At just 35-years-old, IPWEA member Robert Ladd is proving just what young engineers are capable of, along with the fantastic opportunities a career in local government can offer.
Ladd is the youngest Engineers Australia Associate Fellow nationally, youngest Executive Engineer, and third youngest Fellow in Australia. Despite this, he has already served as non-executive Director of IPWEA Victorian Division and was the 2013 Victorian recipient of the IPWEA National Emerging Leader award.
Ladd says he wears a considerable number of hats in his role as Pyrenees Shire Council Manager, Municipal Engineering.
“I’m the only practicing engineer in the shire,” he explains. “I’m the engineer, I’m the surveyor, I’m the construction supervisor. One day I could be designing irrigation, the next day I could be looking at pool filtration systems, bridges, roads, pavements, looking at strategic planning.”
When Ladd stepped into his role with the council after several positions with consultancies, it was only meant to be a temporary thing. Seven-and-a-half years later, he is still there – and loving every moment of it.
“It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’ve got to be honest – it’s been fantastic,” he enthuses, adding that more young engineers should consider a career in local government. “Every day is different. One day we’re out doing a survey, one day we’re looking at strategic planning referrals, the next day we’re doing long-term financial budgets. It could be anything, and I think that’s what’s really appeals to me.”
This will be Ladd’s last year as part of the Young IPWEA community, which provides a support network for up-and-coming engineers aged up to 35. Ladd says supportive relationships and generous mentors have been critical to achieving success during his formative years in local government, helping “keep his head above water”.
“It’s been incredibly challenging, but I’ve been very lucky,” he says. “I’ve got very good relationships with neighbouring councils, and consultancies in the area who I can ring up and say, ‘This is what I think I’m going to do, what do you think?’. I’d be stuffed without the relationships we’ve got. In western-Victoria, and I’m sure it’s the same in all regional areas, all the engineers get on very well, and we all pick each other's brains."
Like all Victorian councils, Pyrenees Shire Council is facing upcoming rates capping this year. Ladd says they are engaging the community in a discussion on acceptable service levels, using a series of community meetings to bring the largely agricultural community together.
“We’re going through community consultation at the moment,” Ladd says. “I believe we’ve got 2% of our network outside intervention. With the rate capping and the reduction in available capital funds, we feel within 10 years we’ll have about 7% of our network outside of intervention. We’ve got 2000km of road, 160 bridges, 180 major culverts, 130-odd buildings, and it all costs money.
“We’re talking to the community and saying, ‘We physically can’t provide everything – what’s the big three for you, or the top five?’.”
To find out more about Young IPWEA, contact Chair William Barton, at bartonw@junee.nsw.gov.au.