Session 1

Sustainable Transport Strategy for Toowoomba Region

Sarah Lindley
Toowoomba Regional Council

Sarah is currently completing her Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) at the University of Southern Queensland and has worked with the Toowoomba Regional Council for the past five years. She joined TRC’s Transport Planning team in early 2023 and has expanded her understanding of active transport by contributing towards the delivery of Toowoomba’s sustainable transport vision. Through her time working with the team in Toowoomba, she has developed a keen interest in transport planning matters, particularly for active transport and the advocacy campaigns currently shifting Australia’s car-centric mentality to more sustainable options. She is excited to be a part of the development and progression of travel in the growing community in Toowoomba and hopes to continue furthering her career in this sector.

Comprehensive dynamic analysis: Transition from privately owned to public asset projects

Vysakh Somasundaran Menon
Toowoomba Regional Council

Introducing Vysakh, an experienced Senior Engineer specialising in engineering at a local government organisation. Previously serving as Project Engineer at a reputable Australian fast-moving consumer goods manufacturer. He holds a Master of Science degree and a Bachelor of Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering. His career is marked by a dedication to excellence and a fervour for pioneering engineering solutions that contribute to asset development. Proficiency in project management and technical expertise positions him as a dynamic professional in the realms of strategic planning and capital projects delivery. Continually shaping the infrastructure landscape, he remains committed to enriching the understanding of impactful outcomes that showcase and enhance the organisational project management process.

Mostafizur Rahman
Toowoomba Regional Council

Mostafizur Rahman is a Program Manager and Project Engineering Advisor with diverse involvement covering every aspect from inception to asset capitalization for both government and heavy industries. Shaped & propelled various-budgeted projects at different levels of responsibility.

Currently, as a Principal Engineer for the Local Government, he is streamlining the project/program life-cycle integrated management system (IMS) and incorporating it into the ISO Management Manual, mentoring the project management team and managing the 3-&10-year Capital Works Program (CWP) by engaging with strategic partners and influencing thought leadership. He is a Chartered Engineer (CPEng) and a Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) with a master’s degree (MEng) in management and a certified project management professional (PMP).

Session 2

Value Engineering to achieve resilience in pavement – Disaster Recovery Project (DRFA)

Sagar Shah
CPM Advisory & Project Management

Sagar has over 15 years’ experience in civil engineering across a range of civil infrastructure projects from both a contractor and client-side perspective. He has experience in the delivery of major infrastructure projects including construction management and operations. He is also an experienced project manager who has worked with various government sectors and private companies to deliver a successful project.

Ben Kratzmann
Department of Transport & Main Roads

Ben is the Laboratory Manager at the Department of Transport and Main Roads Materials Services laboratory in Toowoomba. He has worked in the materials testing industry for the past 15 years, after starting in the department as a trainee soil tester. During this time, he graduated from the University of Southern Queensland with a Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Civil).

His position as laboratory manager involves ensuring ongoing compliance with NATA rules and regulations and providing materials advice to clients. In addition to this, Ben's role alao encompasses pavement design, and surveillance and audit of construction materials testing providers.”

Resilient Infrastructure Case Studies in the Scenic Rim

Richard Hancock
Redfrost Pty Ltd

Richard is a RPEQ Civil Engineer who has worked on flood recovery programs since 2011, including design management of major programs including bridges, floodways, stormwater drainage and roads.

Currently Design /Project Manager on a number of projects at Scenic Rim Regional Council including bridge, floodway and road upgrades, asset management and floodplain management projects, Richard has also delivered DRFA programs and civil infrastructure projects for several local governments. He has extensive management experience on large projects and programs of works providing input to and management of projects during business case, design and construction phases.

Resilient treatment options for assets adjacent to waterways - Disaster Recovery Work

Don Athukorala
CPM Advisory & Project Management

Don is an experienced civil engineer with over 10 years of experience. He is an organised, highly motivated, and enterprising professional with extensive experience in Civil Construction Management gained from a rewarding career with various Contracting and Consulting organisations.

Mahendra Mistry
Department of Transport & Main Roads

Mahendra Mistry is the Principal Engineer (Maintenance) in the Darling Downs District of TMR. Mahendra has worked for the department for over 30 years including having a small break in the mid 2010s from the department. Having worked in many TMR districts across the state delivering various types of projects and contracts, Mahendra decided to specialise in all thing’s maintenance of the road network. Having worked in the Asset Management branch of TMR, he came to realise the importance of collaborative allocation of funding to provide a best bang for the bucks on the network. Being involved at the start of the development and implementation of the Element Management Process, Mahendra found himself wanting to practice what he had been preaching. Thus today, his goal is to share these strategies with the wider communities and demonstrate that these strategies can work but must be reactive to the network and its performance.

Session 3

Shooting for the Stars: Unsealed Roads Service Levels

Tom Sanders
SHEPHERD

Tom commenced his career in Local Government with Sunshine Coast Regional Council in 2008, spending time in NSW, before relocating to Mission Beach in 2019 and commencing with SHEPHERD in 2022. Throughout his professional career, Tom has built strong foundations in asset management, civil construction and local government service delivery, while developing a passion for leadership.

How do we achieve vision zero when the safe system is managed by different entities with varying constraints

Brock Tomkins
Downs Roadside Engineering

Brock started his career in engineering when he commenced an engineering degree at USQ in Toowoomba in 2007. He started his career locally at GHD in 2009, and was exposed to many different mentors and projects over a 7 year period. For the next 5 years at RMA Engineers, Brock further developed his skillset while learning new skills in different areas. In this time, he was as involved in a variety of projects across many LGAs across South Queensland from Thargomindah to the Coast. In 2021 Brock started Downs Roadside Engineering, where he continues to practice his passion for Civil Engineering, Design and Road Safety.

Holistic Employee Development at Toowoomba Regional Council

Isabel Malferrari
Toowoomba Regional Council

Isabel is the Program Lead of the Learning Organisational Development & Engagement (LODE) team, within the People, Culture and Engagement Branch at Toowoomba Regional Council. Isabel’s a highly experienced, global human resources development leader, an accredited member with the Australian Human Resources Institute and a professional member with the Australian Institute of Training and Development.

At Toowoomba Regional Council, Isabel manages a team of eight staff and oversees the design and delivery of programs to ensure that Toowoomba Regional Council has a highly skilled workforce that is engaged with the organisation’s vision, values and objectives and are skilled and equipped for the current and future requirements of their roles. LODE is tasked with building capability and capacity at all levels, which includes oversight of the learning and development needs of Council, career and professional development and organisation development.

Local Buy's New Civil Construction Panels

Pat McCormack
Local Buy

Pat is the Category Manager for Works, Engineering and Infrastructure, and has been with Local Buy since 2013. He has been working in engineering since 1983, including draftsman, technician, estimating and project manager roles. Pat has an Associate Diploma in Electrical Engineering and Diploma of Project Management qualifications.

The Regional Asset Intelligence Group

David Hobson
City of Gold Coast

David is the Coordinator of Asset Information Management at the City of Gold Coast, Australia’s second largest local government. As a university student, David’s interest in computing in Archaeology sparked a desire to study data utilisation, which led to a 20 year career in and around local government. Recent advances in AI and associated technology have led to a focus on automated data collection technology and how it enhances management of community assets.