From saving native fish to destroying invasive weeds, Goulburn-Murray Water’s (GMW) new storage officers are contributing to environmental gains at the water corporation’s storages.
Storage officers undertake a broad range of duties at GMW’s lakes, dams, and reservoirs, including operating the infrastructure at the storages, and ensuring the assets and land GMW is responsible for are well-maintained.
GMW has 10 storage officers in the Loddon and Campaspe region, which includes storages such as Cairn Curran Reservoir, Lake Eppalock, and Tullaroop Reservoir.
Some of the team’s new recruits have helped diversify the team’s skillset and expand the environmental works they have been able to undertake.
Holly Westbrook joined GMW as storage officer in February 2024. Holly is currently in the final semester of a bachelor’s in marine science, and her studies have already proved useful while at GMW.
“We had to do some dewatering for maintenance works at Lake Eppalock and knew that doing so would leave some fish stranded in a small pool of water," she said.
“When a pool of water is isolated in this way, the oxygen levels in the water tend to drop quickly, so we look to relocate the fish right away.
“I was able to put into practice some of what I have learnt in my degree, such as identifying which fish were native and knowing how to relocate them without endangering their health.”
The benefits are twofold, as Holly will complete the work placement aspect of her degree at GMW by joining the storage team at Torrumbarry, where the fish ladder and fish relocations are a major part of their work.
Jack Beeby similarly brought some environmental expertise to the role when he started with GMW as a senior storage officer in January 2023.
Jack had completed his Cert IV in conservation and ecology management and was immediately able to put these skills to use leading the removal of a build-up of wheel cacti at Cairn Curran’s Woolshed Bay.
“There was a lot to learn when starting out in the role, so it was fantastic to be given a project to work on where I was confident in my skills and could make an immediate difference,” he said.
“The environmental aspect is a big part of the job, from collecting water samples to looking after the flora and fauna around our storages. It’s been really rewarding to see the improvements we have made in these areas, and hopefully it is something we can continue with.”
Both Holly and Jack have also been involved in the redgum forest revegetation project at Eddington.
Loddon / Campaspe storage manager Paul Wakenshaw said they had both brought a lot to the team in a relatively short timeframe.
“We are really lucky to have a lot of skilled and experienced storage officers in our team,” he said.
“With two A-grade electricians and two fully qualified fitters and turners, we have considerable technical expertise within our group.
“Now with some of our new hirings, we have been able to broaden the team’s skillset even further, helping ensure we are doing all we can to help our storages serve the customers, the community, and the environment as much as possible.”