IPWEA appoints new National Director Sustainability
IPWEA has appointed Dr Stephen Lees as its new National Director Sustainability.
This is an important statement and intention of IPWEA to actively work in assisting public works professionals address issues of sustainability.
Although there is no single, widely-accepted definition, sustainability is commonly related to the frequently-cited definition of sustainable development adopted in the 1987 Brundtland Commission Report: ... development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Climate change is the most fundamental of all sustainability issues because the Earth's atmosphere protects and sustains all life forms. Because they share a common underlying cause - unsustainable practices - actions to tackle climate change are likely to produce co-benefits in regard to other sustainability problems.
For this reason, as well as the criticality and urgency of climate change, it makes sense for the IPWEA to focus its initial sustainability efforts on climate change, particularly those aspects that its members can influence.
Initially IPWEA will be consulting widely as it develops its strategy going forward on how it can best assist public works practitioners to plan and address the impacts of climate change on infrastructure.
IPWEA welcomes comments and contributions via this Forum or directly.
Watch this space for further news and developments.
Dr Stephen Lees, IPWEA National Director Sustainability, may be contacted at:
e: stephen.lees@ipwea.org.au; m: +61 (0) 412 264 187.
If you wish to Join any of our 5 Communities of Practice, including the new Sustainability CoP, click here.
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Dr Stephen Lees
Stephen Lees has 35 years' experience in water resources, environmental and natural resources management, both as an engineer and executive manager. This included 16 years as Executive Officer of the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust in western Sydney and three years as General Manager of the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority, working very closely with local councils, government agencies and the community. In his various roles Stephen has directed or managed a wide range of floodplain management, stormwater quality, waterway health, water sensitive urban design, planning and development control projects.
More recently he has focussed on climate change risk assessment and adaptation planning. His experience in this emerging field includes a climate change adaptation risk assessment of Australia's transport infrastructure, a review of Federally-funded climate change adaptation programs, and risk assessments and adaptation action plans for five local councils in Sydney, a major water retail utility in Melbourne, Australia's largest milk processing co-operative, a major urban development in Adelaide, two large railway project designs, a Queensland power generator and several mining and coal seam gas developments. He is currently technical leader of a strategic climate change vulnerability assessment for the assets and operations of NSW Railcorp. As well, Stephen was principal author of the climate change adaptation chapter of the Australian Green Infrastructure Council's new Infrastructure Sustainability Rating Scheme.