6th Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference
Welcome to the Sixth Australia – New Zealand Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference, Gold Coast, Australia, 2004. Following on from previous successful conferences held in Sydney (1994), Auckland (1996), Melbourne (1998), Perth (2000) and Rotorua (2002), this biannual event is a joint initiative of the Australian Geomechanics Society and the New Zealand Geotechnical Society.
The aim of the conferences is to:
- promote the professional development of delegates through sharing experience and ideas, and by presenting a paper to senior professionals and peers.
- expand and strengthen the lines of communication between young professionals within the field of geomechanics.
- promote an enhanced perspective of the varied roles, responsibilities and opportunities encompassed by the geotechnical profession;
- showcase the range of geotechnical projects currently underway in South East Queensland, highlighting the challenges facing geotechnical professionals.
The specific goal of the organizing committee has been to prepare an interesting, meaningful, informative, and enjoyable conference from which delegates can return with an enhanced understanding of their profession.
As with all previous YGP conferences, support of the geotechnical community is very important to ensure a successful end result. We would like to thank all companies and individuals that have provided assistance with the preparation of the conference. In particular, committee members: Symon Jackson, Patrick Kidd and Troy Weingarth, who have contributed considerable time and effort over the past 2 years. Thanks also to all those involved in paper review on behalf of delegates. Special thanks also to Vale Lee and Andrew Leventhal of the AGS and Max Ervin for their assistance and guidance in organizing this event
Keynote presenters and Senior Mentors: Mr Patrick Wong, Mr Chris Haberfield and Mr John Simmons; without your valuable input the conference would lack much of what makes it such a success. Mr John Simmons will be acting as ‘tour guide’ for our field trip which is much appreciated and we look forward to an informative and pleasant afternoon.
Delegates should interact with their peers openly and maximize their exposure to the geotechnical community during the conference. A short question time has been allocated to each talk and I also encourage delegates to ask questions during this period. Workshop will be held on the last day of the conference and I look forward to interesting debates during this session.
Most of all, have a rewarding time at the conference. The organizing committee members look forward to meeting you all, and joining you in an enjoyable and informative three days.
Karen Allan
Chair – Organising Committee