Around 100 engineers gathered at CQUniversity Rockhampton this month (August 14-15) for a conference aimed a inspiring each other to find local solutions for global problems...

CQUniversity Rockhampton was the main venue and co-organiser for this year's Engineers Australia, Central Region Engineering Conference, CREC09, which also had sponsorship from Ergon Energy, the Queensland Government and Cardno.

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Blake Harvey, Dr Mohammad Rasul, Ashfaque Chowdhury and Alex Zahnd

In his keynote address, Public Works and ICT Minister Hon Robert Schwarten remarked that there were exciting times ahead, with opportunities for involvement in renewable energy and sustainability projects.

Mr Schwarten said that, as a former carpenter, he was taking a personal interest in State Government incentives for the recycling of building materials.

He also expressed pride in Government leadership and encouragement initiatives across a wide rang of renewable energies, including wind power, solar, solar thermal and geo-thermal.

The Minister gave the example of his Department working with a range of organisations - including CQUniversity - on a novel use of sunlight to remove organic contaminates from wastewater, thus enabling its reuse. He said that the provision of more government services online reduced the need for community members to drive to government offices, making these operations less demanding on the environment.

Minister Robert Schwarten provides a keynote address

Technical presenter Simon Orton, from the Centre for Engineering Leadership and Management (CELMQ), said there was no perfect age for engineers to become leaders, as long as they had relevant professional development.

Mr Orton spoke of the difference between a 'leader' and a 'manager' but concluded by saying that a combination of both could be a "potent force when working in harmony".

The conference theme for 2009 is 'Regional Sustainability, Local Solutions to Global Problems' and an international expert on sustainable development - Alex Zahnd from Nepal - was a guest speaker for the conference dinner.

Alex has spent the past 13 years working as a volunteer in Humla, Nepal, as Project Director for Rural Integrated Development Services Nepal (http://www.rids-nepal.org/), performing sustainable electrification of impoverished villages in the Himalayans.

The conference sessions covered: Power, Transport and Industries; Energy and the Environment; Advanced Resources Technology; Sustainable Development; Climate Change and Sustainable Management of Resources.

Simon Orton's 'inspiring' address

Other speakers for the conference sessions included:

- Ian McLeod, Chief Executive Ergon Energy;

- Professor Elizabeth Taylor, AO, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Health (and one of Engineers Australia's 100 most influential engineers, again this year)

- Professor Scott Bowman, the new Vice-Chancellor of CQUniversity.

CREC09 was hosted by the Engineers Australia Rockhampton Local Group. CQUniversity academics on the conference committee included Dr Mohammad Rasul (Chair); Ashfaque Chowdhury, Nirmal Mandal, Dr Amanullah Maung Than Oo and Professor Masud Khan.

Conference details available via: http://qld.engineersaustralia.org.au/jetspeed/portal/screen/Home?group=rock&rand=1247206532396

Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman welcomes the participants