Industry News

The Federal Government has announced it has accepted all 21 proposals and recommendations of October's Jobs Forum, saying it will introduce stronger Australian Industry Participation rules for the country’s major private sector and government-funded projects.

The Minister for Industry and Innovation, Greg Combet, said the Government will release new requirements aimed at improving  opportunities for local suppliers and service providers to win contracts on large construction, resources and infrastructure developments.

The Government has now accepted all 21 recommendations from a Working Group established to report on reforms to Australian Industry Participation requirements. The Working Group included stakeholders from industry, unions and the WA Government.

Mr Combet said the Federal Government will now:

• Extend Australian Industry Participation requirements to projects funded by Australian Government grants of more than $20 million;
• Work with State and Territory Governments to ensure local industry has full, fair and reasonable opportunities on projects receiving significant federal funding;
• Increase scrutiny of the implementation of Australian Industry Participation Plans (AIP Plans), particularly for private sector projects valued at more than $2 billion that seek tariff concessions from the Enhanced Project By‑law Scheme (EPBS);
•  Require major projects to publish summaries of AIP Plans, including details on how they will seek and use information on Australian industry capabilities and how they will communicate opportunities to local suppliers.

“This will improve the opportunities for Australian manufacturers, construction firms and service providers to win work on some of the biggest projects in the country,” Mr Combet said.

Formal guidance material for grant agreements and grantees, procurement officers, tenderers and EPBS applicants will be available from 1 July 2012. EPBS applicants will have a further three month transition period.
 
More information is available at www.aip.gov.au

Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was steady at 5.2 per cent in March, as announced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today. 

The ABS reported the number of people employed increased by 44,000 to 11,491,200 in March. The increase in employment was driven by increased full-time employment, up 15,800 people to 8,080,400, and part-time employment, up 28,200 people to 3,410,900. The increase in employment was driven by an increase in both male and female full-time and part-time employment.

The number of people unemployed decreased by 3,200 people to 629,100 in March, the ABS reported.

The ABS monthly aggregate hours worked series showed an increase in March, up 9.5 million hours to 1,624.2 million hours.

The ABS reported an increase in the labour force participation rate of 0.2 percentage points in March to 65.4 per cent.

The results of the Annual Seasonal Reanalysis were released in the March 2012 publication. This annual review did not result in any significant changes to published estimates. A feature article in the publication - 'Annual Seasonal Reanalysis' - explains the review.

More details are in the March 2012 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0), as well as the upcoming March 2012 issue of Labour Force, Australia, Detailed (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001) due for release next week on April 19. Both publications are available for free download (after release) from the ABS website - www.abs.gov.au.

The National Broadband Network Co (NBN Co) has announced Robin Payne as the company's new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), officially placing him in the role he has served in since January following the retirement of Jean-Pascal Beaufret.

Mr. Payne joined NBN Co in 2009 as General Manager of Planning & Development and was instrumental in developing the company’s initial Corporate Plan. The following year he was appointed the company’s lead negotiator on the Definitive Agreements with Telstra that were concluded last month and which unlock the infrastructure that will enable the large-scale rollout of the fibre optic network.

Welcoming the appointment, NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley said:

“Robin is a high calibre executive who has already made an important contribution to the NBN. His knowledge of the business and his extensive experience in financial management will be invaluable as the project moves from the planning and design stage to the large-scale rollout of the Australia’s largest infrastructure project.”

“I’ve inherited a strong finance function and look forward to continuing to work with Mike and the team to deliver value for taxpayers on an infrastructure project that will touch the lives of every home and business in the country," Mr Payne said.

Mr. Payne’s appointment follows a thorough global executive search. He worked for a decade at KPMG and a further 10 years at Macquarie Bank in the investment banking division. He was also a co-founder of the Asia-Pacific digital media company, Anytime PTE.

A major business group has today confirmed that the goal of a new push by employers is to cut wages and conditions in Awards.

Interviewed on ABC radio in Melbourne this morning, the Executive Director of the National Retail Association, Gary Black, confirmed that employers were using the current review of the Award system to seek a “radical overhaul” of wages, hours of work, penalty rates and other conditions.

Mr Black said that employers wanted to introduce a commission-based system for retail employees, reduce penalty rates, and cut the pay of new employees:

“There certainly will be some capacity for some people to be paid less. If we get an induction provision… then new employees entering the industry will be paid less than what they would otherwise get.”
(Gary Black on Mornings With Jon Faine, ABC 774, 10 April 2012)

ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence said this was confirmation that Australian workers are facing a new push from employers to cut wages and conditions in Awards.

The ACTU is today releasing an analysis of employer submissions to Fair Work Australia’s review of Awards which shows that employers are attempting to cut penalty rates, allowances and overtime, with no compensation.

Mr Lawrence said that employers were determined to bring back the worst elements of WorkChoices.

“Employer groups want a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week economy in which they have all the flexibility, the power and control over who works when and how little they are paid,” Mr Lawrence said.

“Cutting conditions and penalty rates without some kind of compensation is simply taking money out of workers’ pockets.”

The submission from the National Retail Association wants a Fair Work Australia decision last year for a 90-minute-a-day minimum for students to be expanded into other retail Awards.

Other employer submissions argue for:

• Reduced penalties for casual employees, particularly on weekends and public holidays.
• New annualised salary arrangements that would avoid payment of allowances, penalties and overtime.
• A narrowing of the definition of shift work to reduce access to pay and leave entitlements.
• Discounted rates for apprentices and trainees where adult rates have always applied.

“All these conditions exist to protect low-paid workers who are required to work weekends and other unsociable hours.

“The sole aim of the employer agenda is to cut the take-home pay of millions of Australian workers.

“Employers forget that cutting wages means that people have less to spend, which is not good for business. Fair Work Australia must recognise these submissions for what they are, a blatant attempt to restore the worst of Work Choices and reduce wages for Australian workers.”

In a submission to the Medical Board of Australia (MBA), the AMA is calling on the Board to fund better access to doctors' health services across the country.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said doctors are at greater risk of mental illness and stress-related problems and are more susceptible to substance abuse than the general population.

“In order to deliver high-quality health care to their patients and the community, and to experience medicine as a rewarding and satisfying career, doctors need to be well,” Dr Hambleton said.

The AMA proposes that the MBA provide funding for existing doctors' health advisory services, which have established networks and strong local knowledge.  Prior to the introduction of national registration, the MBA funded services in some States.

While the MBA has a role to play in funding external doctors' health advisory services, funding arrangements must be structured so as to guarantee independence from the MBA and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.  This is essential if doctors are to trust these services and utilise them at an early stage in their illness.

Australia’s top companies are failing to recognise and manage mental illnesses in the workplace. This is despite ongoing attempts at raising awareness in Australia to the dangers of mental health issues going unnoticed and untreated.

A poll of ASX Top 300 companies by Chartered Secretaries Australia (CSA) revealed that over 40 per cent of participants did not perceive mental illness as a potential risk to their organisation, and of those that did, close to half, said their organisation did not have policies in place to manage this risk. 

In addition, nearly 70 per cent did not have a dedicated and properly trained resource to identify and manage an employee suffering from mental illness, the poll found.

According to CSA’s chief executive Mr Tim Sheehy, “Despite widespread commentary on the extent of mental health in the community, it still has not registered on the corporate radar. In fact concern about mental health in the workplace seems to be at a similar stage as we were with OH&S in the construction industry 30 years ago when one or two fatalities were widely considered as an ‘unfortunate’ cost of doing business. That degree of indifference would simply not be tolerated today.”

There are compelling statistics on just how prevalent mental illness is in the workplace. Research shows that Australian businesses lose over $6.5 billion each year by failing to provide early intervention and treatment for employees with mental health conditions. In relation to psychological injury claims, work pressure accounts for around half of all claims, compared to harassment and bullying which account for around a quarter of claims.

“Mental illness in the workplace is a reality. Improperly managed, it poses real risks in terms of reduced productivity, workplace conflict and loss of morale, not to mention the spectre of corporate and executive liability if these issues continue to be neglected by senior decision-makers,” said Mr Sheehy.

BHP Billiton Misubishi Alliance has closed Norwich Park Mine because it’s been losing money for several months, in a move which makes the company the first miner to close a coalmine in Australia since the GFC.

This situation has come about as a result of a combination of lower production, a significant increase in costs and lower coal prices.

The decision to cease production follows a seven week review of the mine’s viability. The review could not establish any immediate remedies that would allow the operation to sustainably return to profitability.

BMA Asset President, Stephen Dumble said, “This decision was not made lightly. However, the impact of last year’s floods, combined with lower coal prices and high costs, has resulted in an operation that is not currently viable.

“While recent industrial action has had an impact on production, the mine has been unprofitable for some months. As a result, we have had to take urgent steps to both stop the losses and find the best way to secure the operation’s longer term future. Importantly, this decision on Norwich Park Mine is not reflective of the broader quality of our world class Queensland Coal operations.”

Mr Dumble said the Company would now focus on implementing measures that would enable Norwich Park to operate as a sustainably profitable, low cost mine.

Clean Energy Council appoints UK clean energy pioneer David Green as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Clean Energy Council Board Chairman Michael Fraser said Mr Green had been at the forefront of clean energy policy in the UK for more than two decades.

“As Australia moves towards a clean energy future, the Clean Energy Council – under David’s leadership – will play a significant role in working with governments and industry to develop the policy and practice that enables Australia to emerge as a key player in this field,” Mr Fraser said.

Mr Green said it was an honour to be invited to lead the Clean Energy Council and to work with its experienced and talented team to deliver a vision for a sustainable energy future for Australia.

“I have long admired the innovative ideas that Australian policy-makers and industry - in particular the membership of the CEC - have developed on energy efficiency and renewable energy, a number of which have positioned Australia as a leader, an innovator and an inspiration to the rest of the world,” Mr Green said.

He has worked with the UK government on clean energy policy, energy efficiency and strategies for low-income households. As a regular visitor to Australia, he has advised various parts of the Victorian Government, as well as the US Department of Energy, the New Zealand Government and key institutions of the European Union.

Chief Executive of ANZ Phil Chronican has expressed his confusion with Australia’s ongoing campaign against banks and the pay packages of their executives.

Mr Chronican defended the pay packages of his colleagues, saying they are deserving of them in much the same way as movie stars of athletes.

"We seem happy and even proud when our sportspeople make it onto the list of the top 20 paid people, or similarly when our entertainers make it on Hollywood's best paid list," Mr Chronican said at a lunch hosted at the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia.

"Yet for some reason when people are managing large complex businesses it (remuneration) is seen as excessive."

Mr Chronican said the innate complexities of large businesses warranted the pay packages of its leaders, adding that attractive remuneration packages attracted the best executives, which in turn yielded the best results for shareholders.

He accused the public of partaking in the emerging pastime of bank bashing, saying that the quality of public education on the issue is woefully inadequate.

109 of the best and brightest minds from countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, China and Germany are coming to Australia to undertake their world-class research, thanks to the Australian Research Council’s fellowships and rewards.

Highlighting the importance of attracting and retaining world-class research talent, ARC Chief Executive Officer and Advisory Council Chair Professor Margaret Sheil said ARC fellowships and awards were helping Australia grow and maintain a skilled and talented research workforce.

“The new Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards scheme has attracted 109 promising early career researchers to Australian shores this year—this includes citizens of 30 countries and Australians returning from six countries,” Professor Sheil said.

“These 109 researchers represented 40 per cent of the Awards announced last November,” she said.

At their meeting, the ARC Advisory Council spoke of the importance of attracting research talent from across the globe to help Australia address national issues such as industry transformation, and global issues such as our changing climate.

The Council of Financial Regulator has released its recommendations on reforms to the oversight of the country’s financial market infrastructure to ensure continued protection for investors, businesses and market participants.

The main recommendations include:

• new powers to require certain market infrastructure to have key aspects of their operations located in Australia, where deemed appropriate, and be managed and governed by 'fit and proper' persons;
• enhanced 'step in' powers for regulators to intervene in the event of infrastructure experiencing substantial difficulties; and
• strengthened and clarified powers for regulators to give directions to operators of key market infrastructure and impose appropriate sanctions where licensees and their officers fail to comply with directions or licence conditions.

The Council, whose members include the Governor of the Reserve Bank, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Chairs of both APRA and ASIC, advise that these changes are desirable to underwrite the continued stability of market infrastructure and robust oversight.

“I asked the Council to advise on potential reforms last year following my decision to prohibit the acquisition of ASX Limited by Singapore Exchange Limited,” Treasurer Wayne Swan said. 

The Federal Government has appointed Brian Wilson as the Chair of the Foreign Investment Review Board for a five-year term starting on 16 April.

Mr Wilson will replace John Phillips who will retire from the Board at the end of his term having served in the role for 15 years.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Phillips for his outstanding contribution to public policy over many years. Mr Phillips' invaluable leadership of the FIRB follows a very distinguished career in the public, finance and business sectors, including in his role as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) between 1987 and 1992,” Treasurer Wayne Swan said.

Mr Wilson has been a member of the FIRB since 2009 and possesses what Mr Swan calls ‘extensive financial services experience’, having worked with both the funds management and investment management sectors.

“ In his 33 year career as an investment banker, Mr Wilson specialised in corporate financial advice, advising many of Australia's top 100 companies and numerous international groups. He is a former Australian managing director of the global investment bank Lazard and a former vice chairman of Citigroup Australia,” Mr Swan said.

The Australian and New Zealand Productivity Commissions have released a joint issues paper for their inaugural study on options to further enhance integration between the Australian and New Zealand economies.

The two Commissions have been asked to provide further advice on how the two countries would benefit from further economic integration.

The study is being headed by the Commissions’ chairmen, Gary Banks and Murray Sherwin, together with Commissioners Jonathan Coppel (Australia) and Graham Scott (New Zealand)

“New Zealand and Australia are close neighbours that already benefit from significant economic integration. Our job is to advise on potential ways to further enhance that integration for the benefit of both countries. We have been asked to look at options for boosting productivity through reducing the regulatory burden on business, increasing competition and encouraging closer economic cooperation”, he said. “We encourage anyone interested in these matters to have their say by putting in a submission,” Mr Sherwin said.

A draft report is due for release in early September, with the final report being delivered to the two Governments by 1 December, ahead of a meeting of the Prime Ministers in early 2013.

Further information on the study and the issues paper can be viewed on the study website at Issues paper

ANZ has announced Peter Davis as the company’s new CEO in Japan, following his promotion from Global Head of Utilities and Infrastructure at ANZ.

Mr Davis will report directly to Gilles Planté, CEO of ANZ Asia.

“With his extensive institutional banking experience and broad knowledge of the global infrastructure market, Peter is exceptionally well qualified to lead our team in Japan,” Mr Plante said.

Mr Davis replaces Robert Bell, who was recently appointed ANZ’s Head of Super Regional Business Development within ANZ’s Commercial business in Melbourne. Mr Davis will assume his new role from 1 May in Tokyo.

Before joining ANZ in 1999, Mr Davis spent 10 years with Credit Lyonnais in Asia and Australia, including leading its Project & Asset Finance business in China.

Clean Global Energy has announced it has appointed Michael Curnow as the company's new Non-Executive Director, effective immediately.

Mr Curnow has extensive experience in the resources sector, specifically in gold, platinum and mineral sands exploration. He has been involved in the ownership and management of a wide range of companies both in Australia and South Africa, having founded Gallery Gold and acted as a founding Director of Adamus.

Mr Curnow will replace Alison Coutts following her resignation from the roles as CEO and Managing Director. 

The City of Melbourne and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group have announced that Melbourne will lead a new global network on Sustainable Urban Development.

The development will be chaired by Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and with the support of C40, will allow Melbourne to share key ideas and learn from other global cities, including Johannesburg, London, San Francisco and Sao Paulo that are embarking on similar efforts.

“Through this new network of cities, we will also engage key stakeholders and partner with the private sector to deliver on-the-ground, practical solutions to the challenges associated with sustainable urban development,” the Lord Mayor said.

C40 Chair and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said, “Every city is made up of communities, whose infrastructure, buildings and population can interact to create a sustainable way of living.  The Sustainable Urban Development Network C40 is being launched and will strengthen how local government practitioners work together to make sustainable communities possible in cities around the world; and I commend Lord Mayor Robert Doyle for stepping up to lead this effort. What cities do individually, and collectively through the C40, is increasingly setting the agenda for the entire world,”

The Melbourne workshop has been the first of its kind to actively engage the private sector toward the delivery of large-scale infrastructure and sustainable development projects.

Earlier this month, C40 launched networks on sustainable infrastructure finance and green growth, respectively led by the Cities of Chicago and Copenhagen.

Also announced at the C40 Workshop were plans by Lend Lease, in partnership with the City of Melbourne, to create a carbon-neutral sustainable community as part of its participation in C40’s Climate Positive Development Program, delivered in partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI).  

The Climate Positive Development Program aims to create a model for large-scale urban communities that reduce greenhouse gasses and serve as urban laboratories for cities seeking to grow in ways that are environmentally sustainable and economically viable.

“Victoria Harbour will become a blueprint for cities, developers and governments to work together to create strong, sustainable communities,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Our work in sustainability over the past two decades has focussed on reducing our impact and adapting our city to a changing climate. Victoria Harbour continues that work and sets a standard for the future.”

In a first for Australia, the City of Melbourne received a 2012 Visionary Award from Energy Efficiency Global in recognition of its energy efficiency leadership.

In an Australian first, Sydney has begun installing the first batch of energy-efficient LED street and park lights.

As part of a $7 million three year project, the joint venture of GE and UGL Limited (UGL), selected by tender, has installed new LED lights on George Street, in front of Sydney Town Hall.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the rollout of LED lights, following a successful 18 month trial in Alexandria Park, Kings Cross, Martin Place and Circular Quay, would reduce emissions and halve the energy use.

"Replacing 6,450 conventional lights will save nearly $800,000 a year in electricity bills and maintenance costs," the Lord Mayor said.

"Sydney will be the first city in Australia to install the new LED street and park lights across its entire city centre, and joins other major cities such as Berlin, Barcelona, Los Angeles and San Francisco."

In a public survey conducted by the City after the 18 month trial, more than 90 per cent of people reported finding the new lighting appealing, and three-quarters said it actually improved visibility.

The City of Sydney is one of the largest users of street lighting in NSW with 22,000 lights - 13,500 maintained by Ausgrid (formerly Energy Australia) and 8,500 by the City.

Public lighting accounts for a third of the City of Sydney's annual electricity use and 30 per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions. The new LED lights will slash these emissions, which is equivalent to 2,861 tonnes or taking 940 cars off the road.

Managing Director of GE Lighting Australia and New Zealand, Nathan Dunn, said: "LED technology will transform lighting as we know it - saving up to 75 per cent of energy compared to incandescent light sources, while lasting up to 25 times longer. This will have a profound impact on how we think about lighting in the future."

UGL's managing director and CEO, Richard Leupen, said: "Partnering with the first city in Australia to introduce energy efficient lighting is an important milestone as our country transitions to a lower carbon future."

The Victorian Government has released enhanced Implementation Guidelines for the Victorian Code of Practice for the building construction industry.

The new Guidelines will aim to help make major infrastructure projects more affordable, leading to greater investment and employment opportunities.

Premier Ted Baillieu and Minister for Finance Robert Clark said the new Guidelines would improve compliance with workplace laws, promote productivity and help prevent the sorts of massive cost blowouts that characterised Victorian Government projects under the former Labor Government.

The Guidelines, which have been finalised following public release of draft guidelines last October and extensive stakeholder consultation, will assist the construction industry to achieve behavioural change on Victorian building sites.

The Guidelines will apply to all construction projects funded by the Victorian public sector that are the subject of an expression of interest or request for tender on or after 1 July 2012.

The enhanced Guidelines will:

• apply to all on-site public building and construction work undertaken in Victoria;
• be binding on contractors in relation to their future privately-funded work;
• prohibit parties entering into sham contracting arrangements or arrangements designed to avoid strike pay, right of entry or freedom of association obligations;
• prohibit coercion or pressure to make over-award payments;
• require tenderers for projects where the Victorian public sector contribution is above a threshold level to submit detailed plans which identify their approach to various matters including workplace safety, dispute resolution, response to industrial action, right of entry, management of subcontractors and communication and consultation with the workforce;
• require contractors to take all reasonable steps to bring any unlawful industrial action to an end, including by pursuing legal action where possible;
• identify practices that are inconsistent with freedom of association and require contractors to adopt policies to promote the right to join or not join a union; and
• impose criteria for the establishment of project agreements on sites in line with the National Guidelines.

The new Guidelines will be monitored by a new Construction Code Compliance Unit in the Department of Treasury and Finance, headed by newly-appointed Director, Mr Nigel Hadgkiss, who has previously been the Deputy Commissioner to the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner.

The move was welcomed by the Australian Industry group, who stringently opposed the abolition of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner on the grounds that it would lead to unlawful industrial action.

"The leadership shown and the strong stand taken by the Victorian Government in today issuing its own industrial relations guidelines for the Victorian construction industry is very important. The Guidelines are set to play a major role in preserving vital workplace relations reforms that have been evaporating by the day," Ai Group Chief Executive Heather Ridout said.

The new guidelines can be found here

A report by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) shows that some areas in Australia will be hit with a 3.3% council rate rise when the carbon price starts.

This data, taken from 3 councils around Australia, has shown lowered impacts on councils as compared to the 2009 proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

“Excluded from the carbon price are heavy on-road fuel use, legacy waste and smaller landfills within a prescribed distance of larger landfills, which have all reduced the overall cost impacts for local government,” said Cr Bill McArthur, MAV President.

“If all council cost increases were to be collected through rates, which is unlikely, it would result in a median 1.5 per cent increase – or around $22 a year or 42 cents a week.

“However, for over a decade Victorian councils have been actively working to lower their greenhouse gas emissions, and two thirds have adopted a formal greenhouse gas mitigation strategy.

“Actions have included changes to vehicle fleets, improved building and street lighting energy efficiency, landfill methane gas capture, green purchasing programs and use of GreenPower.

“This means that in many cases municipal expenses and any flow on impact to rates will be lower than our estimates, as councils find cost savings rather than pass on cost increases to ratepayers,” he said.

The carbon price is expected to primarily impact on local government’s electricity, gas and petrol costs; the generation of municipal wastes; and costs related to construction of buildings and infrastructure.

“One of the significant challenges still facing many municipalities is measuring and properly costing landfill waste emissions now and into the future.

“Up to 10 Victorian landfills could be directly included under the carbon price. Gas capture technologies and diverting waste from landfills will be a priority to lower councils’ costs and emissions liability.

“We welcome support the Australian Government will provide to help councils take advantage of opportunities under the carbon farming initiative,” he said. 

A high-tech autonomous robot will be sent into the depths of Brisbane's reservoirs to monitor the health of the city's drinking water.

The $200,000 underwater robot, which the Queensland University of Technology's Institute for Future Environments recently acquired, will enable researchers to take faster and more efficient water quality measurements.

Dr Ryan Smith from QUT's Science and Engineering Faculty said the vehicle used multiple sensors to monitor elements including dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, salinity, temperature and pH levels in significantly less time than manual sampling.

"There are a lot of people examining issues of water quality, but the current technology is labour intensive and requires a lot of time," he said.

"We can do repeated, efficient, methodical monitoring with this underwater vehicle in a fraction of the time and at a reduced expense.

"Automated and efficient sampling and monitoring of freshwater reserves provides a necessary assessment of the quality and quantity of Queensland's drinking water supply."

The robot, which is also capable of taking underwater images, will be deployed in April on a trial run in Moreton Bay.

Dr Smith said it would hopefully be deployed into water reservoirs around Brisbane within the next couple of months.

Two computers are on-board the robot, one to operate the vehicle and its sensors, and the other to act as an intelligent 'brain' that processes the gathered information and makes navigational decisions.

Dr Smith said the vehicle could be deployed for up to eight hours at a time, and be programmed to follow the same route to compare with previous data collected.

"For example, in the Wivenhoe reservoir, if the temperature increases past a certain point will that support different aquatic organisms, or how is the water chemistry changing from increased run-off after a rain event?

"The ultimate question is, which factors play into the health of the water system?"

Dr Smith said QUT would like to collaborate with other research institutes and universities to ensure the vehicle was well-used.

"We have to save and protect the water that we have," he said.

"A lot of that comes down to monitoring and assessing what we have to try and mitigate future problems that may arise."