In preparation for the recently held Presidents Lunch, which celebrates our Chapter Fellows, Life Fellows and Councillors, I have been reflecting on the past year’s activities and the many people who have contributed to the work we have done this year. I would like to thank the Tas Chapter Institute staff, Jen, Fi, Katie, Loren and Nina. It’s amazing to see how much work is undertaken by this committed team. It really is not until you are in this position (Chapter President) that you realise what is actually being done. An incredible amount of work is undertaken, and it is often unseen; so, I would like to recognise that and thank them for that work.
I would like to thank the current Chapter Councillors. This year we have tried to instigate some change. For many years, we have unfortunately seen the demise of many chapter committees, but this year we have tried to rectify that. It is not easy, and it won’t happen overnight, but I would like to thank our councillors for jumping into and assisting many of the committees by taking the first steps in re-invigorating their existence.
In addition, this year we have looked at getting back to our roots and focusing on the issues that relate directly with practice. We have all had our issues with planning, with heritage, and with the exorbitant amount services engineering requirements for projects. I need not go on!
So, we have provided strong advocacy at both a local and a state level to identify our concerns and to attempt to overcome some of the situations we are currently facing. Through these meetings and discussions, we believe our voice has been heard. We have been invited to the table, and we firmly believe our concerns are being considered and acted upon.
Changes will be made. Some have already been seen, and some are on the way which will hopefully assist with our endeavours.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to all of our Tasmanian Chapter members for their contribution to the industry this year and wish everyone a safe and relaxing holiday break. I look forward to working with you all again in the new year.
