IPWEA Blogs

Australian tyre recycler does $50 million deal for plants in South Africa

By intouch posted 2 days ago
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Australian tyre recycler Green Distillation Technologies has signed an agreement worth up to $50 million to establish up to five tyre recycling plants in South Africa. Volco Power Pty Ltd plans to build the plants in five of South Africa’s nine provinces. Although Volco is comparatively new, its predecessor Synchrona, which had the same directors as Volco, specialised in converting municipal solid waste and used tyres into electricity and other forms of energy in more than 15 countries across Africa. However, due to the problems of obtaining power purchase agreements with government, Volco decided to concentrate on providing energy to private industrial ...
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Record number of new NZ mayors and young members elected

By intouch posted 2 days ago
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Voters in New Zealand’s recent local elections have elected the largest number of new mayors in 30 years, with 26 candidates set to don mayoral chains for the first time later this month. This injection of new blood into the sector has been mirrored in other areas, with record numbers of younger candidates and women joining local bodies across the country. “The number of new mayors really challenges the narrative that incumbents can pretty much walk back into office,” says LGNZ Principal Policy Advisor Dr Mike Reid. A preliminary count reveals the number of elected members under 40 years of age has increased by at least a third.  In particular, the ...
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Improving the lifecycle value of assets

By intouch posted 2 days ago
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A joint project hopes to connect digital platforms and link data about infrastructure over a lifetime.   Research from the Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre’s (SBEnrc) Unlocking Facility Value through Lifecycle Thinking project indicates that lifecycle thinking has significant potential for improving the delivery, maintenance and operation of facilities. Industry disaggregation, poor marketing of the value and disparate market drivers have limited the potential for greater uptake along the supply chain. The project aims to make use of smart digital frameworks to appropriately capture the information required for key decisions made ...
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Engineering solutions for safer roads

By intouch posted 2 days ago
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More than 1.25 million lives are lost on roads around the world each year – a statistic a University of Queensland-led research team is working to reduce using engineering technology. UQ civil engineer and researcher Professor Simon Washington said the project relied on video technology, deep learning, artificial intelligence and advanced econometrics to improve road safety. “Using advanced video analytics technologies, we’re able to measure and detect interactions among road users that are reliable predictors of future crashes,” said Washington. “This data can then help determine how roads can be improved, in order to prevent crashes. We estimate this ...
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Funded projects in Victoria giving new life to recycled materials

By intouch posted 2 days ago
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Nine new Victorian projects will receive a combined total of $1.6 million in funding to invest in development and research trials using recycled glass, plastic, paper and e-waste. Sustainability Victoria’s Research, Development and Demonstration grants program supports innovative research to test and develop new uses and technologies for materials recovered from Victorian household and commercial recycling. There are also projects testing new extraction technologies to improve the recovery of precious materials from e-waste, such as solar panels and batteries. The funding aims to increase consumer and business confidence in the quality of recycled content ...
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New directory lists expert STEM Women

By intouch posted 2 days ago
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Australian women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics will be more visible, thanks to a new directory showcasing the depth of talent of those working in the field. The Australian Academy of Science developed the online resource in partnership with the CSIRO, Science & Technology Australia, and the Australian Science Media Centre, with financial support from the Australian Government. Academy President, Professor John Shine said seeing and hearing from women in STEM is a priority. “When women from diverse STEM careers speak in the media, at public events, and in boardrooms and classrooms, they can inspire girls and women to follow in ...
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Canada scores low on infrastructure report card

By intouch posted 2 days ago
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A new report has described Canada's public infrastructure as being “at risk”, with the a ge and condition of key infrastructure showing urgent need for long-term renewal. The research for the Canadian Infrastructure Report Card was compiled from extensive surveys of the 2000 jurisdictions invited to respond. The results show that a significant amount of public infrastructure in Canada is aging and in poor condition, reinforcing the urgent need for long-term investments in renewal. The 2019 Canadian Infrastructure Report Card was produced by the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Canada, the Canadian Construction Association, the Canadian ...
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ISO Technical Specification Webinar offers 12 months free Maturity Assessment tool access

By intouch posted 2 days ago
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The new ISO Technical Specification 55010 has launched, with guidance on aligning financial and non-financial functions in asset management. Join our webinar on Tuesday, 29 October where we will address the latest developments for the ISO 55000 AM suite of Standards and the benefits of appropriate use of these requirements to maximise the value that an organisation can derive from its assets. As a bonus, all webinar participants will get free 12-month access to the IPWEA Maturity Assessment tool. The seminar explains the new ISO TS 55010 which provides guidance on alignment between the financial and non-financial functions in asset management. ...
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IPWEA FLEET Plant and Vehicle Management Professional Development Opportunities

By FLEET e-news posted 10 days ago
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Check out IPWEA's latest FLEET events and plan your year for professional development. The 2019 Plant & Vehicle Management Workshops have been designed to provide ongoing professional development and networking opportunities, improve practice and provide an update on the latest technology in the various fields of plant & vehicle management. Be sure to register early as follows: Register here for Casino 29.10.19 Register here for Brisbane 30.10.19 Register here for Newcastle 31.10.19 Register here for Sydney 1.11.19 Register here for Dubbo 12.11.19 Register here for Melbourne 13.11.19 Register here for Adelaide 14.11.19 ...
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Internal combustion column

By FLEET e-news posted 10 days ago
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Interesting topic – in my experience fleet software tends to invoke plenty of emotion when discussed. Well here’s a thought - Don’t blame the product – look within!! No doubts fleet management software can provide huge benefits to the business; however, the software cannot be successful on its own – you will need to do something (yes you!). The user organisation needs to commit resources to the project to ensure success. For example, the software does not know anything about your fleet assets, other than providing predetermined empty fields for the organisation to fill in. The user will need to gather all asset register information, PM Service schedules ...
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IPWEA member profile: Sue McLean

By FLEET e-news posted 10 days ago
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The fleet management industry has such a diverse range of people and roles, and everyone has a unique story of their journey in our industry. This month we talk to Sue McLean – State Manager QLD/NT, Summit Fleet Leasing and Management (a Sumitomo Corporation Group Company). FI: How did you get started in fleet and plant, and what was your first job in the industry? SM: I Started back in 2002 with LeasePlan in South Africa, where I spent 8 years with my last role being Manager: New Business. It was by chance I got into Fleet Management as at the time I was in Recruitment and I was recruiting for a role for LeasePlan and they offered me the job! ...
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New digital platform for fleet managers set to drive mass switch to EVs

By FLEET e-news posted 10 days ago
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​ A new platform launched this week is set to do for the electrification of vehicle fleets what Xero has done for accounting: make it simpler, more affordable, and more accessible. The ARENA-funded platform, developed by the fast-growing eMobility start-up Evenergi, is a revolutionary fleet software-as-a-service (SaaS) being released as part of a national fleet electrification program - Charge Together Fleets.   The Charge Together Fleets program is jointly led by Electric Vehicle Council and Evenergi - its pilot period has been a runaway success. Over 90 Australian fleets, including those of NRMA, Curtin University and Ausgrid have signed-up to date. ...
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IPWEA FLEET Manager’s Column

By FLEET e-news posted 10 days ago
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The interest in electric vehicles (EVs) certainly continues to grow in our industry. By Rob Wilson – Director IPWEA FLEET It was just a few short years ago that some fleet managers thought EVs were not much more than concept vehicles and never likely to form part of a functional fleet. However, it is clear now that this is no longer the case and that EV technology continues to rapidly evolve. EV battery efficiency is rapidly improving as sales volumes increase. According to Bloomberg , “for every doubling of cumulative volume, we observe an 18% reduction in price”. On this basis battery pricing has moved from around $373/kWh in 2015 to $176/kWh in 2018 ...
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Great Minds Gather at Wellington Branch Meeting on 26 September

By Freda Wells posted 16 days ago
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Great Minds Gather at Wellington Branch Meeting on 26 September. A sun-filled room at Engineering New Zealand offices in Wellington greeted a good turn out of attendees at the last Wellington Taranaki Branch meeting. ENZ CEO Susan Freeman-Greene delivered a warm welcome, followed by attendees officially voting in Raj Suppiah as the Branch Chair. Attendees enjoyed presentations covering a breadth topics including: how to transition to a water-sensitive city, Government procurement rules update from NZTA and MBIE, reflections of a more philosophical nature on what it means to be an ' Asset Management Native ', addressing the skills shortage, ...
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Cities are unprepared for AI disruption – study

By intouch posted 16 days ago
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A global study ranking 105 cities for AI resilience found none are ready now for technology’s potential impact. No city in the world is prepared for the disruptions that will be brought on by the Age of AI, according to a report by the US based Oliver Wyman Forum, which says significant improvements must be made by governments and private sector institutions to fully prepare for what lies ahead. The research released this month found that even the world’s smartest mega cities still have work to do, ahead of the broad technological and digital disruption AI and related technologies will bring. The index ranks cities on the quality of their plan (vision); ...
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Council to become carbon neutral in five years

By intouch posted 16 days ago
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Blue Mountains City Council has adopted a target of carbon neutrality by the end of 2025. The voluntary standard, measured through the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) certification process, ensures organisations are applying best practice when managing carbon emissions. It also provides a rigorous, credible and independently verified assessment prior to achieving carbon neutral certification. To meet this target, BMCC must measure its carbon emissions, feasibly reduce emissions and purchase carbon offsets equal to their remaining emissions, with the aim of releasing zero net carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill ...
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New guidance on cladding products

By intouch posted 16 days ago
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A public statement from Standards Australia signifies action taken on product safety after almost two years of comprehensive industry consultation. In early 2018, the Building Ministers Forum asked Standards Australia to develop a permanent labelling system of Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) products. Standards Australia has since worked with a range of technical experts to develop industry-backed guidance to support the identification of these products throughout their life-cycle. Published on 25 September, the technical specification SA TS 5344:2019, Permanent labelling for Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) products, provides minimum requirements for ...
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Mackay region water wins ‘top drop’ two years running

By intouch posted 16 days ago
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Mackay Regional Council has won Best Tasting Water in Queensland for the second year in a row. For the second time in two years, water from the Mackay’s Marian Water Treatment Plant was chosen as the ‘top drop’ in a taste test that promotes the work of water service providers. In 2018, the title went to Mackay’s Nebo Road Water Treatment Plant. The award was made at the Ixom Best of the Best Queensland Water Taste Test, held at the Qld Water annual forum. The Queensland water industry faces numerous challenges, from natural disasters to changes in water regulation, that impact the way water service providers including councils supply and manage water and ...
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Local focus needed in NZ climate change risk framework

By intouch posted 16 days ago
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A New Zealand climate change framework is complete, but the task needs a place-by-place approach, says LGNZ. Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is calling the release of the National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA) framework a good first step in balancing New Zealand’s response to climate change. The sector has long argued that central government needs to put adaptation policy on an equal footing with mitigation policy, particularly as many communities around the country are already feeling the impact of climate change related events. “The announcement is an acknowledgement that the effects of climate change on New Zealand are already baked in ...
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IPWEA member profile: Brianna Barnett, Western Downs Regional Council

By intouch posted 16 days ago
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Brianna Barnett was interviewed by IPWEA Qld for their September issue of Engineering for Public Works about her career in regional public works. IPWEAQ member Brianna Barnett is Senior Works Manager at Western Downs Regional Council (WDRC), 400km west of Brisbane. After completing projects in past roles spanning residential, industrial, energy, mining, ports, water, fleet and asset management, Brianna has found work-life balance serving her community at a council roughly the size of Switzerland.  EPW: Tell us about yourself: where are you from, what are your interests, what makes you tick? BB: I grew up on a sheep and cattle property and attended ...
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