Two respected engineers are among appointments as deputy Commissioner and Commissioner to the Environment Court by the Attorney-General on 13 May 2013.

The public are invited to Technology Challenging Society – a free event looking at how technology is transforming society for better or worse. The first panel of high-profile speakers will question; Is Music on the right track?

Engineers found to have breached professional standards could be barred from practising in the same way that doctors or teachers are. The creation of a register from which engineers could be struck off is among the regulatory improvements being considered by the Government and the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (Ipenz) after the release of the Canterbury earthquakes royal commission findings.

April 15^th 2013

Engineers are applauding a ‘whistle-blowing’ clause giving them legal protection if they alert authorities to building safety concerns.

Among its 189 recommendations, the Royal Commission says careful consideration should be given to liability protection for engineers, architects and building owners who disclose construction safety issues.

IPENZ supports the protection as engineers risk financial liability and damaging their professional reputation if they act as a whistle blower under the current regime, IPENZ chief executive Andrew Cleland says.

“We applaud this because without protection, it has been unfair on those doing the right thing. This is why IPENZ currently has a work programme underway on its code of ethics to review moral obligations including whistle-blowing.”

The Commission’s advice comes as IPENZ and government are putting the profession under scrutiny, accepting most of the Commission’s 189 recommendations, with potential legislative changes to improve engineering standards already in the pipeline.

Tomorrow (Tuesday 16^th April) the IPENZ governing board will meet to consider the code of ethics review and the future of regulation of the profession.

IPENZ is taking a multi-pronged approach to respond to recommendations from the Royal Commission’s 189 recommendations....

Moves to strengthen powers regulating engineers are underway following a meeting between government and the Institution of Professional Engineers last night (Wednesday 27th March).

Engineers investigate and recommend the best management of New Zealand's urban water services and supply, to improve efficiency and reliability.

The Institution of Professional Engineers NZ is tomorrow meeting Government to discuss potential jurisdiction on private investigations into engineers following the tragic CTV building collapse after the February 2011 earthquake.

Weltec Student Continues Winning Streak

Weltec Student Lachlan Clelland is the 2013 winner of the Institution of Professional Engineers Ray Meyer medal for Excellence in Student Design for his High Temperature Superconductor Continuous Flexible Winding Machine project.

The Ray Meyer Medal is sponsored by GHD and awarded by IPENZ to the student or group of students presenting the best final-year project with a substantial design component as part of an IPENZ-accredited qualification.

Lachlan has designed and produced a machine that braids the cable integral to superconductor technology. He undertook his research as part of a two year internship at Industrial Research Limited, now Callaghan Innovation. New Zealand is a world leader in Super conductor technology and Lachlan’s machine is an international first.

The project involved conceiving, designing, constructing and proving an innovative system to allow bringing the individual flat strands of High Temperature Super Conductor (HTS) together.  HTS is a ceramic material capable of conducting large DC currents with virtually no resistance.  The best efficiency is gained by bundling a series of flat strands of HTS into a Roebel cable form. Lachlan’s innovative system allows all the HTS strands to come together at a single point, forming a cable without damaging strands. The system for forming the cables will assist greatly with the development and...

Orakei Engineer Recognised for professional commitment

The 2013 recipient of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Turner Award for Professional Commitment is Tokin and Taylor Business Development Manager Peter Millar.

The award, sponsored by Pacific Steel, recognises continuing contribution to the engineering profession as demonstrated by a commitment to the ideals of a self-regulating profession.

Orakei-based Peter has a Masters in Civil Engineering is a Fellow of IPENZ, is a Chartered Professional Engineer. He has contributed to the development of geotechnical engineering in New Zealand, Australia and Asia, especially with geotechnical investigations, designs and site development.

His wider professional contributions have included input into several working groups particularly the New Zealand Geotechnical Society, and roading and earthquake research groups. Since 2011 he has been a member of the Engineering Advisory Group, which was established to formulate design recommendations for residential and commercial structures following the Canterbury earthquakes. He has frequently acted as an expert witness and presented technical papers about his experience on foundation, roading and tunnelling projects.

During his tenure as the Managing Director of Tonkin & Taylor, he was a founding Advisory Committee member of The Universi...

Earthquake Engineer recognised for ongoing commitment to Christchurch Recovery

The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) have awarded one of their highest honours to Christchurch Engineer John Hare.

The Fulton-Downer Gold Medal - President's Award is made in recognition of outstanding achievement within the profession. Recipients demonstrate the strengths of the engineering profession in its role of public service.

John is a Technical Director at Holmes Consulting Group and his expertise have seen him appointed Principal Engineering Advisor at Cera and to the role of Chairman of the Engineering Advisory Group, Commercial Section at Department of Building and Housing

As the President of the Structural Engineering Society when the February 2011 Canterbury earthquake struck, John immediately stepped up in a variety of ways, particularly by undertaking an engineering role with Urban Search and Rescue.

He quickly recognised that collating information on design and seismic strengthening features would provide learning opportunities for the wider structural engineering community, both locally and internationally. He led his peers in engaging with local and central government agencies to ensure good quality engineering guidance was developed as a ma...

Professor Paul Austin has been posthumously awarded the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Skellerup Award for Supreme Technical Achievement in bio or chemical processing.

Professor Austin had a distinguished career in advanced process control, contributing to developing the field theoretically and implementing it into industry. After graduating with a doctorate from Cambridge University, he served in academia with Cambridge, Massey, Auckland and Victoria universities.

Professor Austin managed a rare feat in maintaining successful duel careers, in academia and industry. Of particular note is his successful application of the latest theoretical control system research into industry. His work has been most prominent in the pulp and paper industry where he has achieved energy savings of between 10 and 25 per cent, improved paper-making machine stability and developed the first online paper formation control systems .

His contribution has had a wide impact on the processing industry, with many large international companies such as METSO, Honeywell and ABB adopting and applying his work. Professor Austin’s international leadership in developing advanced process control systems has resulted in many and varied industry benefits.

Professor Paul Austin died in Cambridge, England in last October, following a long battle with cancer. The Skellerup Award will be accepted by his brother at the IPE...

Respected Wellington Geotechnical engineer Pathmanathan (Brabha) Brabhaharan has been acknowledged by his peers with the 2013 Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Freyssinet Award.

The Award, which is presented for supreme technical achievement in building and construction, acknowledges Brabha’s 30 year career in geotechnical and seismic engineering.

Brabha has written more than 40 technical papers on practice and research related to geotechnical and earthquake engineering, and infrastructure resilience. He has twice received the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) Award for Best Practice Paper.

He was the principal organiser for two national NZSEE conferences and contributed to many other conferences as a technical reviewer, session chair and awards’ judge. He is committed to sharing knowledge with the wider group of building and construction professionals in New Zealand and internationally. His efforts to share expertise have become even more important in the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes.

As a key member of the NZSEE, Brabha joined a reconnaissance to China following the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, gathering and disseminating vital lessons for New Zealand engineers.

He has developed unique and innovative solutions, especially for providing resilience against natural disasters, and has made significant contributions to understanding natural hazard risks su...

Thursday March 14  2013

Renewable Generation Expert Claims Top Engineering Award

AECOM Transmission & Distribution Team Manager Ray Brown is the 2013 recipient of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Even Parry Award for Energy Systems.

Ray has long been acknowledged by his peers as a leader in transmission and renewable generation development. He is well-known in the New Zealand power industry for finding new ways of maximising the effectiveness of the power system.

Ray started working at Meridian Energy in 2000, and was most recently its Transmission Development Manager. Prior to Meridian and since graduating in 1988, he held a variety of technical positions at Transpower and Contact Energy.

In 2009, he became the Chairman of the New Zealand National Committee for the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRÉ) and New Zealand’s representative on the CIGRÉ Administrative Council. For two years he was a member of the CIGRÉ Technical Committee, guiding the organisation’s technical content and direction. The CIGRÉ Chairman at that time cited Ray as an extraordinarily skilled engineer in electric power engineering, in particular in integrating new renewable energy systems, such as wind farms, into existing power systems.

International recognition of Ray’s technical knowledge and his ability to present complex issues...

Hamilton Engineer John Crawford is the 2013 recipient of the prestigious Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) Angus Award.
The Angus Award is presented to an engineer with expertise in water waste and amenities, including design, construction and operation of reliable supply of services to communities and/or their distribution networks.
John has had a distinguished career in engineering and is a widely recognised authority in wastewater engineering. He has 27 years’ experience in New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
He is currently the Technical Principal, Wastewater, with Opus International Consultants Limited, and in this role is responsible for more than 200 staff in New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
Developing more reliable wastewater treatment systems through advancing procurement practices has been one of John’s most significant contributions to the profession, and consequently to the community at large.
John shares his vast knowledge and experience by mentoring staff, carrying out internal and external peer reviews, contributing to Opus’s Practice Interest Networks and publishing technical papers. He has regularly provided expert evidence at Regional and Environment Court level and he is a qualified Resource Management Act Commissioner.
In addition to his contribution to advancing water engineering science and practice, John volunteered his assistance in t...

Professional Engineers Welcome final report from Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) welcomes the final report from the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission released this afternoon. The report is comprehensive and detailed and reflects the commitment of the commissioners to improving building safety in New Zealand.