Times they are a’changing
“Nothing stays the same!”. In this issue we see a farewell message from the current Chair, Tony Fairclough, whom we will definitely miss, and sadly a withdrawal from all geotechnical duties by Gavin Alexander, another long-serving NZGS Committee member. And Stuart Read has also submitted his last contribution on behalf of ISRM. These fellows have all worked tirelessly for NZGS and our profession for many years, and we most gratefully thank them for that while wishing them well for their future endeavours. Tony will be lurking around as Past-Chair in the meantime…
Ross Roberts will be our new Chair, effective 1 October, and there will be a call for nominations for the new Executive Committee Members during June. “Change” is the word!
Furthermore, in this issue we have a new initiative, courtesy of George Brink. We are planning to introduce a series of articles focusing on different aspects of career development and aimed at the younger readers. The first dedicated article is planned to be in the December issue, with more to follow. You will find a bit more info tucked away in the following pages.
Technology is bringing constant change to the world, and our corner is no exception. Recent years have seen an upswing in 3D modelling, the use of UAV’s and other new software and technologies. We are happy to acknowledge and support these changes, but PLEASE do not let this stop you from thinking – pen, paper, sketches and interactive discussions remain the basis of good engineering practice. The computer cannot do that for you.
Lastly, Geomechanics News is introducing a procedural change similar to that proposed by Australian Geomechanics. Beginning with our next issue, we will require all contributions of technical material to be accompanied by an Author Declaration Form (which will be available via the website). This will help us to acknowledge your contributions as original or re-published, as the case may be, without any additional hassle for the editors! As we said earlier, “Nothing stays the same!”
Don and Gabriele
