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Engineers Australia eNews contains the latest news from Engineers Australia and a calendar of events. 2008 – Year of the Engineering Team	Engineers Australia Positions vacant Daily engineering news

6 October 2008 News Outdated assumptions threaten Australia’s security A time-consuming and expensive procurement process is one of the products of outdated thinking in the Australian Defence Force's approach to engineering, according to Engineers Australia. In its submission to the Community Consultation Panel on the Defence White Paper, Engineers Australia criticised the assumption that a structured, rigorous procurement process allowed risks to be managed well and produced the best value for money. “The reality is an overemphasis on process rather than outcomes, particularly for minor projects and tasks,” the submission said. An overemphasis of the separation between Defence and industry was also preventing the benefits that could be derived from a team approach. “While the Kinnard reforms have streamlined some aspects of procurement, a result has been the reduction in consultation with the Defence industry in some cases,” the submission said. The full submission can be read by clicking here. Delays caused by neglect of engineering's importance If engineering was better looked after in the Australian Defence Force, the length of in-service modifications could be reduced from the current duration which is commonly as long as 18 months. Engineering-related tasking requests currently take over 12 months. These were comments made in Engineers Australia’s recent submission responding to the Defence White Paper. According to the submission, the failure to maintain engineering as a "fundamental capability input" has contributed to other issues such as cost overruns, late delivery and a failure to quickly convert key strategies such as network-centric warfare and multidimensional manouevring into reality. To allow the engineering team to make a greater contribution to Defence, the submission recommended that engineering be recognised as a crucial element in delivering Defence capabilities for missions. Some suggested measures were integrating engineering into the yearly review of the Defence Planning Guideline, producing a report card every five years on defence engineering or publishing a companion document to the white paper covering engineering issues in Defence. Manufacturing policy statement almost completed Members have just over a week to provide comments on Engineers Australia’s draft policy statement on policies and programs for Australia’s manufacturing industry. The deadline for comments is next Friday. A working group chaired by past national president Peter Cockbain has met several times this year to discuss problems in the industry, potential policies and the role for governments in supporting Australian manufacturing. The responses from members to the survey on manufacturing issues in June have fed into the work of the Working Group and the draft policy position. A report will be released later this year called “Future of the Australian Manufacturing Sector” containing draft recommendations. Heritage honours for NSW sites Unveiling the Fish River engineering heritage plaque at Oberon Dam in NSW are (l-r) Bruce Fitzpatrick, general manager at Oberon Shire Council; George Warne, chief executive officer of State Water Corporation; and Julie Hammer, national president of Engineers Australia. Two engineered structures in NSW – the Fish River Water Supply Scheme and the Bathurst Wastewater Treatment Plant – have been declared national engineering heritage landmarks by Engineers Australia (EA). The national president of EA, Julie Hammer, unveiled commemorative plaques at both sites last month. The Bathurst Wastewater Treatment Plant, about 200km west of Sydney, is the first sewage plant in Australia to bear a heritage plaque. Built in 1916, the plant has effectively become an outdoor museum of sewage treatment technology, according to Michael Clarke from Engineers Australia Sydney Division’s heritage committee. The Fish River Water Supply Scheme includes the Oberon Dam in NSW’s central tablelands and a pipeline under the Great Dividing Range which carries water to Leura in the Blue Mountains. Clarke said that despite being badly designed and suffering from blowouts, the pipeline had been a valuable learning experience for engineers and had led to the development of modern prestressed concrete pipelines.
Notices
Have a say in where Engineers Australia is going Members are invited to contribute to the development of the next strategic plan for Engineers Australia (EA). The plan will provide the framework for EA's activities over the period 2010 to 2015. Planning sessions will be undertaken in Divisions, College Boards, and special interest groups over the next few months. A final planning forum will be held next July, with the intention of recommending a new plan to Congress in November 2009. The strategic plan must represent the interests of EA members and the community at large. For more information, or to submit suggestions or comments, visit www.engineersaustralia.org.au/strategicplan2010. Notice of annual general meeting 2008 The 88th annual general meeting of Engineers Australia will be held in the Members Dining Room 2 of the Old Parliament House in Parkes on 20 November. Nominations sought for national deputy president Engineers Australia is calling for nominations for the position of its national deputy president for 2009. Current national deputy president Peter Godfrey will assume the position of national president at Engineers Australia’s National Congress meeting on 20 November 2008. Bye-law 32.4.3 requires that the national deputy president shall be an Honorary Fellow or Fellow of Engineers Australia who has served at least one term as a delegate to the National Congress. Voting for National Deputy President will take place at the National Congress meeting. Eligible candidates are invited to obtain nomination and submission guideline forms by contacting the executive officer to Council on 02 6270 6509 or emailing executivesupport@engineersaustralia.org.au. Nominations close on 17 October. Regional members needed for survey Do you live or work in a regional area? Then the Regional Taskforce of Engineers Australia needs your help to complete a short survey. The group aims to improve access to membership benefits, such as access to CPD and peer support, for members living in a regional area. Information collected from this survey will assist Engineers Australia in understanding its regional members and improve the planning of CPD activities and other services. The survey can be taken by clicking here. Representatives sought for standards reviews Engineers Australia (EA) is seeking representatives for several Standards Australia Committees. Members interested in participating on the committees can email Nina Lenz for more information. The committees are: AG-008 Gas Distribution AG-013 Components used for Gas appliances & equipment BD-033 Chemical Admixtures for concrete BD-050 Aluminum Structures BD-069 Accuracy in Building Construction BD-083 Earth Building CE-028 Test Pumping Water Wells CS-021 Swimming Aids EL-006 Industrial Switchgear & Control Gear EL-008 Power Transformers EL-048 Wind Turbine Systems EL-053 Fire Hazard Testing - Electrical Equipment IT - 007 Public Access to IT Equipment IT-033 eBusiness Architecture & Data exchange ME-002 Gas Cylinders ME-016 Unitary Air Conditioners ME-018-04 Maintenance of Diesel engine systems for underground coal mines ME-020 Internal Combustion Engines ME-024 V-Belt drives ME-037 Rolling Bearings ME-046 Gas Fuel systems for vehicle engines ME-062-11 Air & water handling for power stations TX-004 Ropes & Cordage.
Publications
The Collins Class Submarine Story – Steel, Spies and Spin $54.50 + GST = $59.95 Peter Yule and Derek Woolner At its initiation, the Collins Class submarine project it was the most expensive defence project ever undertaken in Australia, with a final cost in excess of six billion dollars and lasted for twenty- two years. Based on classified government archives, cabinet papers and the Australian Navy's archives this book addresses all of the controversies surrounding the project throughout its existence, from its initiation in the 1981-82 budget to its completion and delivery in 2003. It is vividly illustrated with photographs from the naval collection. 2008 9780521868945 400pp. Read more... Steel Designers’ Handbook 7th Edition $72.68 + GST = $79.95 B Gorenc, A Syam, R Tinyou The seventh edition of Steel Designers' Handbook is fully revised and covers the extensive revision of the 'loading code', which is renamed as Structural Design Actions Standard, General Principals, AS/NZ 1170 and its companion parts, 1170.1 to 1170.3. The volume of revisions and new terminology necessitated the first three chapters to be substantially rewritten. This edition is based on AS 4100: 1998, which incorporates revisions to the original 1990 edition. 2005 0868405736 424pp. Read more... Chemistry for Engineers $109.05 + GST = $119.96 Teh Fu Pen Topics covered in this book provide the fundamental tools necessary for an accomplished engineer as it bridges the concepts and theory of chemistry with practical examples. It deals with the basic principles of various branches of chemistry, namely physical, inorganic, organic, analytical, surface, biochemistry, geochemistry, fuel, polymer, cement, materials, asphalt. 2008 9781860947759 558pp. Read more... Would you like to be published? EA BOOKS is a print and digital publisher with a number of new and established programs for which we are seeking authors and reviewers. Your contribution can range from a book review to preparing a podcast or possibly writing a book. Our blog hosts reviews of new engineering titles. Written by engineers for engineers you will review the latest from publishers all over the English-speaking world. If you’re interested in reviewing a book we have titles available on the following subjects: Project Management, Avionics, Structural Engineering, Green HVACR, Concrete, Engineering Systems, and Sustainability/Accountability. Podcast your book review or perhaps a commentary on a recent project and raise your profile in the industry as your fellow engineers seek more relevant content in an increasingly crowded World Wide Web. There’s an old saying that we all have one book inside of us! Whether you are still at the thinking stage, have already started writing, or perhaps have a manual you prepared for your staff or customers, EA Books would like to work with you to share that knowledge. Please contact Robert Barber, rbarber@engineersmedia.com.au, or phone 02 9438 5355 if you would like to be published.

Calendar Engineering Education Australia will run the following short courses: Design and fabrication of pressure vessels (3 days) Perth 13 Oct Contract management (2 days) Brisbane 13 Oct, Perth 20 Oct, Darwin 27 Oct Managing cultural differences (1 day) Perth 13 Oct, Brisbane 27 Oct Relate to Aussies (1 day) Sydney 14 Oct, Melbourne 20 Oct Earthworks (2 days) Melbourne 16 Oct Creating and managing networks for successful business relationships (2 days) Sydney 16 Oct, Melbourne 21 Oct Project management (2 days) Brisbane 16 Oct, Darwin 30 Oct, Perth 23 Oct Managing self and others (2 days) Adelaide 16 Oct, Sydney 30 Oct Inspection, repairs and alterations of pressure vessels (2 days) Perth 16 Oct Negotiation skills (2 days) Brisbane 21 Oct Asset management and maintenance (2 days) Sydney 21 Oct Inquiries: The EEA Team, Engineering Education Australia 03 9274 9600, fax 03 9326 9888, email info@eeaust.com.au, web www.eeaust.com.au. The Re-Engineering Australia Forum state finals will be held in the following locations: Mt Druitt, Sydney 20-21 October Brisbane 23-24 October Canberra 30-31 October The National Final and Awards Ceremony will be in Canberra 24-26 November. Inquiries: 1300 554 503, email contact@rea.org.au. Seminars on do-it-yourself investing – more smart ideas and strategies will be held by 2020 Directinvest in Sydney 21 Oct, Kalgoorlie 22 Oct, Mandurah 23 Oct, Bunbury 24 Oct, Karratha 27 Oct, Port Hedland 28 Oct, Geraldton 28 Oct, Perth 30 Oct, Darwin 6 Nov, Canberra 13 Nov, Melbourne 19 Nov, Brisbane 25 Nov, Newcastle 27 Nov. Inquiries: 1800 352 021, email seminars@2020directinvest.com.au, web www.2020directinvest.com.au/seminars A seminar on Greenhouse gas and climate change mitigation through agro-industrial means such as alkaline phosphate fertiliser will be held as part of the Sydney program of the Joint Chemical Engineering College in Sydney 14 October. Inquiries: email sydinfo@engineersaustralia.org.au. A seminar on Storage tanks and dangerous goods will be held in Fremantle 16 October. Inquiries: Nina Lenz, email nlenz@engineersaustralia.org.au. Abstracts for research papers are due 17 Oct and abstracts for industry papers are due 18 Dec for the 20th Australian software engineering conference which will be held on the Gold Coast 14-17 Apr 2009. Inquiries: email aswec2009@itee.uq.edu.au, web http://aswec2009.itee.uq.edu.au. The EPSM – ABEC conference 2008, innovations in patient care conference will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand 16-20 Nov. Inquiries: email epsm-abec@uco.canterbury.ac.nz, web www.uco.canterbury.ac.nz/conference/epsm-abec. The 2008 Australasian Association for Engineering Education conference will be held in Yeppoon 7-10 Dec. Inquiries: web www.events.rockhamptoninfo.com.au/aaee2008 The Newcastle Division Regional Convention: Transport and communication; Australia’s backbone past, present and future will be held in Newcastle 12-13 June 2009. The conference will discuss how advancements in transport and communication have affected regional Australia. Inquiries: email lanfaxlabs@bigpond.com.au.



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