THE 81km water pipeline linking Wingecarribee Reservoir to Goulburn has received a prestigious Engineering Excellence Award from Engineers Australia.
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Engineers Australia run the statewide awards annually to recognise the expertise of individuals and engineering organisations.
Known as the Highlands Source Project, the pipeline and associated infrastructure won the Engin eering for Regional Communities Award in the Sydney division, which includes 80 per cent of regional NSW.
It was won by GHD and Goulburn Mulwaree Council as a project partner.
The award judges said the the project addressed a critical issue for living and thriving in a regional centre.
"That is, a reliable water supply. The proponents went through a rigorous process to determine how best to solve the problem. Once that decision was made, the physical design of the project was reasonably straightforward.
"However, there was a time limit on the available funding, 145 landholders to engage with and high expectations on easement rehabilitation.
"GHD and Goulburn Mulwaree Council showed these issues could be managed with a well-organised team and appropriate back-up resources to produce an outcome the community is extremely proud of and will benefit from for decades to come."
GHD's Team Leader Water, Christian Leah, said engaging with the community, especially those whose properties would be affected, was a priority for the project team.
"We had a lot of positive sentiment when we started, but we also had a lot of concerns from property owners about how the project might affect them," Mr Leah said.
"We used that positive sentiment and managed each landholder's concerns, especially around why one property was selected rather than a neighbouring one."
"We gained a lot of credibility around this by using the technical advice we had to explain the decisions made. We talked through concerns over fencing and reseeding and how those properties would be managed during and after construction".
Goulburn Mulwaree Mayor Cr Geoff Kettle praised everyone involved in the project for their award winning efforts.
"It's fantastic to see the hard work of everyone involved in this project recognised," Cr Kettle said.
"My particular congratulations go to GHD for their role in design and project management, and the many Council staff who were committed to delivering this project for the benefit of our City. Not only does Goulburn now have a secure water supply well into the future, but it was achieved through a project recognised for its engineering excellence."