Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) is attracting former locals back to the district, to work on Australia’s largest irrigation modernisation program, the $2billion Connections project.
Daniel McDonald and Joel Dickson grew up in the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District (GMID).
Now, they’re using their knowledge and skills in Construction Management and civil engineering to work on Connections.
Mr Dickson, who grew up in Cohuna, returned to the region to take up a position as Pipelines Project Officer. He has completed a degree in construction management at Deakin University and worked in Geelong.
Mr McDonald, who grew up in Echuca and now lives in Colbinabbin, took up a role as a Project Officer in the Early Contractor Involvement team, working with the Project’s major contractor the John Holland Group.
The pair started working with the Connections Project in December after actively seeking roles in the region they grew up in. For both, working on one of regional Victoria’s most significant projects was also a drawcard. “It’s a really important project for the region and for northern Victoria – being able to upskill and learn as much as I can for my future career path, it’s a really great opportunity,” Mr McDonald said. “It’s such a large organisation and such a significant project that’s constructing quite a diverse range of projects.”
Project Director Frank Fisseler said the Connections Project was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a world class irrigation network to deliver water more efficiently to landowners.