Recognition of the past and hope for the future were the prevalent themes at the official opening ceremony of the APGA Convention on Monday morning.
The pipeline industry came together to celebrate the decades-long commitments of many of its major players, and to reaffirm its collective effort to keep the lights on in Australia for generations.
The convention opened with the APGA annual awards, which are presented to individuals and companies in recognition of their service to the nation’s pipeline industry.
Fyfe executive chairman Mark Dayman took out the prestigious Honorary Life Membership Award for his pioneering work in the pipeline industry, which first began in 1975.
Dayman thanked his colleagues at Fyfe and across the industry, as well as his loved ones for their continued support.
“The APGA has been a cornerstone of my career for a very long time. It’s also been an important factor in the success of Fyfe,” he said. “Throughout my time with the APGA, I’ve loved every moment of it.”
The Honorary Life Membership Award is not an annual award and is only granted in special circumstances. Given at the discretion of the APGA board, it acknowledges one who has rendered outstanding service to the APGA and the pipeline industry, beyond what’s expected of their position.
Significantly, the board decided to issue two such awards.
APA Group’s Kevin Lester also received the Honorary Life Membership Award for his outstanding service to the industry. As group executive infrastructure development, Lester is responsible for supporting APA’s $26 billion portfolio of assets. Lester has spent his career fostering a culture of collaboration within the pipeline industry, and currently serves as APGA director.
“The APGA is a fantastic association to be involved in, allowing us to share the research that we do, learn from each other, and advocate to help influence government policy,” he said.
CNC Project Management managing director Dave Maloney received the annual Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Pipeline Industry Award, for his significant and sustained impact.
“With a career in infrastructure development spanning over 35 years, Dave’s the real deal,” APGA president John Stuart-Robertson said when presenting the award.
Maloney, a former president and board member of APGA, took the opportunity to thank his team, and to reflect on the people who have helped him along the way.
“Volunteering for an organisation like APGA, I have people asking me how and why I put in the effort I do,” he said.
“What I’ve learned throughout my time in the industry from my mentors has been incredible. The things I’ve learned, the experiences I’ve had, are largely from interactions built over so many years. During that time, there have been moments where I think: you can’t buy this experience.
“If you are thinking about volunteering, you can improve not only the lives of those around you, but also your own life.”
Other prestigious awards were taken out by:
- Spiecapag pipeline construction manager Doug Wood, who took out the Jeff Shepherd Construction Excellence Award for, among other things, successfully supervising the construction of more than 1900km of pipeline throughout his career
- AGIG marketing manager Claire Minns, who received the Young Achiever Award for demonstrating a valuable contribution to the industry, displaying innovation in her work, and showing potential for leadership
- APA Group, which took out the Diversity and Inclusion Award
- Australian Gas Infrastructure Group, which took out the Safety Award
- Spiecapag, which took out the Environment Award.
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