President’s Message

Welcome to the Australian Pipeline Industry Association 2012 Year Book Directory. The Directory, which appears to be considerably thicker each year, is a handy reference guide for all members. It gives full details of all members including member capabilities, key personnel and company details, and also includes a useful categorised list of our owner, contractor, engineering, supplier, service provider and individual members.

Our annual Convention held in Sydney in 2011 was the largest convention APIA has ever organised. There were 485 delegates, 106 partners and 121 stands (with 98 individual exhibitors) at the Sydney Convention Centre. The growth and success of our annual conference is a credit to the industry and you, the members.

2011 was another year of tremendous activity for APIA. A few highlights include:

• The Pipeline Engineering Training Project is ramping up and will be invaluable in developing a pool of skilled pipeline engineers within the industry.
• The Energy Pipelines Co-operative Research Centre is progressing, with numerous projects across a wide range of issues being delivered and new projects being developed.
• The Research and Standards Committee (RSC) continues to grow through the enthusiasm of our dedicated members. It is important that all members of APIA embrace the RSC to realise the advantages of RSC membership.
• The Safety Committee was integrated with the Environment Committee to create the HSE Committee.
• The Young Pipeliners Forum (YPF) continues to grow. It is fantastic to see young professionals embracing the industry and having some fun at the same time as expanding their knowledge and meeting prospective mentors. Some of the young ones don’t want to leave YPF so the age criterion has been deleted! But the focus of the YPF remains on providing opportunities for our young people.
• The WA Policy and Issues Committee held its first meeting in September 2011. This will be an important committee for addressing specific WA issues and raising APIA’s profile in the west.
• The APIA Secretariat continues to work with the Australian Government and Federal Opposition to increase the profile of APIA and influence policy.
• The AS2885 Part 3 seminars have commenced, and initial interest by the industry has certainly exceeded expectations. This is a credit to the work of our tireless volunteers on the various code committees.

Australia is certainly a country of international focus at the moment, with significantly increased activity in the mining, resources, and oil and gas sectors. The increase in the number of international delegates at our Sydney conference is testament to the level of activity within our industry in Australia and the region.

2012 will bring a review of our Strategic Plan. This occurs every three years. This is a critical area of work by the Board and Secretariat. We need to plan a strategic direction for the Association that will allow the gas pipeline industry to grow and adapt in a rapidly changing environment. Of course, transportation of other products – oil, slurry, water – also remains a focus.

I look forward to 2012, my first year as President, with great excitement. Federal Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism Martin Ferguson said in his keynote address at our Sydney conference that we are heading into a ‘golden age of gas’. There are, therefore, huge opportunities and responsibilities for the industry and you – the members.

I look forward to seeing more of you at the various APIA functions, and I encourage all of you to raise any issue you may have within the industry, with any of the APIA Board Members or the Secretariat.

Kevin Lester
APIA President