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Jaydon McLeod from Melbourne balances country and city life while working on Newry Pipeline Project as project engineer

Melbourne project engineer Jaydon McLeod enjoys country and city life while working on the Newry Pipeline Project, contributing to water infrastructure and supporting the local community's future resilience.

By news@gippsland - 21st June 2023 - Back to News

Melbourne based project engineer Jaydon McLeod gets the best of both worlds working on our Newry Pipeline Project. He lives in Gippsland during the week because he loves country life and heads to the Big Smoke on the weekends for the city buzz. The 23-kilometre Newry pipeline will replace 100-year-old channels with new pipelines and automated outlets. It's being delivered as part of Phase 2 of the $159.7 million Macalister Irrigation District modernisation program.

Jaydon McLeod chose to live in the region during the week to fully engage with the project and connect with the supportive locals

Locals support rewarding project

Jaydon works for Southern Rural Water's delivery partner Jaydo and was working on a water mains installation project in a rural community in New Zealand before jumping the ditch to join the team. He proactively requested to live in the region during the week because he wanted to immerse himself in the project and understand the community firsthand.

"I've got to know a lot of locals and it's rewarding to know they support our project and the positive impacts it will deliver for the farming community," he said. Jaydon said being able to go for a long walk or bike ride in a beautiful part of Victoria after a big day on the tools is a real perk of the job. "I live in Coongulla during the week. The house backs onto Lake Glenmaggie on one side and the state forest on the other. So, on nice evenings it's great to be able to go for a swim or explore the bush."

"The city is great fun for seeing live music and socialising, but it can wear you down if you stay too long. This job gives me a really good work and lifestyle balance," he said.

Supply pipe as vital project

The Tinamba General Store and Hotel are regular haunts for Jaydon who said he's been pleasantly surprised by the standard of food and coffee and the warm hospitality. "I like to grab lunch locally because it's an easy way to strike up conversations with locals. Around 90 percent of people working on the project live locally and this is important to the economic and social fabric of the community," he said.

Jaydon's focus is working on getting the large supply pipe in the ground for the mainline that will open all the other project works. "My role involves planning and ensuring we meet the required technical, quality, safety, and environmental standards," he said.

Jaydon said the project is critical for shoring up the region's water infrastructure and providing local jobs for people who want to positively contribute to their local community's future. "We're looking at a drier future and the Newry Pipeline Project will help farmers, the environment, and the community be more resilient to the impacts of climate change," he said.

Pictures from Southern Rural Water website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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