11th Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference

It is with great pleasure and excitement that the organising committee welcome you to the 11th Australia and New Zealand Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference which is being held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Queenstown from 25th to 28th October 2016.

Held every 2 years, the Young Geotechnical Professional Conference (YGPC) events are unique 3 day conferences facilitated by a joint initiative of Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) and New Zealand Geotechnical Society.

The aim of the 11YGPC conference is to provide younger professionals both in industry and academia, experience in technical paper preparation and conference presentation. Presenting at this conference is the culmination of many months of paper preparation, peer review by senior professionals and uniquely conference attendance is limited to only presenting authors with what is likely to be their first technical paper to their peers and a panel of senior industry professionals. It is also important to note that for this YGPC there were a the record number of abstracts received, so unfortunately we were unable to accept all authors wanting to present and therefore attendance has been highly competitive.

We are delighted to have Nick Wharmby (March Construction), Darren Paul (Golder & AGS Immediate Past National Chair), and Charlie Price (MWH & NZGS Chair) as our senior industry mentoring panel. This panel not only has vast technical knowledge but also provides a direct link between the Young Professionals and both Trans-Tasman learned societies. We hope that delegates not only gain professional development but learn more about the AGS and NZGS and the work they do to promote and advocate for our industry. AGS have also illustrated their commitment to the industry in a wider capacity than Australasia and this is the first occasion where we are pleased to extend a warm welcome to a colleague from Africa who has been supported by AGS to attend.

YGPC events also include a field trip into the surrounding region, and we are thrilled to have the assistance of Don McFarlane (AECOM) and Greg Saul (Opus) to provide what will no doubt be an interesting, informative and entertaining commentary on the Cromwell Gorge Landslides and Clyde Dam. No conference is complete without a number of social events to encourage interaction between the delegates, and this conference is no exception. We look forward to showcasing Queenstown during these events.

We wish to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Sponsors of this conference. Without their support and assistance this event could not occur and we thank each and every one of these organisations. We also thank the peer reviewers who gave their time and technical expertise to provide thorough and supportive reviews of the papers.

Finally I wish to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of the organising committee and guidance of both AGS and NZGS national committees. Without their efforts and the support of their respective home organisations this conference would not be possible.

I hope the 11YGPC provides an enjoyable and informative event aimed at the development of future leaders in the geotechnical profession.

Frances Neeson
11YGPC Organising Committee Chair and NZGS Young Professionals Representative.