Australian Pipeline Trust’s Stephen Ohl provided an excellent overview of the economic and technical regulatory challenges and the commercial requirements for project development. His presentation provided participants with an understanding of the challenges of meeting budgets and encouraging investment in project development.
Following Mr Ohl’s presentation, experienced engineer Phil Venton described the practical challenges of meeting the project requirements of providing the design and development.
Christine O’Reilly of GasNet and Andrew Rattray of McConnell Dowell tackled the challenges of allocating risk in a contract in today’s economic environment. The commercial requirements of running a large company and meeting the challenges in a contract are different, yet similar, for owners and contractors and the presentation by Ms O’Reilly and Mr Rattray, supported by a presentation by Arch Fletcher, a Clayton Utz lawyer, left no one in any doubt about the complexity of today’s contracts and the need to meet shareholder’s demands.
Operations and maintenance were also discussed with presentations by Don Plowman from Alinta Asset Management and Richard McDonough from the Department of Primary Industries and Resources of South Australia. Mr Plowman outlined Alinta’s operation and maintenance plan while Mr McDonough highlighted the real responsibility that pipeline owners face in meeting the very strict requirements of AS2885.
The vastly experienced Graeme Hogarth provided an overview of the day’s discussion, emphasising many of the points that were raised regarding the challenges of risk allocation.
The seminar wound up with an enthusiastic panel discussion. Panel participants were: Stephen Ohl, Graeme Hogarth, Mark Harper (CEO, Agility), John Blain (CEO, Gas Pipelines Victoria) and Mark Bumpstead (MD, Nacap Australia).
Radcliffe addresses dinner
After the seminar a dinner was held which was addressed by Professor David Radcliffe of the University of Queensland. He provided a presentation on skills shortages and opportunities in the industry.
Prof Radcliffe has developed a new initiative to bring experience and skills to engineering industries.
Although there are many successful initiatives already underway, real solutions would require collaboration between various stakeholders, namely the industry, education and wider community. Prof Radcliffe also encouraged businesses, educators and government officials to combine their creative forces in information and training.
A new initiative, the Advanced Engineering Capability (AEC) Network, will share information about skills development and training. To participate in the AEC Network or find further information contact: Jessica Stam, Project Officer, AEC Network, j.stam@uq.edu.au or Prof David Radcliffe, Director, AEC Network, d.radcliffe@uq.edu.au or log onto www.engineeringcapability.net
Melbourne Pipeliners gather for cocktail function
Federal Minister Hon Kevin Andrews MP presented a talk on the Federal Government’s Workplace Relations legislation at the APIA cocktail function in Melbourne on 27 April.
Mr Andrews provided a clear explanation of how the new laws would benefit industry and workers alike, saying he believed that the current “˜scare campaign’ being run by the unions would eventually subside. He added that after the new regime had settled, it would work well and increase opportunities in the workforce. The Minister also took the time to talk individually with APIA members and guests at the function.
As the usual Melbourne dinner and seminar associated with the Pipeline Operators Group (POG) seminar had been moved to Sydney this year, APIA decided to hold a cocktail function in Melbourne to give Victorian pipeliners a chance to catch up.
The general consensus was that on subsequent occasions whereby the POG meeting is held out of Melbourne, the replacement function should be a lunch or dinner.
As the POG will meet in Canberra next year, to coincide with the international Joint Technical Meeting being held in Australia for the first time, APIA will ensure that the Melbourne dinner remains.