Blogs

WA Division Update: Advocacy, Engagement and Recognition Driving Impact

By Natalie Scully posted 28-10-2025
Written by General Manager WA Division, Adam Kinnest The past few weeks have seen strong activity across Engineers Australia’s WA Division, reflecting our continued commitment to delivering impact. We were proud to welcome our new General Manager, Adam Kinnest, as Susan Kreemer-Pickford transitions into her new national leadership role as Principal Engineer. This marks a new chapter for the Division, with a renewed focus on advocacy, member engagement and professional recognition. Our advocacy efforts have been front and centre, with six ministerial and departmental meetings across key portfolios including Defence, Energy, Workforce, Environment, ...

Shape the Future of Engineering: Expressions of Interest Now Open

By Nicole Patten posted 01-09-2025
Engineers Australia is proud to be home to more than 130,000 members from across the profession. Our members’ interests are as diverse as their backgrounds and skills, from students and graduates to experienced industry leaders. Wherever you sit in the broad world of engineering, our engineering communities provide a place to connect, collaborate and contribute. Through our College Boards and their branches, College National Committees and their branches, National Committees and Special Interest Groups , members have the chance to engage with peers who share their passions, exchange knowledge and advance the profession together. The importance of ...

Volunteers in action: National Membership Committee

By Nicole Patten posted 28-08-2025
Ever wondered how Engineers Australia assesses and recognises the most accomplished members of our profession? What does the National Membership Committee do and why is it important? The National Membership Committee is made up of senior Fellow members of Engineers Australia. Their main role is to review and assess applications for the Fellow and Companion membership grades. Using detailed CVs and supporting documents, the Committee ensures only the most qualified members are recognised. What’s involved in the Fellow application process? Committee members act as peer reviewers – taking a thorough and balanced view of each applicant’s background. They ...

Volunteers at the heart of National Science Week

By Nicole Patten posted 22-08-2025
National Science Week brings Australians together to celebrate discovery, innovation and the wonder of STEM. This year, Engineers Australia volunteers across the country shared their passion, time and expertise to ignite curiosity and inspire the next generation of engineers through hands-on activities, community events and inspirational conversations – showing that engineering is a profession with purpose. Science Week is not just about celebrating science, it’s about celebrating the people who bring science and engineering to life for their communities. To our volunteers, thank you for inspiring Australia’s future engineers. Canberra: Launching ...

Volunteer spotlight: Sidhika leads with purpose in central Australia

By Nicole Patten posted 15-07-2025
As part of National Volunteer Week, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on one of our dedicated volunteers: Sidhika Srinivasan, GradIEAust, Chair of Engineers Australia's Alice Springs Regional Group and member of the Northern Division Committee. Sidhika’s volunteering journey began as a student ambassador and has grown into a leadership role focused on strengthening connections among engineers, architects and professionals throughout central Australia. A typical day in her role involves brainstorming engaging events for members, collaborating with committee members and reaching out to local professionals to explore new opportunities for collaboration. “Volunteering ...

The Latest News on the Energy Transition - June Edition 2025

By Clementine West posted 01-07-2025
The pace of change in Australia’s energy system is picking up, and so is the conversation around what needs to happen next; from big tech breakthroughs to community trust, policy gaps and game-changing investments. Here are the articles we’re keeping an eye on this month, and why we think they’re worth your time. 1. Australia's energy storage forecasts are broken Why read it: Storage is essential for a reliable, renewable-powered grid. This piece argues that Australia is seriously underestimating how much storage we’ll need. It makes a strong case for urgent correction in our energy planning. 2. The clean energy transition won’t ...

40 years of engineering volunteering

By Lauren Jones posted 26-06-2025
South Australian Fellow Leo Noicos FIEAust CPEng NER is wrapping up 40 years of volunteering with Engineers Australia. He has given his time and expertise to many Engineers Australia committees and on top of that, has mentored engineers throughout the years. Engineers Australia South Australia General Manager Jan Irvine said she’d like to thank Mr Noicos for his outstanding service and commitment to the profession. “Leo is a brilliant example for anyone looking to get into volunteering at Engineers Australia. His enduring volunteer work has impacted South Australia and the engineering profession for the better,” she said. ...

Engineering underpins much of NSW 25/26 Budget

By Lauren Jones posted 25-06-2025
Engineering remains at the heart of infrastructure and energy delivery as part of the NSW Budget 2025–26. Treasurer Daniel Mookhey’s third Budget maintains fiscal caution but reinforces the pivotal role of engineering in shaping NSW’s future. Some key figures include: 🔧 $118.3 billion infrastructure pipeline over four years will support housing, transport, and essential services — with $4 billion in new investment for Western Sydney, including major road and water projects. 🚉 $55.6 billion for public transport, including Sydney Metro, Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2, and regional upgrades. ⚡ $2.1 billion for energy ...

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 ...