Toowoomba Regional Council and Young Engineers Win Top Awards

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) has achieved many milestones and worldwide recognition in 2018, winning numerous awards. That recognition and achievement has continued with Council and two of their Engineers winning three major awards and a high commendation at this year’s Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) Queensland annual conference held on the Gold Coast recently.

Haydn O’Leary took out the coveted 2018 Queensland Young Engineer of the Year award and Maddy Stahlhut was presented with the Queensland 2018 Futures Challenge award.

TRC won an award for ‘design and construction’ in the $5 to $10 million category for the City Hall Auditorium and Annex Refurbishment Project and a high commendation for projects in the over ‘$10 million category’, for the Boundary Street Upgrade Project.

TRC Infrastructure Committee Chair Deputy Mayor Cr Carol Taylor said “The annual IPWEA awards program embodies the spirit and focus of supporting public works engineering professionals to reach their full potential for the good of their communities. They recognise private and public organisations and individuals who have demonstrated best practice, innovation and positive community impact in public works projects across Queensland”.

“Being judged by our peers and winning these awards, both for Council and by our young engineers, is yet another major milestone for Council in 2018” Cr Taylor said.

Haydn O’Leary began his career as a TRC Scholarship Intern with Toowoomba Region’s Generator Program and was appointed as Project Engineer on the recent reconstruction of Gap Road in Pittsworth, a project valued at over $6 million.

In a very competitive field, Hadyn was recognised for displaying great maturity on this project in particular, working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure everything was done to achieve success for the project, on time and below budget.

‘Maddy Stahlhut won the 2018 IPWEAQ ‘Futures Challenge’ which offers final year engineering students an opportunity to present their thesis to delegates at the IPWEAQ annual conference.

Currently working as an engineering intern with TRC and studying at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Maddy was the first female to receive a TRC engineering scholarship through USQ.

Maddy delivered an analysis of the three main options for generating energy using pumped storage hydropower in Toowoomba’s water catchment areas, including consideration of capital costs, potential revenue and energy generated in her analysis.

The top project was chosen by a panel of judges and as the winner, Maddy received a complimentary registration to the next IPWEAQ annual conference valued at over $2,000.

Toowoomba’s City Hall Auditorium and Annex Refurbishment Project award win for ‘design and construction’ in the $5 to $10 million category, transformed a dormant theatre into a civic reception space, to be utilised for various forms of Council and public business whilst paying homage to the history and heritage of the City Hall building.

This project was unique in that it involved refurbishing portions of a building which is over 100 years old, construction of a new section of building, reconstructing elements using traditional techniques whilst also incorporating new sustainable materials, components and systems.

Using a combination of traditional and innovative build methods and materials, and constructing in a complex and restrictive site, the refurbishment, extension and landscaped grounds were opened on 13th December 2017 exactly 116 years after the original grand opening.

TRC’s high commendation for projects in the over ‘$10 million category’, for the Boundary Street Upgrade Project presented a number of technical and social challenges throughout the entire project lifecycle.

The design also incorporated a number of different engineering disciplines, including civil, geotechnical, structural, hydraulic, electrical and urban design.

As the delivery of this project was not considered ‘business as usual’ for TRC, this required a number of innovative management and construction approaches in order to deliver the project to stakeholder’s expectations, within budget and to meet overall project timeframes.

As a major heavy vehicle connector to the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing the 3.0km road upgrade will provide lasting economic and social benefits for the Toowoomba community, whilst meeting the future transport needs of the region.

Recognition must be given to TRC’s staff Ashlee Adams, Principal Project Manager who project managed the City Halls Auditorium Refurbishment and Annex Refurbishment project and Craig Sleeman, Project Manager, Project Services and our construction teams for their work on the Boundary Street Upgrade Project.

Caption top left: City Hall Annex. Project winner of 2018 IPWEAQ award for 'design and construction' in the $5 to $10 million category.  

Caption bottom left: Haydn O'Leary (left) being presented with 2018 IPWEAQ Young Engineer Award  

Caption bottom right: Maddy Stahlut (left) being presented with 2018 IPWEAQ Futures Challenge Award