Blogs

The Latest News on the Energy Transition - End of 2024 Edition

By Hannah Watkinson posted 19-12-2024
Welcome to the final energy transition news for 2024. For this final energy transition blog we see the proposal and the passing of some new energy transition rules, as well as a lot of productive team-ups between companies to create innovative solutions. This longer edition has a lot of new technology and reports so settle in for the holidays and let your eyes sink into this end-of-year energy transition news. We will see you next year when we will provide you with more of the latest news on the energy transition. 👋 Partnership to boost SAF industry Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) ...

From the Chair and National President of the Engineers Australia Board: Why I became an Engineer.

By Raj Aseervatham posted 09-12-2024
After some months in the role of National President and Chair at Engineers Australia, I am still taken aback, on a nearly-daily basis, by the transformative power of engineering and the sheer acceleration of technology. I get to see a lot of engineering, routinely, that makes me feel proud, and worthy, of being an engineer. I also have a deep pang of impostor syndrome most weeks, because the engineering I’ve done is – to be frank – quite mundane compared with some of the exemplary engineering I get to see in this rewarding role. I am often asked why I studied engineering. First, I experienced its impact. I grew up in Africa ...

Celebrating Fremantle’s Engineering Heritage: a successful tour launch

By Lauren Jones posted 06-12-2024
Written by Rohan Thomas and Bridget Pethick On 1 November, Engineers Heritage Australia proudly launched a guided walking tour through Fremantle, highlighting some of the significant engineering heritage sites in the area. The event was a success, drawing in enthusiastic participants to explore and learn about Fremantle’s rich engineering history. The tour experience Led by the Chair of Engineering Heritage WA Perry Beor, the guests were taken on a journey through time, with stops at key sites including the Fremantle Railway Station, the historic Horse Trough and the iconic C.Y. O’Connor statue. Each location was brought to life with engaging stories ...

Balustrade safety considerations

By Lauren Jones posted 27-11-2024
Written by Dr Geoff Boughton, Chair of the WA Building Safety Taskforce. Balustrades and barrier systems are essential safety features in buildings. Unfortunately, a recent audit by Western Australia's Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety - Building and Energy division, revealed insufficient design and construction of these crucial barriers, which can lead to serious safety hazards such as the risk of significant injury or even loss of life. This serves as a reminder for engineers (and anyone involved in the selection, design and installation of balustrades) to be mindful of the dangers associated with balustrades and to prioritise ...

Webinar on Graduate Membership, your early career perfectly engineered

By Winnie Liu posted 13-11-2024
Curious about the values and benefits of Graduate Membership? Join us for an upcoming webinar! Engineers Australia s is excited to deliver a webinar on Graduate Membership, your early career perfectly engineered. Discover how our program is designed to provide guidance, resources, and connections to help you build a strong foundation in the engineering world. 📅 Thursday, 14 Nov 🕛 1:00pm AEDT 💻 Online Register today by following the link https://lnkd.in/gmCJUQ65 ...

Reshaping the Hunter publication awarded at Engineering Heritage Conference

By Lauren Jones posted 13-11-2024
The Newcastle Engineering Heritage group has been recognised with a highly commended award for their publication, Re s haping the Hunter , at the recent Engineering Heritage Conference in Adelaide . This award perpetuates the memory of Colin Crisp, a structural engineer well known for his work in the conservation of heritage structures. Newcastle experienced massive disruption in the late 1980 - 90s with the Newcastle earthquake and the closure of the BHP steelworks and many related industries. Like many similar regions worldwide, Newcastle built a future by repurposing its skills and direction. For ...

For whom the road tolls - Australia’s toll road trap

By Lauren Jones posted 01-11-2024
By Dr Scott Elaurant - Engineers Australia Transport Australia Society Chair - principal consultant with 34 years’ experience in infrastructure planning, transport planning, road design and economics. A recent Four Corners episode, Road Gold , highlighted the spiralling costs of toll roads in Australia’s major cities. For many Australians, especially those on low or fixed incomes, these costs are overwhelming. While Four Corners correctly focuses on the financial burden of tolls, it overlooks a deeper systemic issue: our national approach to transport funding is flawed, leading to inefficiencies and inequities in our road networks. Toll roads place ...

The Latest News on the Energy Transition - August/September 2024 Edition

By Hannah Watkinson posted 17-10-2024
The Latest News on the Energy Transition – August/September Edition In this combined edition of The Latest News on the Energy Transition , there is a focus on the power of many individual homes combined. There is a lot of discussion on Consumer Energy Resources (CER) and how we have to evolve the way that our systems and grids work to handle the changing ways we are using power. There are a range of opinions provided in the article s below as well as some cool dashboards on other topics like how many electric vehicles we are buying in Australia. ENA Unlocking local opportunity ...

Northern Regional Forum wrap-up: by Shaun Smith

By Lauren Jones posted 03-09-2024
By Shaun Smith, BE (Hons), ME, MIEAust, CPEng, NER, RPEQ. Engineers Australia Townsville Regional Group Committee Member Senior Water and Wastewater Engineer, AGNR Consultants The annual Engineers Australia Northern Regional Forum, alternatively hosted by the cities of North Queensland, landed in Townsville on Friday 26th July. Nikki Thomson, co-chair of the Townsville Regional Group emceed the morning session , with t he afternoon covered by Chris Pitcher , immediate past chair of the Cairns Regional Group and member of Young Engineers Australia Queensland Committee.  Andrew ...

The Latest News on the Energy Transition - July 2024 Edition

By Hannah Watkinson posted 28-08-2024
The Latest News on the Energy Transition - July 2024 Edition July had everyone talking about the energy transition from farmers to households to big businesses. A lot of the articles this month look at microgrids , and virtual power plants. Working together with a focus on community effort to tackle the energy transition is a clear theme this month. Here’s how ‘microgrids’ are empowering regional and remote communities across Australia This national survey of microgrids explores the feasibility of future microgrid projects to assist in the energy transition and the potential ...

The Latest News on the Energy Transition - June 2024 Edition

By Hannah Watkinson posted 19-07-2024
Winter has landed and we are all using energy differently - whether it’s cranking the heater up , a few extra loads in the dryer or using up all of the hot water in the shower to get warm. We love energy , so here’s a wrap-up of June’s e nergy t ransition n ews . This month we have a combination of reports, new tools , and a look into what is happening in the energy space internationally . If energy and in particular climate smart engineering piques your interest, then registrations for our Climate Smart Engineering conference held in Brisbane in August are open. Register Here - https://engaus.org/3Sd6X1E ...

Want to lead, impact and inspire engineers? Division Committee nominations close next week

By Kim Vu posted 28-06-2024
Are you passionate about making a difference in your profession? Want to demonstrate your commitment, inspire future engineers an d contribute to activities that drive change? This is your opportunity to get involved. Don’t miss out as Division Committee nominations are closing next week. Find out more information on how to apply and submit your nomination. Nominations close on Friday 5 July at 7.00pm AEST. Postions available The number of available positions varies by Division. Division Committee role statement Canberra – 2 ...

Brick walls and firewalls: Cyber engineering is an essential

By Jackson Jones posted 17-06-2024
Cyber security is no longer the responsibility of the IT professional – it must be engineered into a project from the start. There’s a growing belief that every engineer should have some cyber security expertise. When she was taking advice on Cyber Security curriculum development from experienced Australian Defence Department staff who were part of her advisory committee, Professor Jill Slay AM was handed a challenge. Defence felt cyber security should become an engineering discipline. All of the standards around cyber security had previously been defined through an applied computing or information systems lens. But Defence saw the challenge as a greater ...

Engineers Australia calls for collaborative efforts to improve NSW building outcomes

By Jackson Jones posted 17-06-2024
In an interview with Sarah Macdonald on ABC Radio Sydney , Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO has reaffirmed the peak body's support for the New South Wales Building Commission, while calling for a collaborative effort to enhance building outcomes across the state. Ms Madew emphasised the responsibility for lifting standards is a whole of industry responsibility, incorporating builders, architects, developers, engineers, and designers alike. “Engineers Australia advocates for constructive engagement between the regulator and the broader industry, which is why we have asked the NSW Building Commission to urgently convene an industry roundtable ...

The vital role of building maintenance in Australia's ageing infrastructure

By Jackson Jones posted 17-06-2024
Australia's urban landscape is evolving, with an increasing number of buildings having surpassed their original design life. Many building managers and owners may find themselves lacking the necessary technical expertise to navigate the complex nature of asset management. As our cities mature, the need for meticulous building maintenance becomes more critical. Suitably qualified engineers are pivotal in raising the awareness of potential issues and helping to guide building owners/managers through risk-based inspection, maintenance and repair regimes. The silent culprits: rust and water damage Two silent adversaries — rust and water damage — lurk ...

The Latest News on the Energy Transition - May 2024 Edition

By Clementine West posted 31-05-2024
Welcome to our monthly roundup of the latest developments in the energy transition sector. May has been an eventful month, filled with significant strides and urgent calls to action across Australia. So, grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let's dive into the energy news to watch this month. Urgent investment needed for electricity reliability - AEMO The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has emphasised the urgent need for continued investment to maintain electricity reliability. The update to their 2023 Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO) highlights critical risks and necessary actions to ensure the stability of the National Electricity ...

The Latest News on the Energy Transition - April 2024 Edition

By Clementine West posted 10-05-2024
Welcome back to our monthly summary of news on the energy transition! This month, we've got some hot topics on the agenda, bringing you a selection of the latest news in Australia's renewable energy landscape. From groundbreaking tenders to innovative research initiatives, April has been buzzing with activity. One highlight is the announcement of the largest single ever tender for renewable energy in Australia – NSW , underscoring the state's commitment to a sustainable energy future. Read more In other news of funding, we saw significant boosts for research initiatives, such as hydrogen and low emissions iron & steel research , and efforts to ...

Engineers Australia Humanitarian Engineering Community of Practice Digest Newsletter - May 2024

By Jackson Jones posted 08-05-2024
Included here are events, articles, and opportunities from organisations, groups, and professional associations related to the Engineers Australia Humanitarian Engineering Community of Practice (EA HumEng CoP) during May and June 2024. Our new website We are in the process of moving to our new Humanitarian Engineering website . The site provides a more user-friendly experience, visibility of all of Engineers Australia’s (EA) communities of practice, more features, and greater networking opportunities. Currently, membership to the new site is only open to members of Engineers Australia (Information on how to do so can be found here ) . However, ...

The Latest News on Energy Transition March 2024

By Hannah Watkinson posted 21-03-2024
Energy Transition News March 2024 Energy Transition News is back for March! We have a fresh batch of interesting articles for you. The main topics of the month are the AEMC’s new customer energy resources rules and electric vehicles. If these do not take your intere st we have an article on fireproof batteries, renewables targets and wind farms as well. March was so full of news that we couldn’t possibly fit it all in . S o , d id we miss anything ? L et us know what news you have been reading on the energy transition in the comments . Scientists Just Invented Fireproof Water Batteries ...

Newcastle division raises $4,500 for ovarian cancer in Sally Chapman’s honour

By Lauren Jones posted 07-03-2024
This year Engineers Australia Newcastle hosted the Sally Chapman memorial fundraiser dinner to raise money for funds for Ovarian Cancer research. Sally Chapman was a much respected and admired Executive Director of the Newcastle Division of Engineers Australia. After nearly 27 years with Engineers Australia, Sally became the longest serving staff member in the history of the organisation. She was dedicated to growing public awareness of the role of engineers and encouraged school students to consider engineering as a preferred career. Some of the activities she urged students to take part in were the Science & ...