As I said in the last edition of Trenchless Australasia, with International No-Dig Down Under 2013 now behind us, the focus of the ASTT has turned to:
- Determining the location of the next ASTT Conference and Exhibition to be held in 2015
- Stepping up our promotion of the trenchless industries around Australia and New Zealand
- Increasing advocacy to governments and asset owners about the use of Trenchless Technology
- Looking for further Trenchless Technology education opportunities around Australia and New Zealand to promote the industry.
With respect to the first of those objectives, I am glad to announce that the next ASTT Conference and Exhibition will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, from 8-11 September 2015. The Gold Coast is a fantastic location to hold this event and we hope that the industry will again show strong support and make this a great success. Put this date into your calendar now as an event not to be missed.
This year however, one of our main avenues for promotion is the 2014 Water New Zealand Annual Conference and Expo, to be held at Hamilton, New Zealand from 17-19 September 2014. Every two years this event, run by Water New Zealand in conjunction with the ASTT, provides for a trenchless stream within the conference program, to keep the industry informed of the latest trenchless developments. This is a very popular part of the program and has been strongly attended in the past by the water and wastewater industry. My own personal experience in having attended this event previously is that I have been extremely impressed at the quality and range of New Zealand trenchless projects showcased at the conference. One of the benefits of conferences and exhibitions is the ability to let the world know what great work is being done in the industry. I urge those in New Zealand and Australia that have a great project or technology to showcase to be a part of the trenchless program at the 2014 Water New Zealand Annual Conference and Expo.
In the next edition of Trenchless Australasia, I want to focus more on the training and qualification pathways for the trenchless industry in Australia and New Zealand. One of the ASTT’s main objectives is to promote career pathways for the trenchless industry and to promote the benefits that a qualified Trenchless Technology operator has going forward. Our industry is one of those at the forefront of technology and future job prospects, and we want to highlight it as an excellent option for young people to consider for their careers. The ASTT Council is working on a number of initiatives and we hope to announce some of these in the near future.
The ASTT has also developed some promotional folders that are to be used to advocate the benefits of Trenchless Technology to government, asset owners and industry partners. They have been developed for the Society to use to better explain the social, environmental and economic benefits of Trenchless Technology. If you would like to know more about these please contact your state ASTT Councillor or ASTT Secretary, Jeff Pace at {encode=”jeffpace@astt.com.au” title=”jeffpace@astt.com.au”}
Lastly, the 22nd Annual General Meeting for the ASTT will be held in Brisbane on Thursday 1 May 2014 at 4 pm at the Mercure Hotel. This is an opportunity for members to again have a say on the Society and any initiatives they would like to see pursued. I urge interested members to get involved.
Trevor Gosatti
ASTT Chairman