Your industry and your secretariat are in good hands. Appropriate governance processes are now in place, providing security of management, and planning for the future is underway. We now have many younger people involved in the industry and in functions – an excellent sign that, during a time of skills shortage, this will remain an attractive industry in which to build a career, hopefully attracting and keeping a skilled workforce.
For many years APIA has been the “quiet achiever” of the energy industry. With a smaller secretariat than most other associations, the APIA secretariat has worked hard on trying to ensure the best possible outcome for the industry from a range of government policies and practices. And now the secretariat is building the industry’s profile. This is good for a few reasons, but most importantly, if people (and politicians) know who we are, we don’t have to spend the first part of a meeting explaining ourselves and we can get on with discussing what it is that we actually need.
As well as raising awareness of the gas transmission and pipeline industry generally, over the past year APIA has achieved a media profile in the debate about environmental developments and climate change. It is important that there is a focus on natural gas as a cleaner alternative to coal-fired power generation, and as an increasingly important fuel source which is a viable method of supporting the more expensive renewable energy generation sources until they mature.
There have been comment pieces and letters in The Australian Financial Review and smaller news stories in other papers, and APIA has been invited to provide a semi-regular column for Queensland’s Courier Mail and also to make a contribution to a special oil and gas section in The Australian.
On the lobbying front, APIA has had some success with regard to the new National Gas Law, which is expected to be introduced later in the year. As a result of strong lobbying of politicians by APIA and the organisation’s improved working relationship with officials, the original draft legislation was completely rewritten. Rather than being detrimental to the industry, it is now hoped that the new laws will be comparable with the arrangements under which the industry has operated over the past decade. Of course, this is not as good as an improvement, but it is certainly much better than the significant increases in complexity and control which had been initially suggested by government. Support for APIA was demonstrated again by the Federal Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, the Hon. Ian Macfarlane MP, who attended the June Melbourne lunch, and thanked APIA for the hard work of the members which had helped to improve the legislation.
All APIA committees continue to work well, and the extensive work of Research and Standards Committee was demonstrated again with the release of the new AS2885 Part 1. APIA has now conducted introductory seminars around the country – and also in New Zealand – and the Standard is so well respected that other energy groups want to use it as a “model” for their own standards. Of course, the international research conference – the Joint Technical Meeting including north American and European research groups – held in Australia this year (the first time it has ever been held in the Southern Hemisphere) was a major highlight for the RSC and outgoing Chairman, Max Kimber. Also of note is the work of the safety committee which continues to gain momentum and shows promise of further significant contributions to the industry in the future.
So, as I leave the post of President, I think it important that I recognise the contribution of two very important groups. Firstly I would like to congratulate the employees of the APIA who have once again done an outstanding job for their members and secondly I would like to say well done to the APIA membership. The members make a tremendous contribution to the industry and to their Association and I am sure this will continue for many years to come. I look forward to catching up with as many of you as possible at the 2007 Annual Convention and Exhibition in October.
Mark Harper
APIA President