Engineers welcome dredging technical checks
Engineers Australia has welcomed the Federal Government’s Commission of Inquiry into a large-scale dredging project spill in Queensland.
There has been plenty of press about the environmental management of the harbour, which came to a head when a mysterious fish disease broke out.
Some blamed the outbreak on a leaking bund wall on the Western Basin dredging project, which they say allowed contaminated water to seep where it should not have been.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt says the inquirers will look into allegations of mismanagement, though the specific terms of reference have not been made public.
Insiders expect the probe will cover both scientific and engineering issues, as well as potentially relevant links between harbour management and government regulators.
Engineers Australia Queensland president Blake Harvey has welcomed the inquiry, saying he hopes it will give an “impartial view on the design and operation of the bund wall”, and the impact it may have had.
“A fundamental part of professional engineering is a focus on continuous improvement to identify any lessons learned to enhance future practice,” Mr Harvey said in a statement.
“As with any inquiry into technical issues, it is critical that individuals involved in any review have a suitable level of technical knowledge and experience to ensure that all issues are understood.”
“This is vital to ensure the community has confidence in the findings of the inquiry, whatever they may be.”