Awards - Municipal Engineering Foundation Victoria

See our range of Awards below

Study Tours

Overseas Study Tour Award

For over 60 years the Municipal Engineering Foundation Victoria has been supporting the education and development of leaders across our sector through overseas study tour awards.

The Foundation provides support for our leading public works professionals to experience the wonderful opportunity to travel internationally and learn from others.

MEF Victoria will again be making an overseas study tour award available to selected public works professionals who are working within local government in Victoria to participate in a group focused tour during 2026.

MEF Victoria is committed to promoting gender equity, diversity and inclusion and recognises that gender equality is critically important for the success of the public works sector and the development of its leaders.

The study tour is to the United States of America and Canada where the successful applicants will travel as a group for up to three weeks, including attendance at the APWA International Public Works Congress & Exhibition (PWX).

The Foundation will seek applications that focus on current and emerging issues for our sector. Priority will be given to applications that demonstrate leadership and innovation in identifying emerging issues for research that will significantly benefit local government and the public works sector.

Applications will be called for in September 2025 for consideration for participation in the 2026 study tour.

2024 MEFV Overseas Study Tour

The Foundation is pleased to advise that two recipients were selected to undertake a study tour to USA and Canada in 2024 to include the American Pubic Works Congress (PWX) in Atlanta, GA from 8th to 11th September 2024. The awards were granted to –

Trent Daisley, , Coordinator Civil Design, Hume City Council

Faina Levin, Circular Economy Strategic Lead, Boroondara City Council

Study Tour Reports will be make available in the Reports section of this website when completed. The report by Faina (Levin) Kerr is now published.

Recognition of Victorian Municipal leaders

Cedric Tuxton Medal for engineering excellence

To recognise the major contribution of public works professionals, the Foundation seeks on a bi-annual basis nominations for the MEF Victoria Municipal Engineering Excellence Award (the Cedric Tuxen Medal) for an outstanding engineering contribution to local government. The award can relate to the career of the nominee or to a significant construction or research project developed and overseen by the particular engineer. The successful awardee for 2023 was Vito Albicini, Director Assets & Development, Murrindindi Shire Council. The recipient of the 2025 award will be announced at the IPWEA Victoria Awards Dinner in May 2025.

MEFV Chairman Warren Roberts presenting Vito Albicini with the 2023 Cedric Tuxen Medal

Keith Wood Award

In 2012 the Foundation established the Keith Wood Excellence Award to recognise the contribution made to the Foundation and local government engineering throughout Australia by past Chairman Keith H. Wood AM. The Award is to be presented on an occasional basis to a selected recipient of an Overseas Study Tour who has produced a report of exceptional quality.

Awards for conference attendance

Annually the MEFV provides educational awards to attend the IPWEA Vic annual conference and the Municipal Works Association annual conference.

To make an application please contact The IPWEA Vic CEO David Hallett at vic@ipwea.org

Subsidies for IPWEA Foundation courses

The MEFV is providing subsidies for $450 towards towards each unit of the IPWEA Vic Founations Leadership course. To make an application please contact The IPWEA Vic CEO David Hallett at vic@ipwea.org

The study tour was an amazing opportunity to travel across the US and Canada, build networks and learn about my chosen topic. A real career highlight, it expanded my thinking and created opportunities to share insights and continue to build networks back in Melbourne. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity.

Anita Johnstone

2023 Overseas Study Tour - PWX Congress San Diego, CA

The overseas study tour was a once-in-a-career chance to meet with and learn from many municipal engineers working in my area of interest across the United States and Canada. It was an outstanding experience; the effort paid off in terms of professional growth as well as in the lessons brought back to Victoria to benefit local government at home.

Evan Nisbet

2023 Overseas Study Tour - PWX Congress San Diego, CA

The study tour is a career changing opportunity to provide a fascinating perspective of how public works is approached in a completely different context. I encourage everyone to seek out the chance to forge more industry connections and bring back learnings to benefit the local public works community

Daniel Kelabora

2018 Overseas Study Tour - PWX Congress, Kansas City, Missouri

An invaluable opportunity for anyone looking to learn what other cities/government agencies are doing to deliver public works – as there’s often no need to ‘reinvent the wheel’! I encourage anyone looking to build their knowledge and meet great people along the way to participate.

Frank Vassilacos

2017 Overseas Study Tour – PWX Congress Orlando, Florida

I encourage you to apply for the scholarship for the study tour. Your field of interest is likely to be of wider interest to the sector and what you bring back will benefit our communities here. On a personal level you’ll find the preparation for the tour challenging and during your expedition you’ll have a great time and make bonds with your team mates that will last and be very strong.

Tony McGann

2019 Oversea Study Tour – PWX Congress, Seattle, Washington