CONTENTS 17.09.09
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CIVILENGINEER3
2 3 SEP.2009
08
NEWS leetlemania
The Natural History Museum opens ils new extension housing 17M insect specimens
22
COVER STORY Roadto remvery
Keller UK's managing director Jim De Waele reveals why major projects are in his sights
25
PLANT
In-depth coverage NCElaunches a regular
series offeatures coveringthe construction plant sector
Aisein this issue
16 BCIA
The shortlist for the international category
06 News
UK cilies barde for High Speed 2 status
08 News
Atkins offers places at its ,nuclear academy
12
Comment
AntonyOliver
18 Letters
Energy,transport, business
News
Green light for Farringdon station
42 ICE News
Thomas Telford launches new training courses
..We need to ensure the levels of investment continue when Ihe goocl limes return"
Keepthecash flowing when the good times return
One year on frOIDthe start of the global fman- cial crisis and the talk this week is all about the need for sustained cuts in public spending.
ReaHsticallyweall know that no marrer how many of the few remaining public assets are flogged off and no marrer how many clever tax mechanisms are introduced, the only thing that is certain is that public spending will have to fall over the next decade.
While IDepolitical debate rages acrossWest- minster over the precise style of these CUIS,the scale of the public bail out for batiks means thatwhateveryour party colour, the coffers are near empty.
The good news, as we heard at this week's FIDIC conference,is that there is hardly a government around theworld that hasn't committed huge amounts to sustained progranm1es of infrastructure investment in a bid to stimulate economic recovery.
Such packages reportedly include f1S2bn in UK and Europe, f339bn in China and f296bn in India. ln comparison to IDeusuallevel of
infrastructure investment seen in these coun- tries, these are huge SUffiS.
And as FIDIC's newly published Stateof the Worldreport points out, these levels of spending are still miniscule compared to the actual amounts needed to bringworld infra- structure up to modern sustainable standards.
Butwhile there can be no doubt IDatinvest- ment in engineering is a better long-term ber than investment in banking, there is still debate overwhether it is the right solution to our global recession.
ln fact, as the FIDIC conference also heard this week, economic stimulus investment could actually be bad for the construction industry.
After aIl,any policies that reinforce the notion thatwe onlyneed to spendmoney on infra- structure during a recession should be treated wiIDextreme concern.
So given that the boom-bust cycles of the past have left IDeUK's infrastructure in a pretty woeful state, we need to actwith care.Yes,we need to continue to champion sustained invest-
ment in infrastructure now, but we also need to ensure the levers of investment continue when the good rimes return.
Which brings me to a footnote about the government's chief construction advisor. The deadline for applications to the post is next week - 23 September.
For the record, IDesalary is f120,000 for a notional three-day a week job and the likely candidate will probably be both an engaged and accomplished practitioner and a "person of influence", according to Construction Industry Council chairman Keith Clarke,who will sir on the selection panel. So if foU are interested in the role now is the time act.
"The new position of chief construction advisor gives us a key opportunity to move construction up the clients' agenda," said Clarke. "We need the best person possible for this frOIDthe private sector. We will gel what we deserve ifwe don't encourage individuals to apply."You have been warned.
