The presentation part of the evening was convened by Kate Pemberton, Editor of Trenchless Australasia, who outlined current developments across the industry and gave an insight into the upcoming No-Dig Down Under 2011 Conference and Exhibition.
ASTT Victoria Councillor Chris Frangos welcomed delegates and speakers to the networking event, after which he introduced Program Manager for Melbourne Water’s Pipelines (Sewerage and Drainage) Capital Program Phil Corluka.
Mr Corluka introduced the tunnelling projects to be discussed – Melbourne Main Sewer Replacement (MMSR) and the Northern Sewerage Project (NSP). The presentations focused on the use of Trenchless Technology in delivery of MMSR and NSP.
Melbourne Water Stage 1 Project Manager Mike Filby explained the historical context of the sewer system in Melbourne, known as ‘smellbourne’ before the installation of the network.
Melbourne Water Project Manager Peter Clarke spoke about tunnelling the infamous Coote Island silt under the Docklands to increase the capacity of the CBD’s sole sewer outlet.
John Holland Tunnelling Operations Manager Evan Stamatopoulos addressed industry developments, technical advancements and future directions in Trenchless Technology.
Following the closing of the presentations, drinks and canap̩s were provided to enable colleagues and industry associates to catch up, talk trenchless or otherwise, and look forward to the future of the trenchless industry.