Each year since 2002, the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia, Queensland Division Inc. (IPWEAQ) has presented Excellence Awards to encourage excellence in the innovation, development, completion and management of Local Government and public works projects.
The 2010 Awards were presented at the IPWEAQ Excellence Awards Dinner, held in Bardon on 8 October 2010. They are sponsored by the Queensland Foundation for Public Works Engineering and the Queensland Water Directorate.
Overall Awards
Projects less than $5M: Cairns Regional Council – Cattana Wetlands
The Cattana Wetlands Project has seen 80 hectares of undegenerated land transformed into a nature conservation park featuring walking tracks, boardwalk, interpretative signage, bird hides and picnic areas. Home to a significant range of wildlife and plant communities, locals and visitors can now experience the true beauty of this unique natural environment
Projects $5M to $10M : Sunshine Coast Regional Council – Nambour,
Hub of the Hinterland
The Nambour Public Domain Improvement Project was an extensive town centre streetscape project including an iconic town square. The challenge was to design and construct infrastructure conducive to restoring economic and social vitality into the heart of the Nambour shopping precinct.
Projects more than $10M: Whitsunday Regional Council – Bowen Foreshore Redevelopment
The Bowen Foreshore Precinct redevelopment project was successfully completed in November 2009. It has brought to fruition several years of planning, scoping, designing and constructing the transformation of Bowen beachfront parkland and road reserve. The “Front Beach” which is a stones throw from the business district has for many years been under utilised and unappreciated despite its historical significance and prime location. The revitalised Bowen Front Beach, as it is widely referred to, is now the undisputed focal point of Bowen and has become a major attraction to tourists and locals alike.
Asset Management: Rockhampton Regional Council – Strategic Asset Management
Applied to Buildings
Rockhampton Regional Council has fully implemented a whole of Council approach towards the strategic direction of overseeing a diverse range on Council owned buildings. By centralising this service Council now benefits from planned maintenance and capital works regimes encompassing sound asset management principles.
Innovation: Cairns Regional Council – Yarrabah Road Embankment
Cairns Regional Council is the first Council in Australia to use an innovative technology known as Geo-Synthetically Confined Soil (GCS). This technology was used in an embankment stabilisation project at Yarrabah Road in Far North Queensland. GCS is a compacted earth retaining system where soil is reinforced by layers of geo-synthetic material and secured to the existing road formation by soil nails.
Water Projects
Projects more than $10M: Wide Bay Water Corporation – WetSide Water Education Park
WetSide was built out of a desire to create an asset with multi layered benefits all with the common theme of water. It needed to deliver water education in a zero depth environment, stormwater harvesting, onsite treatment and reuse, family fun and foreshore sensitivity.
Projects up to $5M: Western Downs Regional Council – Dalby Wastewater Recycling Scheme
The Dalby Wastewater Recycling scheme, delivered a 1.0ML/d recycled wastewater plant, producing Class A+ quality water to supply a nearby Biorefinery. The project was an augmentation to the existing Dalby Sewerage Treatment Plant utilising existing infrastructure.
Highly Commended
Projects $5M – $10M: Cairns Regional Council – CBD South Flood Mitigation
The CBD South Flood Mitigation Scheme is part of an overall strategy that aims to alleviate flooding in the lower lying areas of the Cairns CBD. During severe weather events, the underground pump station
in Lake Street can move five cubic metres of stormwater per second into Trinity inlet, which equates to a 1 in 100 year storm event.
Projects more than $10M: Townsville City Council – Townsville Civic Theatre Extension
The Townsville Civic Theatre extension is funded jointly by the Townsville City Council and the State Government through Queensland’s 150th Legacy Infrastructure Program. The $12 million extension will transform the theatre into a modern, multi-purpose arts centre that will encourage far greater community use. The extension to the Civic theatre was an attempt to modernise the cultural experience for people enjoying the arts in Townsville. By providing full PWD access to the main theatre and providing a number of rehearsal and performance spaces the usage of the existing theatre is maximised.
Asset Management Projects: Gold Coast City Council – Asset Management
Improvement Program
The Asset Management Improvement Program has resulted in an agreed direction for enhancing and maintaining asset management capabilities that will ensure the sustainable delivery of asset based services from Gold Coast’s rapidly growing infrastructure base of $6.4 billion (the written down value as at 30 June 2010 excluding water and wastewater assets)
Highly Commended
Water Projects
Rockhampton Regional Council/Fitzroy River Water – Rockhampton to Yeppoon Pipeline
This $49.4 million project provides a link between the Rockhampton and Capricorn Coast water supply networks. The project has received Australian and State Government funding and will supplement the existing Waterpark Creek source for the Capricorn Coast. It involves approximately 42km of 600mm and 750mm diameter Ductile Iron Cement Lined pipeline as well as a pump station and a 10ML reservoir.
People Awards
IPWEAQ Engineer 2010
Jason Deller – Sunshine Coast Regional Council
Young IPWEAQ Engineer 2010
David Brooker – Mackay Regional Council
Technical Officer 2010
Cameron Ives – Toowoomba Regional Council
Works Supervisor 2010
Kevin Davies – Cairns Regional Council
Women in Engineering 2010
Nadia Ives – Toowoomba Regional Council
