Delegates kicked off IPWEA’s 2015 International Study Tour with an appearance on local Texan TV before embarking on a round the world trip taking in France and Denmark.
Four delegates from across Australia joined IPWEA’s International Director Chris Champion on the tour that centred on the theme “Sustainable Practices and Innovation in Public Works”.
It began in the United States where delegates visited councils in Dallas, Texas and Pheonix, Arizona before attending the American Public Works Congress and Exhibition.
The City of Rowlett in Texas showed the group of delegates a fantastic time with a tour of local infrastructure projects and plenty of Texan hospitality that included a proper Texan barbecue and visits to a local brewery and culminated in a report on local news.
IPWEA’s delegates reciprocated by leaving a little piece of Australia behind with a City of Ipswich tie for City of Rowlett Mayor Todd Gottel, accepted on screen.
Delegate Nathan Koenig, Manager Design and Traffic at Parkes Shire Council, said the study tour allowed him to explore a less conservative approach to public works.
“For whatever reason, council engineering managers get caught up dealing with trifling matters (e.g. contention about where to place a road sign on a project) to the detriment of strategic or creative thinking,” he said.
“We witnessed local governments dreaming big. Big developments, major projects coordinating transport, recreation, stormwater management and 'place making' with small but brilliant innovations.”
Koenig added that he and his tour colleagues frequently found themselves saying “we wouldn't be allowed to do that back home”. He cited a particular example where a playground was built 1m below grade for use as a storm detention basin.
“After seeing such ideas work in practice, I think we need to take some risks and make some changes to our approach in public works to dream a little bigger than what lies within our engineering reference guides,” he said.
Tour leader Champion noted the stark differences, and at other times similarities, between Australian practices and those of the wider world.
“An important differentiator from Australia in every case was the advanced nature of transit systems available to the communities that we visited,” he said. “Enhanced accessibility has a dramatic impact on the liveability of communities.”
Michael de Heus Program Manager, Metropolitan LG at Tonkin Consultants agreed with Champion, highlighting the vast differences in cities visited, from the wide roads and highways of the US to the narrow streets of central Paris and strong cycling culture of Copenhagen.
“In Copenhagen we received a presentation on a future new smart city called Vinge which was very eye opening as it was considering many new innovations that have not been fully tested yet, including lights that dim when there are no cyclists or pedestrians, public transport that allows you to request a pick up as you are travelling to the bus stop and car parking away from the city centre for smart cars (Google cars) so that the car drop the passenger at the front door and then find a car park away from the city centre .
“What was most impressive on the new Vinge development was that Council was facilitating the works on its land at its cost to encourage growth.”
Raad Jarjees from Queensland and Kimberley Brosztl from Melville in Perth commented on the valuable personal and professional development opportunity for all on the study tour.
Jarjees noted that “as we were discovering similarities and differences between municipalities across countries from the USA and Europe, we were also paying attention to the similarities and differences between us as we came from different states in Australia. The common and shared theme was the passion for the pursuit of excellence in public works.”
The tour itinerary
The cities and municipalities visited included:
- Garland, Dallas, Texas USA
- Rowlett, Dallas, Texas USA
- Mesa, Phoenix, Arizona USA
- Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona USA
- Antony, Paris, France
- La Courneuve, Paris France
- Koge, Denmark
- Frederikssund, Denmark
- Gladsaxe, Denmark
The tour also attended the American Public Works Congress & Exhibition in Phoenix.
Koenig encouraged other IPWEA members to get involved in future tours.
“I would recommend all public works engineers to travel and gaining perspective, whether international, interstate or an information exchange with their neighbouring council, inspiration can be found everywhere.”
Register your interest in the 2016 Study Tour:
Interested in going on the next study tour? Register your interest with Chris Champion by emailing
chris.champion@ipwea.org.
Photos (top to bottom)
Study Tour Team 2015(Left to Right): Chris Champion, Nathan Koenig (NSW), Michael de Heus (SA), Kimberly Brosztl WA), Raad Jarjees (QLD). Green wall within ecoBuilding, Gladsaxe, Denmark.
Study Team on their electric front wheel drive bikes, Gladsaxe, Denmark (helmets not compulsory).