PLEASE NOTE: Contrary to what it says on the Engineers Australia registration page, this event is completely free to ATS members. Please make sure you register using your ATS email address and the discount will be applied as you move through the registration process. 

Event summary

Explore this year’s key tunnelling developments at the Australian Tunnelling Society (ATS) Victorian Chapter Annual Special Meeting, where you’ll also witness the election of the 2025 ATS Victorian Committee.

Following these formalities, this year’s technical session spotlights the latest progress on Melbourne’s North East Link project, a pivotal tunnelling initiative.

The technical session will explore how advancements in Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) techniques address complex geological conditions like Silurian bedrock and Yarra River deposits, along with improved excavation methods and real-time progress monitoring.

You’ll also gain insights into the use of digital engineering to enhance safety, as well as strategies for environmental management and minimising urban disruption.

Learning outcomes

In this presentation, you will learn:

• how TBM and SEM techniques are integrated to optimise tunnelling in complex geological and urban environments
• the impact of digital engineering on design accuracy, construction efficiency and coordination
• the role of advanced monitoring systems in real-time operational adjustments and environmental management.

Program

In-person:

• 5.30 pm AEDT: networking
• 6.00 pm AEDT: refreshments
• 6.30 pm AEDT: meeting and technical presentation
• 7.20 pm AEDT: event ends

Online:

• 6.30 pm AEDT: meeting and technical presentation
• 7.20 pm AEDT: event ends

About the speakers

Biography

Ken Muir is a Chartered Engineer with 40 years of experience in underground works. Currently serving as Technical Director for PCo on the Central Package of the North East Link Project, Ken’s diverse career spans continents and industries. He began in South African mines before contributing to the Channel Tunnel in the UK.

His expertise extends to hydropower projects in Malaysia and Peru, mine development in Ireland, and mass transit projects in Spain and Southeast Asia. For the past 18 years, Ken has been based in Melbourne, where he has been involved in tendering and working on a wide range of projects both in Australia and Southeast Asia.

Biography

Paul Thomas is a Chartered Engineer with 35 years of experience in underground/tunnelling and heavy civil engineering projects. Currently the Director D&C Central for NELP (State Delivery Authority), Paul’s career began in 1988 in South Wales, UK.

His international experience, spanning 22 years, includes work on mass transit and hydropower underground/tunnelling projects across Singapore, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Riyadh, and Australia. In 2015, Paul transitioned to a role with the State Government as Deputy Director for the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, bringing his extensive global expertise to bear on local infrastructure projects.

This event is supported by ARUP.