The Dampier Port Upgrade in WA’s Pilbara region was declared the most outstanding engineering achievement at the Engineers Australia WA Division Engineering Excellence Awards gala dinner presentation last night, Friday 19 September.

The Dampier Port Upgrade project was also the excellence award winner in the Resource Development category.

With Western Australia’s Pilbara region experiencing unprecedented expansion of its industry, driven by global demand for iron ore, Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) found new and innovative solutions during a major resources boom to increase the port capacity by 90 percent while exporting record tonnages.

The $US1.4B project included a 600 metre wharf extension, two car dumpers, a stockyard extension, four stackers, a reclaimer, two shiploaders, two Screenhouses and associated conveyors and was completed on budget and ahead of schedule.

The project set a benchmark with over five million work man-hours free of lost time injuries, and
delivered a world-class solution.

The President of Engineers Australia’s WA Division, Lorie Jones, said that the Excellence Awards program encourages and celebrates engineering excellence by identifying, recognizing and promoting excellence in the science and practice of engineering.

“Massive resource development and mineral processing projects have been delivered in Western Australia, and many others are underway and on the books, along with downstream projects such as buildings, infrastructure, utilities and services.

“The excellence award submissions are representative of the significant role of engineering and technology in delivering projects, systems and services across all sectors of the WA economy.”

With sustainable development a mandatory criteria for all categories of the awards, Jones commented that the awards also highlighted the contribution of engineers and technologists to
the economy, to the community and to the environment.

“Today our society faces a range of complex challenges, not the least of which is climate change, and we will rely on our engineers to show leadership and find pathways to sustainability in collaboration with other professionals.

“Engineering excellence is our platform for delivering a more sustainable future,” Jones said.

The other 2008 EA Western Australia Division Engineering Excellence Awards winners were:

Control Systems, Reports and Procedures
Transforming Electricity Distribution Management - Western Power

Electronics, Telecommunications & Information Technology
Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline – Digital Communications Upgrade - Gibson Quai -
AAS Pty Ltd / Dampier Bunbury Pipeline

Engineering for Regional Communities
Karratha Tom Price Road, Stage 2 - GHD Pty Ltd / Main Roads WA / Macmahon / Coffey
Geotechnical

Environment
The Kwinana Freeway Combined Transportation Corridor - Public Transport Authority / Main
Roads WA

Infrastructure and Building
The Kwinana Freeway Combined Transportation Corridor - Public Transport Authority / Main
Roads WA

Management of Engineering
Mitchell Freeway Extension (to Burns Beach Road) - Macmahon / Main Roads WA / BG&E /
Public Transport Authority / Construction Reference Group

Products and Manufacturing
Design, Engineering, Manufacturing and Sales of Tapping Point Clearing Devices - Clearguard
Pty Ltd

Research and Development
Securing the Wellington Dam Spillway - GHD Pty Ltd / Water Corporation

Small Company Projects
Structural Enhancement of St George’s Cathedral - Maitland Consulting Structural Engineering /
J Woodside Consulting Pty Ltd

Personal awards also presented were:

2008 WA Professional Engineer of the Year - Jim Brown
Special Commendation: Felicity McKenzie
2008 WA Engineering Officer of the Year - Francis Norman
2008 WA Young Professional Engineer of the Year - Vaughn Grey

More details about winners will be available from Monday, 22 September at www.engineersaustralia.org.au/wa .

Winners of these Engineers Australia’s Western Australia Division awards are eligible for nomination to the 2008 Australian Engineering Excellence Awards to be announced at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday 19 November.

Media Contact: John Bright – 0407 234 490 / jbright@engineersaustralia.org.au

Engineers Australia is the common name of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, with over 86,000 members