NAMBUCCA Valley Council’s (NVC) first female civil construction trainee Indiana Lipscombe has become Council’s first female grader driver, achieved under the guidance of Site Leader Josh Brett.

Michael Coulter, General Manager, Nambucca Valley Council, told News Of The Area that Council has not been that representative of the community in terms of opportunities for women and people from different cultural backgrounds in the past.

“But our recent intake of civil construction trainees which includes three young and proud Aboriginal men (Calijah Craig, Jonah Edwards, Beau-Dean Jarrett-Marks) and our very first female (Indiana Lipscombe) shows times are changing.”

With a long way still to go, it is positive progress, said Mr Coulter.

“It’s important because the Council is a large employer whose institutional practices set an example to others.

“Above all our residents want to see an inclusive Council which employs on merit and with no perception of discriminatory bias, even if unintentional.”

Because the Council has positioned itself with an ‘in-house’ construction capability to maintain and replace most of its built assets, including roads and bridges, the traineeships provide broad based experience in civil construction.

“The skills acquired by the trainees will be invaluable to the future of the Council but equally these skills are in high demand right across the construction sector.

Indiana told News Of The Area, “Working in a typically male environment was scary at the start as I wasn’t sure how everyone would respond to me being there but after meeting everyone, I could not have met anyone nicer than the blokes I work with.

“There are some challenges as a female, but they are challenges that I’m willing to face in order to do something I love and have always thought about doing.”

For the past few weeks, Indi has been in the maintenance grading crew carrying out work on rural roads, most often in remote areas of the Shire.

On any given day, Indi will be clearing overgrown bushes on the roadsides with a brush-hook, clearing out sumps with a shovel, driving the water cart or operating the grader.

Prior to that, Indi was assigned to Council’s road construction crew working on road resealing and road widening projects.

Calijah Craig has been working in the Water and Sewerage section over the last month or so.

He has predominantly been working with the Reticulation Attendants doing repairs and maintenance on water and sewerage pipe infrastructure.

This includes repairing water leaks, replacing water meters, scheduled maintenance on sewers involving water jetting and camera inspections as well as clearing sewer blockages.

He’s also spent time with the pump crew lifting pumps and clearing chokes and doing mechanical repairs at the sewage treatment plants.

Beau-Dean’s supervisor Allan Ringstad said, “Beau has been working with the Road Construction Crew the last few weeks doing some heavy patching out on North Arm Road.

“We have consistently had him on the roller and Pozzi track machines learning all aspects of road repairs using lime and stabilizing patches.”

Jonah Edwards’ supervisor, Structures Coordinator Brett Willer, said, “Jonah has been working in the Structures crew preparing footpaths and pouring concrete paths; preparing and pouring a 20m concrete bridge at Valla and is presently preparing Sheet O’Bark Bridge to be poured in two weeks’ time.

“He is also involved in stormwater repairs.”

 

By Andrea FERRARI