NewsAurecon project and engineers fly high at the Engineers Australia Awards

Aurecon’s Abel Immaraj, Technical Director – WaterNSW, and Andrew Chapman, Director – Infrastructure Advisory, were named Professional Engineer of the Year in Queensland and Victoria, respectively, for the significant engineering ripples they created in the water industry.

In the Young Professional Engineer of the Year category, Emily Harris, Lead Engineer – Roads, emerged as the Victorian winner for her work on key transportation projects.

The Zero Cost Energy Future program, submitted by SA Water, took out the top project award in South Australia. Aurecon played a key role in introducing renewable technologies to reduce the utility’s electricity operating costs and deliver new revenue.

Demonstrating engineering excellence

Aurecon had a significant presence in this year’s chapter awards with the following people and projects named finalists.

Aurecon Chief Executive Officer William Cox said these recognitions are testament to the company’s commitment to creating eminence with impact.

“At Aurecon, we strive to master our craft and deliver renowned, unconventional projects. We are proud of our people and the team behind this award-winning project for developing unique engineering solutions that solve the challenges of our clients and communities and also advance the engineering profession.”

Following their success at the division program, Aurecon’s people and project now advance to the national awards, taking place on 5 October 2022 at the Hilton Hotel Sydney.

Zero Cost Energy Future

SA Water’s Zero Cost Energy Future program is the embodiment of engineering excellence, with an innovative approach overcoming an existing energy challenge for the water sector. The project is a water industry world first, driven by customer and environmental outcomes, that will help keep SA Water’s operation costs low and stable.

The judges applauded the program’s contribution to sustainability in the region:

“The visionary commitment and contribution to sustainable development goals, and the demonstrable benefits for South Australians made this project an outstanding submission in this year’s excellence awards. How the project team navigated bespoke technical and regulatory conditions at multiple sites geographically dispersed state-wide is to be commended. It is clear that the project has achieved strong commercial and marketability outcomes for SA Water.”

The program will now compete for the Sir William Hudson Award, together with other project winners from Engineers Australia’s eight divisions. The Sir William Hudson Award is the highest accolade Engineers Australia confers on an engineering project.

Abel Immaraj

Abel is one of the nation’s most eminent water engineering stewards and advocates. He has been directly involved in transforming two of the largest state-based water authorities – WaterNSW and Seqwater. He contributed to the Commonwealth Water Act (2007) and Murray-Darling Basin Reforms and was on the Prime Minister’s three-member independent panel to review compliance with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Abel was a principal advisor to the Commonwealth government on investments under the National Water Initiative.

The judges noted Abel’s significant industry impact as an important factor in his success. “Abel's nomination demonstrated that he is a known and well-respected strategic engineering leader. The judges recognised his reputation as he is a trusted advisor beyond engineering circles, including as a government advisor with a holistic understanding of the value of good engineering practice and how engineers contribute to the whole solution, not just the immediate technical solution.”

Andrew Chapman

With over 40 years of professional experience, Andrew is one of the engineering leaders who has greatly influenced the direction of the Australian water industry. He has driven transformational change and influenced policy while delivering long-term benefits to the government, water authorities, industry, and the community.

He is a technical reference reviewer for the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, as well as for universities and government. He is a committed mentor to several young water professionals and a regular speaker on water issues to the community and industry.

The judges also commended Andrew’s outstanding leadership and technical skills in delivering important water projects.

“Andrew Chapman is an outstanding engineering industry leader in integrated water and water-sensitive cities whose work is recognised for visionary leadership, demonstrating the ability to drive transformational change needed for our country’s growing population.”

"Andrew’s work has been a key industry contributor across the country but importantly into Melbourne’s water, integrated water, recycled water, sewerage and stormwater strategies. He demonstrates the ability to influence policy whilst delivering long-term benefits to the government, water authorities and the community."

Emily Harris

Emily’s strong interpersonal and communication skills have enabled her to successfully deliver some of Victoria’s key infrastructure projects, including her current work on the West Gate Tunnel in Melbourne. Emily is also passionate about creating positive change in the industry through her involvement in mentoring programs and volunteer work at the Civil College Board at Engineers Australia and STEM in Schools – Pilot Program.

The judges laud Emily’s commitment to delivering important engineering projects and helping provide professional development opportunities for her peers.

“Emily demonstrates enthusiasm and passion in her career through a variety of project and industry representative roles. Emily is a curious, collaborative engineer who is always looking for ways to deliver excellent results within her project teams and solve problems with fresh ideas and creative thinking. She is an emerging leader within the profession, contributing to the growth and development of engineering through multiple national committee roles and mentoring and support for peers across the industry.”