Living and working on the Western Downs

Aaron Ryan

Trade Maintainer - Mechanical / Welder

“I’m a boilermaker by trade and I work as a Trade Maintainer/ Welder in the unit team at Kogan Creek Power Station. We perform pulveriser and mill maintenance and general maintenance.

“The mill is where coal is ground into dust to be burned and there are six at Kogan Creek Power Station. We do scheduled maintenance on each mill two times a year.

“I live at Brigalow, which is about 10 kilometres from the power station. I went to school there and did my boilermaker apprenticeship in Dalby.

Above: Aaron on his property in the Western Downs.

“I’ve worked at Kogan Creek on and off as a contractor since construction started on the power station, and I’ve been a permanent employee for close to four years now.

“I like that every day changes. We work in a great team environment where there is a big commitment to safety and to having work-life balance. We’ve got the kind of culture where you’re always supported. You’re never left on your own – you only have to ask and everyone will help.

“Whenever there’s something on in Chinchilla I do the announcing – the football banquet, rodeo, the Melon Festival. It keeps me busy on a weekend. There’s always something on, especially sport – polocrosse, football, netball.

“The Melon Festival is a favourite event every two years. It’s a big day – I encourage people to get involved in all the activities on offer and that’s how you’ll get the best taste of the Melon Festival.

“As a local I love living in a very friendly community, where you can go to the pub and have a yarn with anyone. You walk down the street and know pretty much everyone, that’s the kind of community it is.”

Learn more about living on the Western Downs and working at Kogan Creek Power Station.