PIANC Technical Commissions
PIANC Commissions
Internationally, four PIANC Technical Commissions (EnviCom, InCom, MarCom, RecCom) cover the different areas of waterborne transport infrastructure: Environmental, Inland navigation, Maritime navigation, and Recreational navigation
These Commissions supervise the work carried out by PIANC experts in the respective Working Groups on subjects of interest. The reports prepared by these Working Groups are the core business of our Association.
PIANC AU-NZ has national member representation on EnviCom, MarCom and RecCom.
We also have representation on PIANC Commission for Countries in Transition – International Co-operation (CoCom), PIANC’s Permanent task Group on Climate Change (PTGCC) and Young Professionals ( YP-Com).
All our Commission Leads work very hard to ensure PIANC AU-NZ stays connected and involved.
Finally, PIANC’s global finances and promotion/marketing are handled by FinCom and ProCom respectively.
MarCom - Maritime Navigation Commission
MarCom is responsible for dealing with maritime ports and navigation channels issues of interest to PIANC.
MarCom co-operates with other Commissions when issues can be seen to have a broader perspective, for example when they also have an environmental or inland impact and where relevant cross-commissions issues are concerned such as Working with Nature, Climate Change or approach to target countries.
MarCom also co-operates and communicates with other international organisations such as IMO, IAPH, IALA, IHMA, IAHR, IMPA, WODA, etc.
MarCom has members from 26 nations and 1 partner organisation IAPH. See list of members here.
MarCom currently has three AU-NZ participants: Scott Keane – Technical Lead, Luke Campbell as Alternate Lead; and Gildas Colleter as MarCom’s Climate Champion.
See more information here.
Scott Keane
MarCom Member
PIANC AU-NZ Lead
Luke Campbell
MarCom Alternate Member
PIANC AU-NZ Chair
EnviCom - the Environmental Commission
EnviCom deals with both broad and very specific navigational sustainability and environmental risk-related issues of interest to PIANC that crosscut all PIANC areas, and partner activities.
Permanent Task Groups/Strategic Initiatives include: EU Water Framework Directive Navigation Task Group, Climate Change (PTG CC), Working with Nature Corresponding Group, Dredging and the Environment
EnviCom proactively develops and provides environmental guidance to support the Waterborne Transport Infrastructure Sector to strive for sustainability and to implement respective PIANC goals.
EnviCom pursues topics such as Working with Nature, Ecosystem Services, Environmental Risk Management, Dredging in environmental sensitive areas, Sustainable ports, Climate change adaptation, Carbon management, and Resilience.
PIANC AU-NZ is represented on the Environmental Commission by Adam van der Beeke, with Ron Cox as Alternate Member. Board Member Michael Gallacher, Ports Australia is also a member.
See here for more information on EnviCom and its Members.
Adam van der Beeke
EnviCom Member
PIANC AU-NZ Lead
Ron Cox
EnviCom Alternate Member
Member/ Co-Com representative
RecCom - Recreational Navigation Commission
Core activities of PIANC RecCom are setting up and managing:
- Working Groups, for publication of reports;
- The Marina Excellence Design ‘Jack Nichol’ Award (MEDA), for promoting excellence in marina design;
- The Marina Design Training Program (MDTP): courses on marina design at an international level;
- Outreach activities within PIANC events, with sister associations, and in marina industry events.
The Commission aims at providing high-level and state-of-the-art technical guidance in the fields of planning and design of sustainable recreational navigation infrastructure, including waterfront development and rehabilitation, and nautical tourism facilities.
RecCom collaborates with partners: ICOMIA, ICOMIA Marinas Group, GMI, the Yacht Harbour Association, Marina World, AMI. It seeks input and collaboration with the marina, yachting and tourism industries, as well as engineering and waterfront planning professional community.
See more about RecCom here.
Greg Britton
RecCom Member
PIANC AU-NZ Principal Representative
PIANC's CLIMATE CHAMPIONS for the Commissions
PIANC’s 2019 Declaration on Climate Change recognises the importance of the climate change challenge and undertakes to actively pursue the sustainable future of the waterborne transport industry by supporting its members in addressing this challenge.
The goals of the cross-commission Permanent Task Group on Climate Change (PTGCC) are to facilitate the delivery of the commitments made in the PIANC Declaration on Climate Change. PIANC AU-NZ Board Member Ron Cox is a member of the PTGCC.
The PTGCC maintains working links with the PIANC Technical Commissions through the Climate Change Champions; providing expertise and otherwise supporting these Commissions as they move to develop Commission-specific technical guidance.
There are Climate Champions for the following Technical Commissions and their Working groups.
Climate Change Champions: Mr Gildas Colleter (MarCom), Mr Jeremy Giovando (InCom), Mr Greg Fisk (RecCom), Ms Luce Bassetti (EnviCom).
The main role of the climate champions is to provide:
1) Relevant expertise on climate change issues for the work of the Commissions
2) A link between the Commission and its activities and PIANC’s Permanent Task Group on Climate Change (PTGCC)
3) A conduit for the flow of technical and scientific information regarding climate change within PIANC.
PIANC AU-NZ is very proud that two of the very first Climate Change Champions, Gildas Colleter and Greg Fisk, are from our region. Find out more here.
See Gildas speak about his role here.
Gildas Colleter
MarCom Climate Champion
PIANC AU-NZ Member
Greg Fisk
RecCom Climate Champion
PIANC AU-NZ Member
CoCom - International Co-Operation Commission
The main activities of CoCom include executing relevant parts of PIANC’s Strategic Plan; expanding the membership of PIANC by involving countries including those without QM status or National Sections in the Association; and promoting PIANC’s presence in Countries in Transition.
Co-Com aims to:
- create effective tools and methods to disseminate and communicate information among countries without full National Sections;
- guide and assist in organising the quadrennial PIANC-COPEDEC Conference;
- organise regional seminars and workshops; regional programmes or other low-cost activities;
- develop new tools for knowledge transfer;
- develop networks with authorities and institutes in the countries or regions concerned;
- closely co-operate, whenever possible, with CoCom’s counterparts in Sister Organisations and
- seek outside funds in support of its activities
Chairpersons: Mr Edward Schmeltz (USA) & Akula Rao (India)
Members from 15 nations
Ron Cox
CoCom Member
Member of CoCom Subcommittee 4 – logistic and financial support for Countries in Transition
YPCom - Young Professionals Commission
Be part of this unique ‘Network of the Future’!
YP-Com encourages the creation of Young Professional groups globally,
- supports and co-ordinates the activities of Young Professional groups in new countries;
- introduces the needs and expectations of the Young Professionals on the agenda of the managing bodies of the Association;
- organises the Young Professional Award at the occasion of the PIANC World Congress,
- provides the content for the dedicated YP-Section of the PIANC website to the General Secretariat and
- contributes to the marketing and promotional activities of the Association with special regard to Young Professionals.
Chairperson: Sebastian Iglesias (The Netherlands)
Asia-Pacific Vice Chair: Andrew Brown (New Zealand)
More information about PIANC YPCom is here.
More information about AU-NZ Young Professionals is here.
Lisa Wynne
YP-Com Member
Chair YP-Com AU-NZ
Andrew Brown
Vice-Chair - Asia-Pacific
AU-NZ YP New Zealand
Finance Commission (FinCom)
FinCom, in close collaboration with the Secretary-General, shall oversee the sound financial management of the Association on a cost-effective basis and shall, in accordance with the Statutes, overview the financial transactions of the previous year, the audited accounts, the management of the portfolio and the overall financial situation of the Association; prepare for submission the annual budget and pay special attention to the medium-term forecast of expenditures and receipts for the ensuing three years; keep under review the accounting system of the Association and the allocation of funds to the various activities and inform ExCom and report accordingly to the Council and the AGA.
Find out more.
Neil Lawson
FinCom AU-NZ Member
PIANC AU-NZ Board
Promotion Commission (ProCom)
The Promotion Commission is a dynamic and creative group of experts who work to spread the word about PIANC and its activities.
Responsible for developing and implementing PIANC’s communication strategies, ProCom provides guidance for producing publications and promotional materials, for the organisation of events and webinars, as well as for the management of the Association’s website and social media channels.
ProCom also liaises with other PIANC Commissions, Working Groups, National Sections, and partner organisations to ensure a consistent and coherent message.
Find out more here.
Neil Lawson
ProCom AU-NZ Member
PIANC AU-NZ Board
Lisa Wynne
ProCom Alternate Member
PIANC AU-NZ YP-Com Chair