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Engineering

Time capsule finds a new home

The town's time capsule was installed in its new home last week, lowered carefully from above onto the original stand. Once displayed in the grounds of the former St Paul's Church, in Moppett Street, the time capsule was donated to the town by David Kenton, when he purchased the land from the church several years ago.

Gemco Rail establishes wagon manufacturing in Karratha

Gemco Rail is proud to announce that wagon manufacturing is now established at our Karratha facility, marking a major step in bringing rollingstock capability into the Pilbara and closer to our customer operations.

Missiles made in Port Wakefield

Austinn Lane. A new missile manufacturing facility at Proof Range, south of Port Wakefield, is the only site outside the US authorised to produce the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System ... The facility marks a major step forward in Australia's missile capability, creating around 20 on-site manufacturing jobs and supporting hundreds more ...

20 new space missions to touch down in SA: Malinauskas, Szakacs

South Australia has further cemented its reputation as a global leader in the space economy with the announcement that the Koonibba Test Range will facilitate another 20 spacecraft returns by 2028.

Benalla munitions agreement axed: Cleeland

The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has expressed frustration over the decision to abandon a major munitions manufacturing agreement in Benalla, labelling it a devastating blow for the local community. The Department of Defence quietly scrapped its agreement with Thales Australia to manufacture 155-millimetre M795 artillery ammunition at the Benalla munitions facility.

Houseboat hooray: Renmark dry dock to support local houseboat community

The Riverland houseboat community will have access to critical maintenance services as part of a new partnership between Renmark Paringa Council and Smooth Flow Group. The Renmark dry dock, which had previously served large river vessels, will soon undergo preparatory works by Smooth Flow Group to allow the service and maintenance of smaller boats, delivering essential infrastructure to support the region's houseboat community.

UK defence mission to power WA’s economy into the future: Cook, Papalia

Premier Roger Cook and Defence Industries Minister Paul Papalia are travelling to the UK for strategic talks about WA's internationally sought-after defence sector ... WA companies already manufacture vital parts of Australia's submarines and are working to enter the US Virginia-class supply chain. By strengthening ties with the UK, it's hoped they will also break into the Astute-class supply chain.

Rocket man

Born in Cohuna and with family dotted throughout the district, Freddy McLoughlan is now a student at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and the newest member of the RMIT High Velocity Rocketry club that will be making their way to Texas, in the United States, to compete on an international level with teams from all over the globe.

Engine washing steams ahead

The steam engine at Donald Lions Train Park received a much-needed preparatory wash on the weekend from CFA members of the Donald Fire Brigade. The train is scheduled for a facelift and required washing prior to being painted by Geoff Blake.

Weld Australia drives advanced manufacturing with new international partnership

Weld Australia is proud to announce a strategic partnership with two of the world’s leading welding technology organisations—EWI (formerly the Edison Welding Institute) and the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) Group. This collaboration will provide Australian manufacturers with direct access to cutting-edge automation solutions, world-class research and development (R&D), and advanced training programs.

NT industry delegation to strengthen US Defence partnerships: Finocchiaro

The Finocchiaro CLP Government will lead a high-powered industry delegation to the Indo-Pacific in March to strengthen defence partnerships and expand economic opportunities for the Northern Territory. This week-long strategic mission, led by DefenceNT, will deepen relationships with US defence and defence contractors while securing new opportunities for the Territory’s industry.

Pipeline milestone reached

GWMWater has received a critical planning approval which will allow work to commence in zone four of the East Grampians Rural Pipeline Project. Zone four will extend rural water supply to landholders in Willaura and Moyston.

Trump holds the keys to right to repair

As a second Trump presidency looms on the horizon, one pressing issue for America's and Australian farmers remains unresolved: the unfettered right to repair their own agricultural machinery. With both groups at loggerheads with the big farm machinery manufacturers over who gets the right to access software locks to repair complex tractors and headers, what happens under Trump could impact where this long running debate finally settles.

A wooden pipeline that carries more than water – it carries a lot of history

A captivating chapter of Tasmania's industrial heritage - a story of history, engineering, and environmental stewardship that celebrates innovation and resilience in Tasmania's wild west ...The story culminates  with the  remarkable Lake Margaret Hydroelectric Power Scheme - a testament to ingenuity and the enduring legacy of wooden pipelines.

50 years of hydroelectric power

This month, the Gordon Dam, nestled in Tasmania's untamed south-west, reaches a significant milestone - it celebrates its 50th year. It is a marvel of Australian engineering and ambition. This monumental project, completed in 1974, transformed a remote wilderness into a powerhouse of renewable energy, supplying around 25 per cent  of Tasmania's electricity today. Standing 140 meters tall, the 50-year-old dam holds the title of Australia's highest arch dam, constructed using a double-curvature design that maximised strength while minimising costs.

Boring machines are making steady progress

The Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro megaproject has marked a significant milestone, with one of three tunnel boring machines (TBM), Lady Eileen Hudson, now two-thirds of the way through its second tunnel excavation. The TBM is approximately four kilometres into the six kilometre ‘tailraceʼ tunnel, which will link the lower Talbingo Reservoir…

Albury to Illabo to enter construction phase: Inland Rail

The Albury to Illabo (A2I) section of Inland Rail will enter the construction phase after the project received NSW Government planning approval on Friday. The approval from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure is a significant milestone, and opens the way for construction to begin in 2025.

“More than a mountain of concrete” – building Warragamba Dam

Sydney has struggled with water shortages since European settlement, relying on various schemes over the years, including the Tank Stream and Botany Swamps ... Warragamba Dam remains one of the world's largest domestic water supply dams, standing alongside iconic projects like the Opera House and the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

“Thousands of jobs from wind tower manufacture”

Australia could create more than 4300 quality direct jobs by making its own wind towers instead of importing them, according to new research by the Centre for Future Work. At present, all wind towers installed in Australia are imported from overseas with most coming from China. Centre for Future Work’s research found a domestic wind energy sector would generate: 4,350 ongoing jobs in wind tower manufacturing, and thousands more in input industries, especially steel.

New machine needed to meet challenges

In its latest update, Snowy Hydro has advised that a new tunnel boring machine (TBM) will be deployed to help keep the Snowy 2.0 project on its delivery timeline. New ground testing techniques have provided a better understanding of the full extent of a complex fault zone on the route of the 17km tunnel that will connect Snowy 2.0’s upper reservoir to its underground power station.

Westbrook apprentice a finalist

MAKS Caravan Centre apprentice Zackary Tozer, from Westbrook, is a finalist at the 2024 TAFE Queensland – SkillsTech CSQ Apprentice Awards. The Apprentice Awards has run since 2018 and identifies top apprentices in a range of categories, with only 14 winners on the night out of more than 12,000 eligible apprentices, thanks to a raft of sponsors led by Construction Skills Queensland.

SA has lifted into space

Sebastian Calderon. A new satellite built by South Australian-based companies will aim to deliver critical space data for use by government and research institutions, including data covering the Riverland, particularly in the areas of sustainability and climate impacts. The State Government-funded satellite Kanyini was successfully launched into orbit last week onboard a SpaceX rocket, being the first of its kind in Australia, built by SA-based companies – SmartSat, Inovor and Myriota.

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