12th Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference
It is with great pleasure and excitement that the organising committee welcome you to the 12th Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference which is being held at the Old Woolstore Hotel, Hobart from 6th to 9th November 2018. 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 12YGPC 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 and peer review by senior professionals. 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 important to note that a record number of 104 abstracts are received. Unfortunately, only 4 of them are accepted due to the limitation of the single-session conferences. The acceptance ratio is 42% and many of the rejected abstracts are in very high quality. We believe our ANZ young geomechanics community has grown to the point of having multiple sessions in next GPC.
We are delighted to have Stephen Fityus (University of Newcastle & AGS National Chair), Ross Roberts (Auckland Council & N G S Vice Chair and Treasurer), and Darren Paul (Golder Associates & former AGS National 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 also learn more about the AGS and NZGS and the work they do to promote and advocate for our industry. N G S provides 10 scholarships for attendees from New Zealand, which highlights her commitment to cultivate young geotechnical professionals. AGS has also a long standing of commitment to the geomechanics industry in a wider capacity than Australasia.
YGPC events also include a field trip into the surrounding Hobart region, and we are thrilled to have the assistance of Colin Mazengarb (Mineral Resources Tasmania) and his colleagues at Tasmanian Government to provide what wil no doubt be an interesting, informative and entertaining commentary on the Mount Wellington, impressive outcrops and amazing geotechnical features. Moreover, field trip attendees will enjoy unbelievable views of Hobart and surrounding areas during a walk along hiking trails and at the summit of Mt Wellington. 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 Hobart 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 steering committees. Without their efforts and the support of their respective home organisations this conference would not be possible.
I hope the 12YGPC provides an enjoyable and informative event aimed at the development of future leaders in the geotechnical profession.
Dr Hong Y Liu
12YGPC2018 Hobart Organising Committee Chair