Young Engineer of the Year 2007 finalists

Thursday, 13 September 2007
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New Zealand Young Engineer of the Year 2007 finalists announced

The 2007 New Zealand Engineering Excellence (NZEE) Awards, Young Engineer of the Year finalists were announced today.

“The high standard of entries for this award signals that the future of New Zealand engineering is in very good hands”, says Steve Gentry, Convenor for the NZEE Individual Awards judging panel. “These finalists represent the cream of the young professional engineering crop”.

The New Zealand Young Engineer of the Year Award is awarded to a young engineer, aged 35 years or under, who is judged to have made the most excellent contribution as an engineer and leader through their professional role and community involvement. The winner will receive a trophy and a cash prize of $2,000.00. The other three finalists will each receive $500.00.

The finalists, in alphabetical order, are:

Neil Cook, Wairoa District Council Engineering Manager, Wairoa

Neil, with his wife and family, moved from Auckland to Wairoa to manage the local office of Opus International Consultants in 2003. Two years later, he was appointed Engineering Manager at Wairoa District Council. As a newcomer to Local Government, Neil conceived the idea for a risk management tool as a means of prioritising and justifying resource allocation across many diverse activities. His project allows for meaningful comparison when making budget decisions such as whether to allocate funds to water treatment or roading. He also provides work experience for local students through the Gateway and Trades Academy programmes and is also Secretary of the Wairoa Celtic Rugby & Sports Club. Neil, who is now learning te reo Maori, says that he has come to love Wairoa as part of the heartland of Aotearoa.

Louise Jones, MWH Programme Manager, Queenstown

As Network Programme Manager, Louise has worked for MWH New Zealand Limited, since immigrating from the UK three-years ago. From her Queenstown base, she has overseen projects locally and throughout the South Island. As Banks Peninsula Programme Manager, Louise pulled together an integrated programme managing the Banks Peninsula District Council’s assets. This approach meant projects across the peninsula were better planned and prioritised, limited resources were maximised and emphasis placed on community consultation. Louise is involved with her local Women in Engineering Group, mentors younger engineers and has quickly become regarded as MWH’s most knowledgeable expert in New Zealand water supply legislation.

Tyrone Newson, Beca Project Manager, Auckland

Tyrone is a Project Manager with engineering consultancy Beca. He project managed the Domestic Terminal Retail Development connecting the existing Air New Zealand and Qantas domestic terminals at Auckland International Airport. Tyrone led a multi-disciplinary design and construction management team. His successful management of this $10 million project has led to his appointment as Project Manager on the expansion of the International Arrivals area. Tyrone, of Te Rarawa descent, is passionate about promoting engineering to Maori and Pacific communities, especially in his home town of Mitimiti in the Hokianga as well as in Tonga. He is also a founding member of the South Pacific Island Engineering Students (SPIES); Whai-a-tihi, a Maori staff group at Auckland City Council and; South Pacific Professional Engineering Excellence Inc (SPPEEx).

Iain Sutherland, Beca Project Manager/Engineer, Christchurch

In 2005, the Christchurch City Council initiated a project to capture and burn landfill gas from the recently closed Burwood landfill, and harness the gas’s released energy to heat a sports facility in Christchurch. On behalf of engineering consultancy Beca, Iain oversaw the new scheme which included: a network of gas wells, a gas treatment plant, a 3.6 km underground pipeline, a cogeneration plant with infrastructure upgrades and a new building, and significant boiler modifications to facilitate dual fuel capability. This project is an example of sustainable technologies in action, using innovative technologies not established previously in New Zealand. Iain says his love of engineering began at Geraldine High School where he began designing and fabricating items such as working bungee cord suspension forks for a mountain bike.

The judges have already marked 80 per cent of the finalists’ scores from their applications; the final 20 per cent will be determined by an audience of judges, family, friends and peers at the live presentation.

All finalists will present at the Parnell Rose Gardens on Wednesday, 26 September 2007 from 6 pm.

The New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards are staged by a consortium of five partners and 10 contributing organisations. The founding partners are: Centre for Advanced Engineering (CAE); Association of Local Government Engineering New Zealand Incorporated (INGENIUM); Electricity Engineers Association of New Zealand (EEA); Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ); and the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand Inc (IPENZ).

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