Kevin Mitchell, CIBSE President; Ruth Carter, CIBSE CEO; and Dr Hywel Davies, CIBSE Chief Technical Officer attended the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) ANZ Region AGM, as part of their visit to the region. With 29% of CIBSE’s members based outside of the UK, they understand the vital importance of engaging with members globally, demonstrating CIBSE’s support for competency requirements and professional ambition.
The AGM marked the end of Mark Crawford’s terms as ANZ regional chair, and he handed over the reins to incoming chair, Phil Senn.
Kevin delivered a short address, thanking the regional committee for their work. Kevin thanked Mark specifically for being a great chair, enhancing and maintaining a sense of community in the region.
Kevin presented Mark with a CIBSE President’s certificate of commendation, along with a CIBSE tree of life, a representation of the diverse branches represented within CIBSE’s global community.
Mark Crawford delivered an address as the outgoing regional chair, thanking the committee and ANZ members for their support over the previous three years. Mark became regional chair in February 2020, just three weeks before entering into lockdown due to COVID-19. The region was quick to respond, adapting the ‘new normal’ and delivering quality technical presentations virtually.
Mark highlighted that CIBSE is now accredited to assess engineers for professional status within Queensland, with with an application already submitted in Victoria and plans to submit in other states including New South Wales and Western Australia.
Professional Registration is a priority for Kevin, Ruth, and Hywel during this trip, reinforcing the value of CIBSE membership as an internationally recognised signifier of professional competence.
Before travelling to Sydney, Kevin, Ruth, and Hywel met with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in Wellington to discuss how CIBSE can support Professional Registration New Zealand.
This was followed by a meeting with Romilly Meadow, CEO of Engineers Australia in Sydney, and another with Evelyn Story, former Board Member of the Professional Engineers of Queensland to discuss further opportunities for CIBSE to support members with professional registration in the region.
During their visit, Kevin, Ruth, and Hywel are attending and speaking at several technical events around the region. They attended the New South Wales technical seminar focused on cladding fire risk management, sharing insights around the Building Safety Act and regulatory reform. During the event, Kevin presented Mathew Klintfalt, the former ANZ regional treasurer with a CIBSE Bronze Medal.
Phil Senn has replaced Mark as regional chair for the ANZ region and has started his term by hosting a breakfast forum, ahead of chairing his first ANZ regional committee meeting yesterday. Kevin, Ruth, and Hywel attended a strategy workshop with members over a lunch time.
Find out more about the ANZ region via https://www.cibse.org/get-involved/regions/australia-new-zealand