[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE: 'Greens Support Professional Engineers in Public Sector'

[Mehreen Faruqi]

Media Release
19/03/2014
Greens Support Professional Engineers in Public Sector

Greens NSW Transport Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC, has supported a campaign to protect engineering expertise in the public service. Professionals Australia is running a campaign 'On Solid Ground' to stop government deskilling of engineers in the Roads and Maritime Services.

"There is no lack of surveys and reports to tell us that there is still a massive skills shortage in the engineering and technology sector.

"I have worked in local councils where there have been only a handful of qualified engineers and technologists in the technical services divisions of these organisations. This is high-risk for the employees, the organization and our community, but most of all for our future.

"If we want to grow and progress to be an innovative nation, we need engineers and technologists -who are trained in the technical know-how but also as problem solvers and creative thinkers to develop the infrastructure required to move us towards sustainability in the 21st century.

"To transition to a sustainable and greener society and economy we also need investment in renewable energy, integrated water management - reusing, recycling stormwater, rainwater, greywater and innovative waste management systems - and we need engineers to do all this.

"It is no hidden fact that the cost of rail projects here is much higher than anywhere else and removing engineering skills from the public sector is a big part of this story.
"Without in-house skills in the public service, billions of dollars' worth of infrastructure projects delivered by consultants and private companies will have oversight or scrutiny.

"In the end it is the public that ends up paying for the high cost of infrastructure and it often leads to projects taking longer. By building and maintaining engineering skills in the public sector, we can actually stretch out the public benefit from each dollar of infrastructure, especially in the planning stage.

This government has to move away from a short term, myopic privatization agenda and look into rebuilding a vibrant public engineering sector so we can  invest and work towards a long term sustainable future for the people and environment of NSW", she concluded.

Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC is a Civil and Environmental engineer and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Environmental Studies UNSW.


Media Contact: Matt Hilton 0423106247



Matt Hilton
Legislative, Policy and Media Adviser

Office of Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC
Legislative Council | NSW Parliament
E: matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au<mailto:matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au>
P: (02) 9230 2625 | M: +61423106247|F: facebook.com/mehreenfaruqi | T: @MehreenFaruqi | W: mehreenfaruqi.org.au
Mail: Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

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