2021 Award Winners

Alan Whittle

Alan is no stranger to Standards Australia, having first become involved with rubber committees in the 1970s.  However, his core contributions commenced in 1982, when he started representing the plastics pipe industry via PIPA on relevant committees and has continued for almost 40 years now.
 
Over the last few decades, Alan has become increasingly aware of the importance of having effective and rigorous standards for pipes and fittings and the value they have for the industry and the broader community. He believes the reliable performance of pipes for water, sewer, and fuel gas applications are critical for the community’s health, safety and amenity and that compatibility standards are needed to allow repairs and extensions of existing systems into the future.
 
Alan completed a Ph.D. on a study of modified PVC pipes for pressure applications and played a crucial role in the development of the PVC-M product standard AS/NZS 4765, Modified PVC (PVC-M) Pipes for pressure applications, which was first published in 2000.
 
“Through standards, we can set product requirements that give us a high level of assurance the products will have the required longevity and be safe. This is particularly significant in the case of drinking water pipes where health and organoleptic characteristics are critical.”

Mark Porter

Mark was first introduced to Standards Australia in 2005 when his employer, Fire and Rescue NSW, asked if anyone was interested in participating on the technical committee FP-009, Fire Hydrant Installations, which oversees the development of the AS 2419 suite of documents.

Mark has been an active and passionate member of the committee and had had various roles, including drafting leader, project initiator and working group member. Of all the activities that Mark has undertaken, the most rewarding for him has been his association with the development of AS 2419.1, Fire hydrant installations System design, installation and commissioning.

Mark credits his deeper knowledge and understanding of fire hydrants, fire sprinkler systems and steel bolted tanks to his peers and fellow committee members he has worked with over the years.

Mark found that the committee of FP-009 always sought to provide a net benefit to the community, industry, and the fire services by removing unnecessary costs and improving performance, which has made his experience all the more rewarding.

“While I know this may sound a little cliché, I view this award more as recognition of the effort of all the people in the committees that I have had the good fortune to work with, Standards Australia Project Managers, and committee members alike.

Aurelie Jacquet

Aurelie Jacquet’s work is dedicated to ensuring that emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) are implemented responsibly.

In 2017, she put forward an application for Australia to participate in the international standards on AI. She saw the role of standards as key in:

• defining an agreed international best practice for the development and use of AI,
• providing clear guidance to organisations on how to use AI responsibly, and
• ensuring interoperability and facilitating the scaling up of Australian AI products and services internationally.

In 2018, Aurelie became the chair of the Standards Committee IT-043 on AI. Her committee is the voice of Australia at ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 the international standards committee on AI.

As the chair of IT-043, Aurelie is instrumental in leading six working groups and together, with the experts on the committee, they are shaping the development of 22 standards projects, including the development of the AI Management Standard that is likely to become as relevant as ISO 9001 or 27001 since it will enable organisations to certify AI systems.

Aurelie is also involved as an expert in the development of standards on ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 32/WG 6 on Data Usage, ISO/IEC JTC 1/WG 13 on Trustworthiness and ISO/IEC JTC 1/AG 6 on Digital Twin.

Aurelie strongly believes standards are critical in establishing an internationally recognised best practice that will help organisations implement AI principles, develop and use AI responsibly.

“The strength of standards and international standards is in ISO’s incomparable success in reaching international consensus on complex topics such as Artificial Intelligence, and with emerging technologies like AI, an international approach is an indispensable way forward for Australia.”

Cath Chalmers

As a Power Systems Engineer, Cath has had diverse career that has involved working with distribution networks, switchgear manufacturing, consulting, working with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to now working independently to support the connection of renewable energy and storage systems.

She was introduced to standards early in her career, assisting with the design and specification of substations, primary equipment and protection systems. In 2018, Cath had the opportunity to contribute to AEMO’s proposal to review the existing standard AS/NZS 4777.2, Grid connection of energy systems via inverters, Part 2: Inverter requirements.

Cath’s involvement in the various working groups that were established as part of the amendment project facilitated changes to the standard.

As an engineer, Cath loves the opportunities she has had throughout her career, which have allowed her to continually challenge herself, building on her experience and providing thought and expertise to the development of standards to improve the lives of all Australians.

“An award is always special, but in 2021 I think it reflects that despite many challenges faced throughout 2020, a team of us were able to work towards an outcome that we were committed to achieving.

Taru Veijalainen

Working with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), Taru holds a keen interest in developing practical solutions to impending risks.

Taru helped identify a growing need to better integrate the increasing penetrations of rooftop solar into the electricity grid to ensure they supported power system security for both the National Electricity Market as well as the South-West Interconnected System (SWIS) in Western Australia. The best way to work on a solution was through the revision of AS/NZS 4777.2, Grid connection of energy systems via inverters, Part 2: Inverter requirements.

Joining technical committee EL-042-03, Grid Connected Systems & Equipment, Taru learnt about the complex interactions in the power systems, whilst witnessing the development of robust standards that consider a variety of perspectives across the industry.

Taru sought support and input from across the industry to participate in the review under accelerated timeframes, aiming to minimise the challenges of increasing penetrations of rooftop solar. She then co-led the functionality working group, seeking to address the performance and capability specifications of inverters in the standard. Her role supported others in ensuring ideas, concerns, findings and feedback were adequately considered and addressed.

Today, the revised AS/NZS 4777.2 supports the delivery of more affordable energy to consumers, allowing more distributed energy resources (DER) to be installed, whilst maintaining the stability of the grid.

“This project has given me the opportunity to meet and learn from so many knowledgeable people across industry. The final standard is a huge achievement for all involved, and I am honoured that I could be a part of that.

Peter Kilby

Peter’s journey with Standards Australia started when he participated in the 2019–20 NEXTgen program after being encouraged by a former participant, along with his manager. Peter had been referring to a growing number of Australian and international standards in his work on distribution voltage management and Distributed Energy Resource (DER). The NEXTgen program presented an exciting opportunity to increase his understanding of standards and their development.
 
In May 2019, Peter was given the privilege and opportunity to contribute to EL-042-03, Grid Connected Systems & Equipment, on the revision of AS/NZS 4777.2, Grid connection of energy systems via inverters, Part 2: Inverter requirements. He co-chaired the testing working group, provided technical analysis, and drafted clauses for committee consideration. The revisions better support households and businesses across Australia to connect and benefit from solar systems, and actively contribute to the decarbonisation of the energy system.
 
Contributing to a very committed and passionate committee was a technically challenging, eye-opening, and rewarding experience for Peter and he was thrilled that the committee was able to deliver the finalised standard in 18 months.
 
“Not only was the Emerging Leaders award completely unexpected, to be awarded it jointly with Cath and Taru, two engineers who I admire and have enjoyed the privilege of working with is also a great honour.

Standards Australia Committee SF-054, Safe Design of Livestock Ramps and Forcing Yards

Standards Australia committee SF-054, Safe Design of Livestock Ramps and Forcing Yards, was convened in 2019 to address the need for an Australian Standard covering the design, construction, maintenance and use of forcing pens and ramps, which are used to load and unload livestock for transport. Loading and unloading are the most dangerous phases of the livestock transport task with a high potential for serious injury or worse. The creation of an Australian Standard to mitigate the risks was recommended by the Victorian Coroner in 2017.
 
Comprising representatives from a diverse range of stakeholders, most of the members of SF-054 were first-time participants in the standard development process. Despite this, they were able to form a cohesive team with the assistance of Standards Australia staff and successfully brought their industry expertise together to create a robust and practical standard.
 
It's worth noting that the new standard has considerable industry support, due in part to the committee's hard work in constructively considering, evaluating, and responding to approximately 180 public comments on the draft standard. This has extended the same spirit of consensus found within the committee to the industry at large.
 
The development and publication of the Australian Standard for livestock loading/unloading ramps and forcing pens is a significant achievement. This national standard will make a critical contribution to increasing the safety of both people and animals at more than 85,000 agriculture businesses across Australia.