NZ Engineers Will Learn And Move Forward

NZ Engineers Will Learn And Move Forward

12 December 2012

ACENZ is the national Association representing engineering related professional firms in the built and natural environment, and welcomes the publication of the final Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission Report, and commends the Commission for completing a challenging in-depth review.

ACENZ President Lyall Green says “Firstly we must acknowledge all who have suffered through the results of the earthquake events knowing that we cannot begin to understand their pain. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives or were injured during these tragic events. ACENZ thanks the Royal Commission for their thorough review and reporting to reveal weaknesses within the built and geophysical environment, and identify a range of cause and effects for outcomes of the Canterbury earthquake sequences.

Mr Green adds that “Focusing on the future, the engineering profession will acknowledge the lessons learnt from the Canterbury earthquakes and apply them to further enhance design standards and professional practice not only in Canterbury, but throughout all of NZ. Wherever possible we will share these lessons and the outcomes of the Royal Commission with our professional engineering friends and colleagues around the world”

ACENZ believes that the consulting engineering profession will pull together all the information gathered from the events surrounding the Canterbury earthquakes, and use this information to assist in the development of a more robust and resilient built environment for communities now and in the future to enjoy.

ACENZ CEO Kieran Shaw notes that over the period of more than two decades since the CTV building was designed there have been significant improvements in design and construction standards and consulting engineering practice. These improvements include regular professional peer review of engineering designs and more rigorous building consent procedures and robust construction methods.

However, he says, engineers are not complacent about moving forward and are always willing to learn from events such as the catastrophic and unprecedented Canterbury earthquake sequence.
“The professional staff of our member firms are ready and capable of analysing and applying the findings from the Royal Commission. ACENZ will encourage and support members in developing and implementing standards that uphold the public’s confidence in the professional consulting engineering industry”.

ACENZ President Lyall Green summarises by saying “ACENZ members have learned from the Christchurch earthquakes, and will apply this knowledge to produce leading edge Engineering Design that should enable people to sleep soundly knowing the best possible outcomes have been achieved for the days ahead”.

“You can analyse the past but you have to design the future”.
Edward De Bono

ends

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