Ashley, who is currently General Manager of SEA Gas, said “It seems I have always been involved with pipelines in some form or other.”

After graduating, he began work as an electrical engineer with the Engineering & Water Supply Department in Adelaide, working first in design, then contract administration and finally technical policy before moving into the energy industry.

“I joined the Office of Energy Planning in 1988 and participated in the negotiations for all of the gas supply agreements that have served South Australia until very recently. From there the logical step was the Pipelines Authority of South Australia (PASA), which was privatised and ultimately became Epic Energy. With Epic I was in the development team that sought opportunities around Australia, culminating for me with the purchase of the Dampier Bunbury Pipeline in 1997. Subsequent to that, I became State Manager for Epic in South Australia, leaving that position to take up the role of General Manager with SEA Gas in February 2003,” he said.

When we asked Ashley what it was that made him want to be the President of APIA, he said, “From my early days with PASA I could see the vital role that pipelines play in delivering energy. I was impressed by the safety and environmental focus of the industry. I observed the range of contractors and suppliers that are necessary to come together – typically in the middle of nowhere – to construct the pipeline and facilities. And I have seen the enthusiasm of the whole industry and the expertise of the Research and Standards Committee. This observation was further reinforced by the highly successful international Joint Technical Meeting in Canberra in 2007.

“Further, it has always seemed so obvious to me that pipelines provide the very means to ensure that gas supply competition is achieved that I have never been able to comprehend why it is that pipelines seem to have received the most intense regulator scrutiny. I guess it is all of those things, not to mention the great people that drew me into nominating for the Board and now proudly becoming President.”

Ashley said that while it is the Secretariat that is generally the public face of APIA, it is the Board that sets the direction for the Secretariat. “APIA’s Board and Secretariat have an excellent working relationship and, as President, I am looking forward to having the opportunity to work more closely with the Secretariat and steward this process. It is very much a team effort – the Board and the Secretariat and, I should add, the Members,” he said.

“I was honoured to have Garry O’Meally, our first Chief Executive, nominate me for the Board in 2004. Garry did a wonderful job as Chief Executive from the mid 1990s – setting the Association up to achieve the sound financial position it now enjoys through Business Manager Steve Dobbie’s diligence.”

When we asked Ashley what his plans were for APIA during his time as President, he replied that he believes that APIA is working well, with many programs that are running very successfully and other plans already in progress.

“The Board constantly reviews these things, along with our strategic plan and risk environment. I intend to ensure we continue to rigorously address these issues and to ensure I am accessible to members and understand the needs of our membership,” he said.

Ashley went on to say that APIA is being increasingly recognised, both nationally and internationally, as a professional body with an important contribution to make.

“Through Cheryl’s [Cartwright, APIA Chief Executive] drive and expertise we have seen the developing and important involvement of APIA in the media and in the political sphere. The Research and Standards Committee is very highly regarded nationally and internationally and the commitment of our membership to safety and the environment is outstanding. It is probably because we are quietly safe, reliable and environmentally good citizens (and always available at the turn of a tap) that we are ‘out of sight and out of mind’ and do not attract the attention of the politicians or the media. However, we are a ‘good news story’ and Cheryl and her team has demonstrated that with persistence we can get our messages heard,” he said.

Discussing major issues confronting the Australian pipeline industry, Ashley said “The availability of human resources and materials seem to be significant issues at present. These are not easily addressed in the short term and are impacted by international factors. APIA is endeavouring to address the looming shortage of our technical people through its Young Pipeliners initiative. An issue that is, perhaps, part of the baggage of my previous history is economic regulation. I remain concerned as to how pragmatic future regulators might be in their interpretation of the legislation, regulations and rules that APIA and others have put so much effort into. I think we can only address this matter by ensuring we have a profile in Canberra and through continuing to communicate our message and the importance of the industry.”

In recent times, many APIA members have become more and more involved with the water pipeline sector, with potential for still more industry development in water pipelines. Ashley said “I suspect that the ‘gas pipeline sector’, for want of a better title, has much to offer the water sector. From a paper at the 2007 Convention, I note that process has already commenced, and with notable success. I would like to see increasing dialogue between these two sectors; they have evolved from quite different bases, they often work with pipelines of different materials and dimensions, but there are many common issues and I have no doubt there are synergies to be developed.”

When asked about the future of the pipeline industry in Australia, Ashley responded by saying that Australia has enormous reserves of both natural gas and coal seam gas in numerous locations. “We have a resources industry that is, in many ways still in its infancy, and is likely to dramatically increase its demand for energy,” he said.

He also said that it is highly likely that pipelines will be required to transport waste greenhouse gases to remote storages or treatment facilities, as well as there being an increased focus on water pipelines. As a result of all these things, he believes that the future for the pipeline industry is still evolving and is very bright indeed.

Gas, Ashley said, should be recognised as a major part of Australia’s energy supply mix, particularly as a transitional fuel as part of a climate change response. “Clearly climate change is a serious issue that is rightly being addressed,” he said. “Gas is also a fossil fuel but one with a much lower ‘carbon footprint’ than coal has, not to mention its lower emissions of particulates and NOx and the fact that energy generation from gas uses less water than energy generation from coal.

“APIA is already spreading this message and will continue to do so – any unbiased analysis can only reinforce this approach.”

In the medium and long term, Ashley said that the pipeline industry in Australia still has a long way to go. “With further research we can go to higher pressures to provide even greater efficiencies, there is the likelihood of convergence with water transportation and a potential growth industry in waste gas relocation, just to name a few obvious ones,” he said.

“It is hard to see an Australia without gas for a long time into the future, and as connectivity between pipeline systems develops, we should see our gas supplies remain competitive and secure. I think our Young Pipeliners will have exciting challenges ahead of them for many decades to come and I trust the experienced pipeliners will continue to share their knowledge and expertise with our next generation of industry leaders.”