It is with great pleasure and tremendous pride that I report from your new home at 600 Bourke Street, Melbourne.
On Monday, 19 October staff commenced work at our new facility, signifying that Engineers Australia, Victoria was again open for business!
To date, we have hosted a number of CPD events, industry forums and committee meetings, and the feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive.
What has been particularly pleasing is the number of members who have commented on the potential for growing our brand through the prudent use of this contemporary space.
If you have not had the opportunity, I encourage you to drop in to see for yourself. You will be in awe of the spectacular views of a city that you help build. Already I have seen and overheard engineers pointing their finger and proclaiming, “I worked on that one there”, to anyone within earshot.
To the former Division Presidents, Mr David Eltringham AO FIEAust CPEng, Mr Paul Collier FIEAust CPEng EngExec, and Mr John McIntosh FIEAust CPEng EngExec, who initiated and carried the torch of progress on this massive undertaking, I thank you on behalf of our local, national and international members who will benefit from your vision for years to come.
As we turn the page on a new chapter in our history, I can announce that this year’s process for electing members to the Victoria Division Committee (VDC) is now complete. In keeping with our desire to be champions of diversity, it was very pleasing to see four women secure four of the five positions available.
The VDC continue to kick goals, and since the beginning of the year we have witnessed an unprecedented level of interaction between committee members, government ministers and industry stakeholders. By undertaking a deliberate, outward-focussed strategy to empower our senior office bearers, we have managed to position ourselves at the tables that matter most to the engineering profession in this State.
One of those tables has been that of the Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury and Finance, Mr Daniel Mulino MP. Throughout a series of meetings with the Parliamentary Secretary we have briefed the State Government on the significance of Engineers Australia’s National Engineering Register and what that will mean to the profession, government and above all, the safety and wellbeing of the community we both serve.
Next month I will be signing off my tenure as President. I look forward to sharing a few personal insights on this journey, as well as pay tribute to those whose counsel has guided the successful delivery of Victoria’s Strategic Agenda.
Geoff Hayes FIEAust CPEng EngExec NER APEC Engineer
President, Victoria Division
Engineers Australia