Every day starts with a check-in: where’s the North East Link Project TBM at, what moved overnight, how’s our consumables stock looking? Then it’s into site walks, logistics planning, meetings with crews and supervisors. I manage everything that keeps TBM production running including segment delivery, ring build consumables and cutters management. All the behind-the-scenes parts most people don’t think about.
While pursuing my degree in Civil Engineering I had an opportunity to do an industrial attachment with John Holland in Singapore. Watching the tunnel come to life on that project and seeing something that big built underground blew my mind. I never looked back. Since then, I’ve worked on major tunnels in Singapore, Sydney and now Melbourne.
In the beginning, especially being a woman, working in another country and being new, it was hard. There’s this sense that people, mostly men, don’t really listen to you until you’ve proven yourself. And you see things: guys changing shirts out in the open, forgetting there are women around. That used to be the norm. But it’s slowly shifting. You see more women now. More women in the office, more women on site. You can feel the difference.
Honestly, I still get moments where I look at the work I’ve done and think, “Wow - I was part of that.” That’s the best part. You don’t get that kind of satisfaction in just any career.
If you’re scared to try working in this industry - do it anyway! That feeling won’t last, but the pride you feel at the end of a job will.