Over more than two decades, Katie Dunstan has built this breadth of experience across Australia's mining, manufacturing, oil & gas, power generation, and heavy industry sectors, working with some of the country's leading inspection organisations and asset owners.
Rather than following a traditional engineering pathway, Katie's expertise has been developed through practical technical roles performed in fabrication workshops, testing laboratories, operating plants, and major shutdown environments. This progression has provided a unique understanding of how pressure equipment is fabricated, tested, inspected, operated, maintained, repaired, and managed throughout its lifecycle.
The result is an ability to assess inspection findings within the context of real-world operating conditions, known damage mechanisms, degradation rates, asset criticality, and practical operational risk.
Today, that knowledge forms the foundation of Dunstan Asset Integrity.
Established to provide independent, principal-led inspection and technical consulting services, Dunstan Asset Integrity gives clients direct access to an experienced Senior AICIP In-Service Inspector, without layers of project management or delegated field personnel. Every inspection, assessment, and technical recommendation is personally undertaken by Katie, ensuring clients receive practical advice, responsive service, and technically defensible outcomes from initial engagement through to final reporting.
Career Journey
More than 22 years of technical progression.
Stage
2003–2005
The tools first.
2003–2005 — Stage 01
Engineering Foundations — Fabrication, Materials & Mechanical Testing
Katie commenced her career with Amdel Laboratories while completing her Certificate III in Engineering as a Fitter and Machinist. Working within mechanical testing and metallurgy laboratories, she developed a fundamental understanding of material behaviour, manufacturing processes, fabrication techniques, heat treatment, mechanical properties, and failure mechanisms.
Through hands-on involvement in tensile, impact, bend, hardness, ferrite and metallurgical testing programs, she gained practical insight into how materials respond to loading, fatigue, corrosion, fabrication defects and operational service conditions.
This early exposure provided the foundation for understanding not only how equipment is manufactured, but why components fail, how damage develops over time, and how inspection findings must be evaluated within the context of real operating conditions.
2005–2012 — Stage 02
Non-Destructive Testing — Identifying Defects & Understanding Damage
Progressing through Metlabs and later Bureau Veritas, Katie developed extensive experience across Ultrasonic Testing (UT), Radiographic Testing (RT), Magnetic Particle Testing (MT), Liquid Penetrant Testing (PT), and Visual Testing (VT).
Working throughout fabrication workshops, construction projects, shutdowns and operating plants, she inspected pressure equipment, structural steelwork, piping systems and welded components across a variety of industries.
During this period, the focus extended beyond simply detecting defects to understanding their significance. Through exposure to welding imperfections, fabrication anomalies, corrosion mechanisms, fatigue damage, erosion, cracking and service-related deterioration, she developed an increasingly practical understanding of damage mechanisms and defect acceptance criteria.
This experience established a strong appreciation for the relationship between manufacturing quality, inspection effectiveness and long-term equipment reliability.
2012–2019 — Stage 03
Pressure Equipment Inspection — Integrity Assessment & Risk-Based Decision Making
Following AICIP certification, Katie transitioned into statutory pressure equipment inspection, applying her practical fabrication and NDT experience to the assessment of operating assets.
Working throughout South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, she conducted in-service inspections of boilers, pressure vessels and pressure piping systems in accordance with Australian Standards, legislative requirements and recognised industry practices.
Supporting major industrial facilities including the Moomba Gas Plant, Darwin LNG and other critical infrastructure, she gained extensive experience assessing equipment fitness for continued service, evaluating degradation mechanisms, determining inspection intervals, and developing risk-based recommendations.
This period represented a significant transition from identifying defects to understanding their impact on equipment integrity, operational risk and asset life. Practical knowledge gained through years of NDT and fabrication experience enabled more realistic assessment of defect significance and appropriate inspection outcomes.
2019–2023 — Stage 04
Technical Leadership — Inspection Programs, Integrity Management & Client Advisory
As her technical capability matured, Katie progressed into senior inspection and leadership roles with Bureau Veritas, PVI and SRG Global.
Responsibilities expanded beyond individual inspections to include inspection program development, statutory compliance strategies, technical leadership, client advisory services and inspection team management across major industrial operations, including BHP Olympic Dam.
Working closely with engineering, maintenance and operations personnel, she developed a broader understanding of how inspection activities influence operational reliability, maintenance planning, risk management and asset lifecycle decisions.
This stage strengthened her ability to balance technical compliance requirements with practical operational realities, providing clients with risk-based, commercially sensible and technically defensible recommendations.
2023–Present — Stage 05
Quality Assurance, Technical Governance & Asset Lifecycle Management
Working within Rio Tinto's Shutdown Management team, Katie further expanded her expertise into quality assurance, technical governance and asset lifecycle management.
Supporting major maintenance events and asset integrity programs, she works across defect management, repair governance, inspection quality assurance, welding quality control, mechanical QA/QC and fabrication verification processes.
This experience has provided valuable perspective on the full lifecycle of pressure equipment, from original fabrication and construction through inspection, maintenance, repair and continued operation.
By integrating inspection outcomes with maintenance execution and asset strategy, Katie developed a deeper understanding of how technical decisions influence long-term equipment reliability, safety, compliance and operational performance.
2025–Present — Stage 06
Dunstan Asset Integrity — Independent Expertise Built on Practical Experience
Drawing on more than two decades of experience spanning mechanical testing, fabrication, NDT, pressure equipment inspection, asset integrity and technical governance, Katie established Dunstan Asset Integrity Pty Ltd to provide independent inspection and consulting services directly to industry.
The business was founded on a simple principle: asset owners should have direct access to highly experienced technical expertise capable of delivering practical, independent and technically defensible advice.
Unlike many consulting organisations, Dunstan Asset Integrity combines strategic asset integrity knowledge with the practical experience gained from physically inspecting, testing, assessing, repairing and managing industrial equipment throughout its lifecycle.
Every engagement is personally led by Katie, ensuring clients receive experienced judgement, realistic risk assessment, practical recommendations and independent technical assurance from initial engagement through to final reporting.
Professional Experience
Throughout her career, Katie has held technical and leadership positions with organisations including:
- Rio Tinto
- ALS Industrial Australia
- Bureau Veritas
- PVI
- Metlabs
- Amdel
Her experience spans mining, manufacturing, oil & gas, power generation and heavy industry, supporting operating facilities, fabrication projects, major shutdowns and statutory inspection programs throughout Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Qualifications & Professional Development
Certification, held current.
Maintaining professional competency is fundamental to providing reliable technical advice. Katie continues to maintain nationally recognised certifications while undertaking ongoing professional development aligned with current Australian Standards and industry best practice.
Senior AICIP In-Service Inspector
Australian Institute for the Certification of Inspection Personnel
Advanced certification in the inspection and assessment of pressure equipment operating under Australian legislation and recognised industry standards.
AICIP In-Service Inspector
Australian Institute for the Certification of Inspection Personnel
Certification in the statutory inspection of boilers, pressure vessels and pressure piping.
API 579 — Fitness-for-Service Assessment
Wilkinson Coutts
Professional training in engineering assessment methodologies used to evaluate damaged pressure equipment and determine suitability for continued operation.
ASME PCC-2 — Repair of Pressure Equipment
Wilkinson Coutts
Professional development in internationally recognised repair methods and engineering practices for pressure equipment.
Certificate III in Engineering
Trade Qualified Fitter & Machinist
Completed in 2006, providing the practical engineering foundation that underpins Katie's inspection career.
Professional Contributions
Katie remains actively involved in the continued development of Australia's pressure equipment inspection profession.
In 2025, she was appointed to the AICIP Board of Examiners through Weld Australia, contributing to the assessment and certification of future AICIP inspectors and supporting the ongoing development of professional standards across the industry.
Outside the engineering profession, Katie has also served in governance and volunteer leadership roles, including the Hills Football League Women's Director Portfolio, the Queensland Country Women's Association and Mount Barker Football Club, reflecting an ongoing commitment to leadership and community service.
Discuss Your Project
Principal-led inspection, tailored to how your plant actually runs.
Whether you require statutory pressure equipment inspections, shutdown and repair support, asset integrity assessments or independent technical advice, Dunstan Asset Integrity provides experienced, principal-led inspection services tailored to the operational requirements of your business.
Every enquiry is reviewed personally by Katie to ensure clients receive practical advice, responsive communication and technically sound recommendations from the outset.