Sustainability wins at the Engineering Excellence Awards Sydney

The Engineering Excellence Awards Sydney 2012, held on 21 September, celebrated a range of exceptional engineering projects, many of which had a focus on sustainability.

The award program, hosted by Engineers Australia - Sydney Division, highlights the work of engineers across a range of industries for the benefit of communities within Australia and around the world.

Scott Wright, Chairman of the Engineering Excellence Awards Committee 2012, said the award program has been a highlight for the industry since its inception in 1985.

“The incredibly high calibre of the winners in 2012 across a range of industries highlights the positive impact of this field on the wider community,” he said.

Brendyn Williams, Engineers Australia - Sydney Division President, awarded the company Partridge with the President’s Award for its development of Halo - a wind-activated kinetic sculpture installed in Central Park, Sydney.

Activated only by the power of the wind, the ring tilts and turns in response to its ever-changing speed, direction and gusts. The entire weight of the ring and arm balances on a tiny ceramic bearing the size of a small glass marble.

“This is a real feat of engineering - drawing on innovation, risk engineering and project management to deliver a clever and beautiful design for the community to enjoy for many years to come,” said Williams.

Winning the category for Engineering for Regional Communities was GHD with joint entrant Goulburn Mulwaree Council for the Highlands Source Project. The project addressed a critical requirement for living and thriving in a regional centre - a reliable water supply.

The project, designed to secure Goulburn's water supply, linked Goulburn to Wingecarribee Reservoir through the construction of a pump station and 81 km of pipeline.

Dr Zhengrong Shi, founder, Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of solar panel provider Suntech, was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year for his contribution to environmental protection initiatives and environmental awareness.

Winners of the Engineering Excellence Awards Sydney 2012 are entered into the Engineers Australia National Award program. The national awards will be held on 20 November 2012 at Parliament House, Canberra.