Australiasian Tunnelling Society

The passing of Robert Parnell aged 78, on 19 December 2024 after a brief illness has both shocked and saddened many of our members in the ATS and the many friends and colleagues who knew him within the tunneling sector in Australia & New Zealand. Robert was born in 1946 in Sydney, Australia. He studied mechanical engineering at Sydney University and later law at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. His work in waste water management lead him to working in the US for several years.

The Organising Committee of the Australasian Tunnelling Conference 2025 (ATC25) is pleased to announce that the deadline for submission of abstracts has been extended! This extension provides additional time for researchers, engineers, and industry professionals to contribute their innovative ideas, findings and case histories to this prestigious event. A list of suggested themes is available at the conference website.

Brisbane’s bid for the World Tunnel Congress 2028: A key to Australia’s sustainable future By Jurij Karlovsek, Vice President ATS and Bid Lead for WTC2020 in Brisbane This article was first published in the ANZ Journal October 2024. The bid team is pictured above. To learn more about the bid, check out and follow the bid team’s LinkedIn page NOTE: this article covers two pages, don’t forget to click left in the bottom panel.

Fresh insights from a young engineer’s perspective at the World Tunnel Congress 2024 As the WTC 2025 approaches, we’d like to share with you this story by Shenyan Yao from AECOM, winner of the David Sugden Award 2024 and ATS Young Members Committee Member, where she describes her experiences at WTC 2024, some of which pushed her well out of her comfort zone (in a good way).

Did you know? As an ATS member you can influence tunnelling practice at an international level??? Check out the following article to learn how. This article was first published in the ANZ Journal October 2024. The picture (above) shows ITA Working Group 22: Information Modelling in Tunnelling. Learn how you can contribute your story here: A&NZ Journal – Australian Tunnelling Society ITA working groups and the ITA

This article was first published in the ANZ Journal October 2024. Learn how you can contribute your story here: A&NZ Journal – Australian Tunnelling Society

Featuring: UTS School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who have recently launched a specialised degree in Tunnelling and Underground Engineering: Australia’s first postgraduate major in Tunnelling and Underground Engineering | University of Technology Sydney The team at MONASH BEST who are innovating efficient TBM technologies for sustainable and resilient underground development: Home | Monash BEST NOTE: Make sure you click the arrow at the bottom of the pdf to read the full story.

Did you know? What some of you readers might not understand is just how much painstaking volunteer work goes in to making the ATS the vibrant society, and one of Engineers Australia’s most active technical societies. It is a true labour of love and we can’t tell you how much we appreciate it. To give you a sense of what is happening across all our chapters and subgroups, please check out the following. This article was first published in the ANZ Journal October 2024.

Submit today! In this brand-new section in the journal, we will be sharing short stories on innovative products and services that are making life easier for tunnellers in our region. If you are an ATS corporate sponsor, and have a tale to tell, particularly if it is associated with an Australian or New Zealand project, get in touch! Contact us with your idea at ats@engineersaustralia.org.au New products and services