IPWEA Blogs

Ozwater’20 Q&A: What we can learn from the Millennium drought

By intouch posted 18 hours ago
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Rachel Barratt is Associate Director at Aither, a consultancy firm that provides advisory services in economics, strategy and policy. “We predominately work with the water, environment and natural hazards sector,” she says. As the lead on Strategy and Performance service for the firm she explains, “My background in water sector means a lot of my work is in water policy, management and strategy.” Barratt is one of dozens of expert speakers set to be appear at Ozwater’20, AWA’s landmark online conference to be held in June, where she will deliver a presentation titled ‘The Future of Water Secure Cities: Lessons Learnt from the Millennium Drought’. Here she ...
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Pioneering research on Whirokino Bridge gleans valuable insights for engineers

By intouch posted 18 hours ago
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Cutting-edge research on the decommissioned Whirokino Bridge will give scientists and engineers around the world invaluable insights into the strength of key infrastructure during seismic events. The 90-year-old bridge on State Highway 1 south of Foxton was recently replaced by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi), with a wider $70m structure over the Manawatū River and Moutoa floodplain. Deconstruction of the old bridge is giving Dr Lucas Hogan from the University of Auckland an unprecedented opportunity to do “real life” testing of how a long bridge behaves in an earthquake. “We have done a lot of bridge testing in the lab, and this is ...
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Four experts discuss the future of recycling in Australia

By intouch posted 18 hours ago
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The NSW Government recently conducted a survey on recycling and plastic waste. Ahead of its findings, to be released later this year, University of Sydney academics comment on research into recycling and the development of more advanced waste conversion technologies, as well as the future of recycling. The University of Sydney recently placed first in Australia and second globally in the  Times Higher Education Impact Rankings , which focus on protecting the environment while addressing inequality through sustainable development. Despite greater awareness, use of plastic on the rise Dr  Lisa Heinze  from the  Department of Gender and Cultural ...
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Fleet Budget Pressures in the Coronavirus Pandemic

By intouch posted 18 hours ago
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By Rob Wilson – Director IPWEA FLEET It’s an unfortunate truth, but the fact is COVID-19 has had, and will continue to have, a significant financial impact on many businesses. The impact may be direct, such as the devastating effects on the auto industry, or indirect, such as in local government where various revenue streams have been diminished or been totally negated. The immutable outcome is that businesses will need to re-think their finances and budgets. What does this mean for fleets and the fleet budget? Most likely, fleet practitioners will find themselves front and centre and required to find savings. From an operational perspective the ...
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Virtual Teams: How Do We Maintain Effectiveness?

By intouch posted 18 hours ago
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By:  Sean Irvine, MD & Lead Practitioner, Inside Motivations Welcome to the “New Normal” of work life. I do not know how long it will last but we can use this time well. As our team management practices evolve from the office to home, how do we not only maintain effectiveness but maximise it? Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford professor, did a two-year study on the productivity of working from home. He found that there was a productivity boost and a 50 per cent decrease in employee attrition, but that cannot be guaranteed. We have a unique opportunity to see how we can continue to accomplish our goals in the virtual world. Many organisations have ...
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IPWEA NZ Member Profile: George Bowman

By Freda Wells posted 2 days ago
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We are constantly inspired by the IPWEA NZ members that we meet, their stories, journeys and achievements.  This month we talk to George Bowman, Flood Risk Engineer and Director of Asset BowManagement Ltd.   George Bowman (27) is a Flood Risk Engineer and Director of Asset BowManagement Ltd . George immigrated to New Zealand from the UK in July 2017 where he worked in the Flood Protection department of the Greater Wellington Regional Council until December 2019. He set up Asset BowManagement Ltd with the personal mission of contributing to reducing and managing the risk of flooding, both now and into the future, which he believes the most effective way ...
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IPWEA welcomes Federal Government’s $1.8 billion regional infrastructure boost

By intouch posted 6 days ago
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MEDIA STATEMENT The $1.8 billion funding boost for local government road and community projects announced today is an effective way to facilitate the rapid delivery of much needed infrastructure to regional Australia, according to the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA). IPWEA President Rita Excell welcomed the statement by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, and Regional Development Michael McCormack, who announced the new $500 million Local Road and Community Infrastructure Program and the bringing forward of $1.3 billion of the 2020-21 Financial Assistance Grant payment. Excell agreed with McCormack that ...
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IPWEA Fleet Manager's Column

By FLEET e-news posted 8 days ago
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​ By Rob Wilson – Director IPWEA FLEET Fleet Budget Pressures It’s an unfortunate truth, but the fact is COVID-19 has had, and will continue to have, a significant financial impact on many businesses. The impact may be direct, such as the devastating effects on the auto industry , or indirect such as in local government where various revenue streams have been diminished or been totally negated. The immutable outcome is that businesses will need to re-think their finances and budgets. What does this mean for fleets and the fleet budget? Most likely, fleet practitioners will find themselves front and centre and required to find savings. From an operational ...
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IPWEA member profile: Mark Virgo

By FLEET e-news posted 8 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 Mark Virgo, Team Leader Mechanical Services – Kangaroo Island Council, South Australia. FI : How did you get started in fleet and plant, and what was your first job in the industry? MV: Having started my mechanics apprenticeship back in 1982, I progressed through the retail industry in light vehicles culminating in a period working at a Nissan dealership here on Kangaroo Island managing the workshop. Fifteen years ago, I took on my current position with Kangaroo Island Council. FI : ...
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IPWEA FLEET Plant and Vehicle Management Professional Development Opportunities

By FLEET e-news posted 8 days ago
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​​ Fleet Winter Webinars . IPWEA FLEET will be conducting a webinar series in June and July to increase valuable on-line content and provide a touch point with the fleet community during COVID-19 isolation protocols. The FWW series will comprise 4 sessions relevant to fleet practitioners. The topics include Cost Management, Transitioning to Electric Vehicles, Acquisition of Special Purpose Vehicles and Fleet Performance Management. These highly informative seminars will provide practical takeaways and fleet practitioners can attend one, some or all sessions. Fleet Management Certificate . The IPWEA Fleet Management Certificate is a recognised industry qualification ...
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Smartrak’s PoolCar given green light by ATO

By FLEET e-news posted 8 days ago
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Award-winning software’s logbook feature satisfies ATO’s requirements for calculating Fringe Benefits Tax following class ruling. Melbourne, Australia, February 24, 2020  – Smartrak, an industry-leading provider of mobility, fleet management, and telematics solutions, announced today that its PoolCar booking system has been granted a Class Ruling for the use of Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) reporting. In the ruling, the Australian Tax Office observed that PoolCar’s logbook feature satisfies the definition of “logbook records” for the purpose of claiming FBT. When integrated with telematics, PoolCar tracks staff journeys and allocates the odometer readings ...
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Internal Combustion (Angry Fleet Manager) Column

By FLEET e-news posted 8 days ago
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​ The hidden benefits of COVID-19! By: Anonymous Fleet Manager Whilst acknowledging the significant impact that COVID-19 has had on our economy and workforce there have been some benefits arise from the restrictions. First, isolating operators from the workshop has been a positive step. In particular, there has been a benefit in isolating those who just want to go to the workshop for a chat before they start their work as well as the consistent whingers. Many workshops have isolated the contact point away from the workshop itself to comply with the social distancing rules. What a success that has been! The mechanics are getting through work much ...
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Infrastructure investment key to New Zealand’s economic recovery

By intouch posted 15 days ago
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A new report by Deloitte, Beyond the impacts of COVID-19: A brighter future through infrastructure investment , argues that investment in infrastructure is critical to New Zealand’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. New Zealand has a strong construction sector, particularly in Auckland where the value of total building rose from $12 billion in 2015 to $24 billion in 2019. In 2019, construction accounted for 9.6 per cent of all jobs in the national economy and was the second largest sector. The report authors call on the government to protect public sector investment in the face of rising debt to increase New Zealand’s productive capacity and ...
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Road and rail delivers infrastructure boost to WA

By intouch posted 15 days ago
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Infrastructure Australia has given its tick of approval to two Western Australian rail infrastructure projects , which will create more than 9,000 job opportunities and provide a welcome boost to the economy. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the addition of the METRONET projects – Morley-Ellenbrook Line and High Capacity Signalling System – to IA’s Priority List recognises the Government’s decision to plan and invest in nationally significant projects. The government has committed $2.5 billion to METRONET projects in Western Australia, which involves 70 kilometres of ...
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Windows will soon generate electricity, following solar cell breakthrough

By intouch posted 15 days ago
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Semi-transparent solar cells that can be incorporated into window glass are a “game-changer” that could transform architecture, urban planning and electricity generation. That’s according to Australian scientists, led by members of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, writing in a paper published by  Nano Energy . The researchers – led by Professor Jacek Jasieniak from Exciton Science and Monash University – have succeeded in producing next-generation perovskite solar cells that generate electricity while allowing light to pass through. They are now investigating how the new technology could be built into commercial products with  Viridian ...
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Waste management projects fast-tracked under government scheme

By intouch posted 15 days ago
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Three major waste sector projects are among the first tranche of fast-tracked approvals under the New South Wales government’s new Planning System Acceleration Program, a scheme designed to provide an economic boost during the COVID-19 crisis. On the South Coast, the extension to an existing putrescible landfill at the Shoalhaven City Council-owned West Nowra Recycling and Waste Facility will include six additional landfill cells. The $19.1 million project is expected to create 28 jobs. In the City of Sydney, Visy Industries Australia received approval for the establishment of the $23.8 million Visy Dry Recyclables Facility in Alexandria for receipt and ...
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Car sales plunge during COVID-19 crisis

By intouch posted 15 days ago
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New-vehicle sales plummeted in Australia in April. Social distancing measures announced by the government in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic saw sales fall to 38,926 in April , a 48.5 per cent drop from the previous year. The sharp fall represents the biggest decline of any month in 30 years, and the 25 th month of declining sales. Toyota topped the list with 26.5 per cent market share, posting more than 10,000 sales – a figure down 31.8 per cent on April last year. Toyota accounted for five of the six top-selling models: HiLux (2339), RAV4 (1911), LandCruiser (1603), Corolla (1195) and Prado (947). The Ford Ranger came in fourth, with 1540 ...
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If more of us work from home after Coronavirus, we’ll need to rethink city planning

By intouch posted 15 days ago
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Source: The Conversation [By John L Hopkins, Innovation Fellow, Swinburne University of Technology]   We have seen an unprecedented rise in the number of people working from home as directed by governments and employers around the world to help stop the spread of COVID-19.  If, as some expect,  people are likely to work from home more often  after the pandemic, what will this mean for infrastructure planning? Will cities still need all the multibillion-dollar road, public transport, telecommunications and energy projects, including some already in the pipeline?  World’s largest work-from-home experiment Remote working was  steadily ...
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BuildNZ Now - New organisation set to mobilise the workforce

By Freda Wells posted 15 days ago
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A recent update for our sector is how LookSee, who were part of last year’s IPEWA conference, has responded to change brought on by COVID-19. LookSee focused on creating a sector solution for talent, largely around skilled migrants joining our industry. This is a service used by many of our members. Here’s an update on future skills demand and how LookSee has adapted to ensure we attract and retain the talent to BUILDNZ NOW.   We want to support the current situation and future infrastructure demands by leveraging the collaborative nature of LookSee that already exists as we work with over 80 organisations in the infrastructure sector. ​ The focus for ...
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Digital Badges add value at Queenstown Lakes District Council during lockdown

By Freda Wells posted 15 days ago
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IPWEA NZ’s Digital Badges show their value to the industry for council staff recruitment and induction during lockdown… IPWEA NZ’s Communications Manager Freda Wells recently caught up with staff from Queenstown Lakes District Council to talk about IPWEA NZ's Digital Badges . There is a common misperception that the whole world wants to move to Queenstown, with its fast-paced, adrenalin-junkie, adventure-tourism image, but in reality it can be very expensive to set up life in Queenstown, says Polly Lambert, Acting Strategy & Asset Management Planning Manager in the Property & Infrastructure Team at Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC). ...
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