 2017 where we expect to learn more about the adaptability, sustainability, resilience and agility of our sector. The Call for Papers closes Friday 11 December so please make your submissions as soon as possible. We’ll get together in Caloundra for a Technical Tour Wednesday afternoon 24 February followed by Welcome drinks with a full day of presentations Thursday through to Friday lunch time. You may wish to consider a long weekend on the coast – perhaps bring your family.

On behalf of the SEQ Branch Committee, I would like to wish you all very happy and safe Christmas. I hope to see you at the President’s Breakfast in February and we look forward to welcoming you to the SEQ Branch conference in Caloundra, 24-26 February 2021!

Projects under $1 million - Winner

Noosa Botanic Shade Garden Canopy

Noosa Council

Projects $1 - $2 million - Highly Commended

Coplick Footbridge Replacement

City of Gold Coast

Asset Management - Highly Commended

Footpath / Shared Path Functionality Assessment (Copy)

Logan City Council

Projects $5 - $10 million - Highly Commended 

Luggage Point STP FST Distribution Channels Settlement Mitigation Project

Urban Utilities & Fulton Hogan

Projects over $10 million - Winner

Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project

Sunshine Coast Council

Innovation & Sustainability in Water - Winner 

Cedar Grove Environmental Centre: ‘On the Nose’ Project to Community Showpiece

Logan Water

Futures Challenge

Martin Luna Juncal

Griffith University