The Environmental Management Panel

In 2000, a review of the Environmental Panel and Recycled Materials Usage Panel concluded that the two panels should merge to create the Environmental Management Panel. Merging the panels allowed for increased scope of the Environmental panel, broadening of the Recycled Materials Usage Panel's focus and better resourcing. Where greater attention is required for a particular issues, eg stormwater, subcommittees will be formed.

The objectives of the NSW Environmental Management Panel are to:

• To support IPWEA action in the environmental issues with appropriate policy and position statements.
• Increase Government awareness (at all levels) of the IPWEA's environmental position on various issues.
• Increase community awareness of the IPWEA's environmental position on various issues.
• Enhance expertise in environmental issues amongst industry and IPWEA members.

Members of the Environmental Management Panel represent the IPWEA on a number of external committees including the State Stormwater Advisory Committee, the Roadside Environment Taskforce, and the Recycled C&D Materials Specification Works Project.

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Strategic Plan and Position Statements

The IPWEA (NSW Division) Environmental Management Panel has adopted a strategic plan outlining its operation, vision, objectives, achievements, strategies and actions for the next three years to 2003.

Position statements on salinity, the roadside environment, stormwater, environmental reporting and solid waste were adopted by the NSW Board in August 2001.

Comments on the plan and/or position statements are welcome and should be sent to Tracey Gigg.

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Current Projects

Current projects of the Environmental Management Panel include:

• Participating in the WasteWise Construction Program;
• Reviewing State of the Environment Reporting; and
• Developing position statements on a number of environmental issues.

"Draft Specification for the Supply of Recycled Materials for Roads, Drainage and Fill"

The Draft Specification for the Supply of Recycled Materials for Roads, Drainage and Fill sets out the performance standards required of the materials processing industry for the supply of quality recycled materials that are capable of being used for their intended purposes and provide the confidence required in the marketplace.

To download a copy of the draft specification, for more information, or a list of suppliers, visit the draft specification website

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Review of State of the Environment Reporting

In August 2000, the IPWEA (NSW Division) Environmental Management Panel surveyed all NSW Councils to determine how State of the Environment reports are being used and what level of involvement engineers have in the process. The survey was also designed to elicit Council's attitude towards SOE reporting.

The analysis of this survey is presented in the State of the Environment Survey Report (pdf format).

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C&D Projects Database

The IPWEA (NSW Division) Environmental Management Panel is encouraging people whose C&D projects were completed within the last year, are currently underway or are planned to begin in the near future to fill in the Project Details form and return it to Resource NSW. For more information on the C&D database or to discuss the details of your project, please contact Resource NSW on 02 9261 2777.

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Newsletters

The Environmental Management Panel produced a fortnightly newsletter. This newsletter was sent to all Panel members and covered the activities of the Panel and IPWEA as well as environmental news, conferences, seminars, grants and funding opportunities. Copies of the newsletter can be downloaded in pdf format. Please select a newsletter from the following menu.

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Documents

View the State of the Environment Survey Report.

View the Environmental Management Panel submission to the White Paper: Plan First, Review of Plan Making in NSW.

View the Environmental Management Panel submission to the review of the Waste Minimisation and Management Act 1995.

View the Final Scoping Report (PDF format - 217 k) on the Use of Recycled Construction and Demolition Materials in Roadworks and Other Local Government Activities.

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More Information/Feedback

For more information on the Environmental Management Panel or to provide feedback or comments, please contact Tracey Gigg, Research Officer or David Abbott, Panel Chairman.

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Contact

Chair: David Abbott
Organisation: c/ IPWEA
Tel: 02 9153 8643
Email: ipwea@ipwea.org.au

NSW Road Safety Panel

The objectives of the NSW Road Safety Panel are to:

• Guide and support IPWEA action in road safety with appropriate policy;
• Raise government awareness (at all levels) of the IPWEA position on road safety issues;
• Increase awareness of road safety issues amongst IPWEA membership, council staff and councillors;
• Enhance expertise in road safety practice amongst IPWEA membership and council staff.

A Local Government Road Safety Project has been established to raise council awareness of the need to take a greater role in reducing the road toll and to give road safety a higher priority in council management plans and activities. The project is a joint venture between the IPWEA, RTA, and Motor Accidents Authority (MAA).

Chair: Ron Patton
Organisation: Hornsby Shire Council
Tel: 02 9847 6665
Email: ipwea@ipwea.org.au

The objectives of the NSW Competitive Provision of Services (CPS) Panel are to:

• Support IPWEA action in the Competitive Provision of Services (CPS) with appropriate policy;
• Raise Government awareness (at all levels) of the IPWEA position on Competitive Provision of Services issues;
• Increase awareness of Competitive Provision of Services issues amongst the Local Government Industry;
• Enhance expertise in Competitive Provision of Services in the Local Government Industry.

Chair: Steve Carmichael
Organisation: Temora Shire Council
Tel: 02 6977 1099
Email: ipwea@ipwea.org.au

NSW Works Officers Panel

The NSW Works Officers Panel was established in 1997 and is made up of representatives from each regional group in NSW. The objectives of the Works Officers Panel are to provide an organisation of Works Officers/Supervisors working in Local Government or related associated organisations; to exchange information and ideas; to promote good fellowship, workmanship, co-operation and assistance between organisations and their related work; and to maintain our identity.

The charter for the panel is:

• To act as a Regional Group representative "voice" to the IPWEA Board.
• To provide feedback and suggestions from Works Officers Regional Groups on matters such as:
  • State Conference - there is a Works Officers papers stream on one day of the Conference
  • Field Days - now known as CivEnEx. We have also introduced the Public Infrastructure Forum, which will be a series of workshops on the day prior to CivEnEx, much of which is targeted at Works Officers.
  • Demonstrations.
  • Sponsors.
  • Speakers.
• To supply information to Works Officers Regional Groups in key areas:
  • Specialist skills data base.
  • Training.
  • Contacts.
  • Networking - passing on information gained at Panel meetings.
  • Problem Solving.
  • Benchmarking.
• Work on special projects, eg handbooks, manuals.
• Provide input to training packages being developed.
• Develop and manage the tendering process for Works Officers Conferences.
• Represent Regional Groups at the Chairman, Secretaries, Staff and Board meeting at the IPWEA NSW Conference.
• To seek consultation with the Foundation on Study Tours or Exchange Visits.

The Works Officers Panel has produced a Gangers Handbook which is an essential manual for the training of gangers and a guide to work practices. Copies the manual cost $55 including GST plus Postage & Handling. This publicationcan be ordered through the IPWEA. See the Library and Resources page for more information.

Chair: David Coulton
Organisation: c/IPWEA
Tel: 02 6729-1016
Email: ipwea@ipwea.org.au

NSW Young Members Panel

The Young Members Panel affirms the importance of younger members to the IPWEA and to ensure that their needs and aspirations are supported. Young Member are defined as a person up to the age of 35 who is embarking upon a career in public works engineering and who may benefit from the activities of the IPWEA. The Young Members Panel recognises that younger and developing members are not a homogeneous group and those younger members have different needs at differing stages in their career.

The mission of the Young Members Panel is:

• To facilitate representation and contribution to issues of importance to young and developing members.
• To promote public works as a career/profession to students and increase the awareness of public works within the broader community.
• To publish or provide funds for public works related publications and to conduct lectures, conferences, seminars, functions and meetings to promote interest in and knowledge of public works.
• To encourage membership and involvement in IPWEA amongst students, graduates and young public works professionals.
• To provide input into education at a secondary and tertiary level.
• To develop and maintain links between younger members at a state, national and international level.
• To develop and maintain links between younger members between city and country members.
• To assist young members in gaining experience and employment.
• To advance interest and promote by raising the character and status in Public Works.
• To assist IPWEA in catering to the needs of younger members i.e. courses, conferences, social gatherings.

Chair: Bob Missingham
Organisation: c/IPWEA
Tel: 02 6672 0477
Email: ipwea@ipwea.org.au