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Why Australia can’t afford to stay out of space
Space is hard, but Australia’s engineers are leaning into the difficulties – because innovation in response to a challenge is what gives this country an edge.
Australia’s struggle to turn its world-renowned creativity into commercial success is not a secret. Now, the information-based era of advanced manufacturing offers a huge opportunity to change this pattern. And one of the greatest opportunities to showcase our talents is in the commercialisation of space.
“This is a bit cheeky, but I think our ignorance helps us compete with Europe and North America,” Dr Lyle Roberts, Head of Photonics at robotics innovation company Advanced Navigation, said. “It’s a mentality of not knowing how hard something is, but giving it a shot anyway. That gives us an edge. We’re not just sitting around doubting ourselves.”
But the right guidance is crucial.
“There’s no issue with Australia having the capability,” Professor Peter Moar FIEAust, Chair of the Engineers Australia National Committee for Space Engineering, said. “There are so many companies here that don’t know what they don’t know. They’re more than capable, but they need the right guidance and infrastructure, and to be overseen by people of international mastery level who can ease them on their way.”
Data centres
The path to decarbonisation: greener data centres in Australia
Discover how this company can help engineers unlock the benefits of Bluebeam’s software to achieve better project outcomes.
Culture
We can learn a lot from Australia’s first engineers
Engineers are drawing on the land, sea and relationship knowledge of Indigenous peoples to inform relevant, sustainable solutions.
disaster feature
“It looks like a bomb’s gone off”
A series of unfortunate events combined to cause catastrophe at a Queensland power station, but an expert investigation found deeper safety concerns.
This article was originally published in the February 2025 issue of create with the headline “Power out”.
“It looks like a bomb’s gone off,” was CFMEU district president Shane Brunker’s impression in the 2021 aftermath of an explosion at the Callide C power station in the central Queensland town of Biloela.
“There’s shrapnel everywhere,” he told the Australian Financial Review after gaining access to the scene of a catastrophic failure at the coal-fired plant, which caused blackouts across the state. “There was a piece of metal in the roof. We didn’t know what it was, but it weighed 300 kg.”
Three years later, forensic engineer Dr Sean Brady FIEAust CPEng of Brady Heywood delivered his report on the disaster, damning plant operator CS Energy as an organisation that “did not value or practise effective process safety”.
Although there were no deaths from the explosion and subsequent fire, the catastrophic failure suffered by Unit C4 of the plant destroyed its turbine and generator. The unit did not return to service until August 2024.
Earlier this month, Callide Power Trading was ordered to pay a $9 million civil penalty for breaching legislation that required the company to disconnect the generator unit and thereby cut power to homes.
innovation
Australian-made device installed on ISS
The country’s contribution to the global space industry is growing fast with a CSIRO mapping device built for NASA.
biotech
Lab-grown proteins growing in popularity
From cultivated meat to plant-based proteins, engineering innovation is transforming how we produce and consume protein.
cost engineering
Big-budget blowouts costing billions
Why many megaprojects have blown their budgets – and how cost engineers can help keep those budgets down.
Manufacturing
Australia’s path to becoming an R&D powerhouse
For all the hype around Australian innovation, the past two decades have seen a worrying downward trajectory in R&D funding and output. But that could soon change.
Building Appeals Board Paves Way for Balanced Cladding Safety Compliance in Landmark Melbourne Case
The Victorian Building Appeals Board (BAB) has ruled in a landmark case concerning combustible cladding on a major Melbourne apartment complex. This decision saved the Owners Corporation from costly remediation and protracted litigation. Discover how evidence and expert reports helped secure a performance-based compliance outcome. Read Article
What are Building Notices and Building Orders in Victoria?
Under the Building Act 1993 (Vic) (“the Act”) building surveyors can issue building notices and building orders if after carrying out an inspection of a building or land, they ascertain that non-compliant building work has been carried out in contravention of the requirements of the Act and/or Building Regulations 2018 (Vic) (“the Regulations”). Read Article
The Building Appeals Board over-rides concerns based on the year 2100 expected flood level in a win for a home owner seeking report and consent
In a significant decision, the Victorian Building Appeals Board overturned the Port Phillip City Council’s refusal of consent for a homeowner’s floor level. The council had based its rejection on projected flood levels for the year 2100, requiring a higher floor level than proposed. The Board found the homeowner’s design adequately mitigated flood risk and posed no significant safety concerns in a landmark decision.
Lovegrove & Cotton Construction Lawyers – New Zealand
Lovegrove & Cotton Construction is now offering expert construction legal services across New Zealand.