Notes from a Whistle-Stop Tour Across CIBSE chapters in the ANZ Region
It’s been a full and energising week for the CIBSE leadership team. CEO Ruth Carter, President Vince Arnold, and Director of Membership Richard Goldsbrough have been travelling across Australia — from Sydney to Adelaide and finally to Melbourne — meeting members, partners, peers and future engineers. The goal: strengthen relationships, build new ones, and continue elevating CIBSE’s presence in the region.
Here’s a look back at the week, as captured along the journey.
Follow CIBSE ANZ on LinkedIn to see the full journey and photo highlights.
Day 1
Meeting with NABERS
(L-R: Ivana Brown, Ruth Carter, Magali Wardle, Vince Arnold, Steve Hennessy, Richard Goldsborough)
The delegation met with NABERS to discuss how to accelerate the adoption of the NABERS rating system in the UK. With NABERS-rated organisations achieving an average 40% reduction in energy costs over 10 years, there is strong potential for broader global uptake.
Read more on LinkedIn
Lunch at the Sydney Fish Market
(L-R: Paul Angus, Ruth Carter, Vince Arnold, Sharon Pestonji, Steve Hennessy, Enda Seyama-Henaghan, Richard Goldsbrough)
The CIBSE NSW Committee hosted a productive lunch with Ruth, Vince and Richard.
Key themes included:
- strong membership growth across ANZ
- challenges navigating state and national registration
- the need for improved mutual recognition across jurisdictions
Interview with The Fifth Estate
Ruth sat down with The Fifth Estate to discuss a wide range of industry priorities, including data centres, electrification, renewable energy, energy security, and the growing influence of AI in engineering. She also highlighted CIBSE’s leadership in embodied carbon through TM65 and TM65 ANZ, aligning with broader themes of decarbonisation and resilience.
International Code Council Meeting
(Clockwise: Vince Arnold, Paul Angus, Ruth Carter, Richard Goldsbrough, Tom Roberts)
A meeting and dinner with Tom Roberts, Global Director of PMG at the International Code Council, reinforced the strong relationship between the two organisations.
Collaboration continues across guidance on TM70 Tall Building Drainage Design (2025) and new training for drainage design in unstable soils across Australia and New Zealand.
Day 2
Heads of Industry Breakfast – Sydney
This event brought together leaders across the sector to discuss emerging challenges and opportunities, including:
- growth in data centres
- grid electrification
- AI’s role in engineering
- competence, professionalism and CIBSE’s leadership in these areas
Meeting with Engineers Australia
(L-R: Richard Goldsbrough, Steve Hennessy, Ruth Carter, Romilly Madew, Vince Arnold, Denis Slade)
Engineers Australia and CIBSE are jointly committed to advancing a Mutual Recognition Agreement between Engineers Australia and the Engineering Council UK. During the visit on Engineers Australia, CIBSE CEO Ruth Carter, President Vince Arnold, and Director of Membership Richard Goldsbrough met with the Engineers Australia CEO Romily Maddew and Head of Registration, Denis Slade, to continue progressing this important initiative, strengthening collaboration and mobility for engineers across both regions.
Meeting with the Green Building Council of Australia
(L-R: Davina Rooney, Ruth Carter, Steve Hennessy, Jorge Chapa)
CIBSE and the GBCA continued their longstanding collaboration, focusing on improving the verification of embodied carbon in products—an essential element of transparency, consistency and market confidence.
University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
(L-R: Richard Goldsbrough, Saidul Islam, Professor Sarah Zhang, Vince Arnold, Peter Igra)
The delegation met with UTS staff to discuss potential collaboration, including:
- A Memorandum of Understanding
- Course accreditation
- Free student membership
- Guest lectures
- Integration of CIBSE TMs and Guides into curriculum case studies
YEN Event – The Aspirational Engineer
The YEN event brought together panellists Benjamin Moss, Gráinne McCormack, Alberto Sangiorgio, and CIBSE President Vince Arnold, whose honest and inspiring perspectives fuelled conversations long after the event concluded.
Day 3
Drinks with the South Australia Committee
The SA Committee welcomed the visiting CIBSE leadership over a relaxed gathering the evening before a series of meetings and an industry breakfast.
See LinkedIn post.
Day 4
Executive Leadership Breakfast – Adelaide
(L-R: Alex Munn, Wayne Irvine, Ruth Carter)
The Adelaide breakfast offered an important forum for local industry voices. As CIBSE SA Chair David Tiller shared:
“We appreciated the time Ruth, Vince and Richard invested in being with us. It was a fantastic opportunity for our local industry to connect more closely with CIBSE leadership, and the energy in the room was a strong reflection of that. Their openness to understanding our challenges and opportunities reinforced the strength of CIBSE’s global network.”
Day 6 and 7
Rounding Out the Tour in Melbourne
The final leg of the Australian tour takes place this week in Melbourne, where Ruth, Vince and Richard will be meeting with:
- CIBSE Members and Victorian Committee representatives
- AIRAH to discuss shared priorities and collaboration opportunities
- RMIT University to explore pathways for student engagement and academic partnership
- The University of Melbourne on accreditation, research alignment and professional development
- The Victorian Business Licensing Authority (VBLA) to discuss registration pathways and professional recognition
These meetings round out a highly successful and impactful tour, strengthening CIBSE’s ties across the ANZ region and reinforcing our commitment to supporting competence, collaboration and professional mobility with plans already for a return visit focused on other chapters in the region.