Australian Smart Infrastructure Awards 2012

The Australian Smart Infrastructure Awards for 2012 have been awarded to Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd, Transfield Service and the Department of Infrastructure Engineering, the University of Melbourne.

The Australian Smart Infrastructure Awards recognise excellence in the design, delivery and use of smart infrastructure across Infrastructure Australia's national priority areas—a national broadband network, a national energy market, competitive international gateways, a national rail freight network, transforming our cities, providing essential indigenous services and adaptable and secure water supplies.

The Australian Smart Infrastructure Awards were presented at the National Infrastructure Awards 2012, hosted by Infrastructure Partnerships Australia. The National Infrastructure Awards is a gathering of the nation's public and private sector leaders to celebrate and reward the success of Australia's infrastructure sector over the last year.

The Awards were sponsored by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport.

Joint winners of the Australian Smart Infrastructure Project Award were Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd for its Tasmanian Sustainable Irrigation Development project and Transfield Services for their Future Flow project.

Jim Dennis, Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd, accepts the Australian Smart Infrastructure Project Award from Mike Mrdak and the Hon Mark Birrell, Chairman, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia.

The Tasmanian Sustainable Irrigation Development project involved the development of a series of 13 irrigation schemes which are to be completed in 2015. The project is to provide additional water to farmers and provide consistent water flow. The project will mitigate against the effects of drought in Tasmania and allow for new and/or intensified horticulture and livestock production in the area.

The Future Flow project has delivered water savings to northern Victorian farmers by converting sections of manually operated irrigation network to fully automated IT based water delivery systems. It has resulted in consistent flow rates which have resulted in improved irrigation efficiency with most water savings being returned to the Northern Victorian Rivers and wetlands via environmental flows.

Dr Peter Goode, Transfield Services, accepts the Australian Smart Infrastructure Project Award from Mike Mrdak and the Hon Mark Birrell, Chairman, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia.

Jim Dennis accepted the award on behalf of Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd. Dr Peter Goode accepted the award on behalf of Transfield Services.

The Department of Infrastructure Engineering, the University of Melbourne were presented the Australian Smart Infrastructure Research Award and a $25,000 research grant towards its Quantification of Design Innovation for Infrastructure Projects research proposal.

This research proposal seeks to establish a refined and industry validated model for evaluating design value. Its aim is to improve overall economic productivity derived from the use of infrastructure and deliver greater transparency in how innovation and sustainability is assessed and how this can increase the likelihood of reduced bidding costs.

Associate Professor Colin Duffield accepts the Australian Smart Infrastructure Research Award on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne, from Mike  Mrdak and the Hon Mark Birrell, Chairman, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia.

Associate Professor Colin Duffield accepted the award on behalf of the Department of Infrastructure Engineering, the University of Melbourne.

The Australian Government is committed to partnering with our state, territory and local government counterparts, as well as the research sector and industry to deliver sustainable, efficient and safe infrastructure for the future.