Membership
Welcome to all the new members that have just recently joined the ASTT. I look forward to meeting with you sometime in the near future.
It is extremely pleasing to be able to report that a large percentage of members have
now paid their membership fees which were due on January 1, 2006. It is also pleasing to mention that approximately 50 per cent of the payments received to date have been made directly to the ASTT Bank Account.
For those members that have still not paid your membership dues, you are reminded that you can arrange your payment to be made directly through direct debit to the ASTT Bank Account, details for which can be found on page 59.
If there are any amendments to your mailing addresses or contact names etc, then please let me know so that the ISTT and ASTT databases and web site can be kept up to date.
Trenchless Asia – Shanghai
This issue is being released in conjunction with Trenchless Asia 2006 that will be held at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, 7 – 9 March 2006. This is the second international exhibition and conference to be held in Shanghai and follows the highly successful first appearance
in 2004.
The take up of Australasian members exhibiting at this event despite being offered a 10 per cent discount is somewhat disappointing. Nevertheless, those that will be supporting Trenchless Asia will I am sure make the most of the experience.
The ASTT will be there promoting the Brisbane International NO-DIG Conference and Exhibition and is confident of attracting both Chinese exhibitors and delegates and with the assistance of our overseas agent, Westrade, there may be an opportunity for a trade delegation to come to Brisbane.
2006 Business Plan
This year’s Business Plan is now available online on the ASTT website at http://www.astt.com.au/strategic_plan.htm The plan is a continuation of last year’s plan in so much as the key strategies are:
“¢ Development;
“¢ Training and Education;
“¢ Guidelines and Standards; and,
“¢ Promotion.
This year’s targets for Network Development will be achieving a 10 per cent increase in members by the end of December 2006; continuing the distribution of the ASTT promotional brochure; and pursuing relationships with other related Organisations/
Societies for sharing memberships.
Training and Education targets will be to develop nationally recognised training modules for rehabilitation by June 2006; monitoring the take up of nationally recognised training modules for HDD and microtunnelling; and the continued promotion of education packages to tertiary institutions in Australia and New Zealand.
Guidelines and Standards targets will be to publish a framework of Guidelines and Standards on ASTT website by June 2006; marketing the benefits of Guidelines and Standards to industry; and monitoring web traffic to the website.
Promotion targets will be to produce four Trenchless Australasia magazines throughout the year; to successfully conduct the International NO-DIG 2006 in Brisbane; and to trial in WA an “÷Environmentally Sensitive Underground Construction Techniques’ category for the CASE Earth Awards.
As can be seen, some of these targets if achieved will certainly be beneficial to those involved in the trenchless industry. The most exciting ones I believe will be the publishing of the Guidelines and Standards on the ASTT website, completion of the competency training packages for rehabilitation and then the monitoring of the take up on the training packages by contractors. All in all an exciting year ahead is planned.
Jeff Pace
ASTT Secretary