ATS Short Course: Melbourne 1-2 December 2026

The ATS Short Course 2026 is a two-day event designed to provide an introduction to the world of tunnelling and underground space engineering. 

Event content will closely align with the latest edition of the ATS Tunnel Design Guideline and is a must for early career tunnelling professionals.

Event overview

Run every two years since 2007, the event provides an established platform that delivers a practical introduction to tunnelling to both younger practitioners and those interested in moving into the Australian tunnelling industry. It gives these up-and-coming tunnellers an opportunity to:

• Learn new skills and knowledge,
• Develop and refresh existing skills and knowledge,
• Gain a competitive edge,
• Invest in their future, and
• Learn from and network with industry leaders.

The course is delivered by experienced professionals from Australian tunnelling who have specialist knowledge in their discipline field. These course presenters are eager to share their knowledge and encourage delegates to develop their understanding and confidence so they can apply the ATS Design Guide across all stages of a tunnelling project. The syllabus is designed to cover relevant topics and ‘must learn’ topics useful to early career and new tunnelling professionals, including design principles, construction fundamentals, sustainability, fire life safety and project case studies.

Who should attend

• Early career tunnelling professionals
• Anyone considering a shift into this exciting field of engineering

Early bird registration costings

• ATS/EA Member: $770
• Non-Members: $1020
• ATS Young Member: $470
• Student Member: $170
• VTC Site Visit: $50

Early bird registrations close 31 October

Regular Fees (from 1 November)

• ATS/EA Member: $870.00
• Non-Member: $1120.00
• ATS Young Member: $570.00
• Student Member: $270.00
• VTC Site Visit: $50

Event sponsors

To come on board as one of the event sponsors, please review our ATS Short Course Sponsor Prospectus. We can’t run our programs without your help so look forward to hearing from you soon.

Program 

Victorian Tunnelling Centre Site Tour

Morning of 3 December 2026

A half day visit departing from the city to the Victorian Tunnelling Centre (VTC) to learn about the industry’s state-of-the-art training facilities, including:

• Virtual reality simulators
• Replica mined and TBM tunnels
• Sprayed concrete simulator
• Working refuge chamber

Transportation to and from the VTC will be provided.