Almost 870 women have applied for the 25 places on an all-woman tunnel boring machine (TBM) crew in Victoria, which will also include positions for gantry and segment crane operators, grouters and other support roles.
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Hundreds have applied to join the world’s first all-woman tunnel boring machine (TBM) crew, to be established as a part of Victoria’s Big Build suite of infrastructure programs.
Isolde Piet, Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East Tunnels South Construction Manager and the world’s first TBM pilot, will lead a team that will be one of eight helping to carve out the SRL East Twin Tunnels.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be a part of this incredible project and this history-making initiative, which I hope will encourage many more women to join the industry,” said Isolde.
Applications for the roles are now being assessed, with the women selected for the program will complete comprehensive training and receive hands-on experience to gain the skills needed for the roles.
With such a strong response, women not selected for the TBM crew roles may also be considered for other suitable roles on the project as part of the assessment process, the government says.
Establishment of the all-woman crew is a plan of the Victorian government, which the state’s Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop Danny Pearson says will create a long pipeline of jobs and opportunity for Victorians.
“This is an example of the incredible opportunities a project like Suburban Rail Loop can deliver – an all-female tunnelling crew is a global first that will break down barriers and create new pathways for women,” he said.
The SRL East project will deliver six new underground stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill, with more than 8,000 jobs to be created over the project’s build period.
More than 1,400 people are currently working on the project, with crews currently building tunnel boring machine launch sites, moving underground services and preparing sites for major works.
Tunnelling will start in 2026 and the all-women crew is expected to be operating by 2027.
Trains are expected to be taking passages on the SRL by 2035, with the SRL East project anticipated to slash travel times, ease congestion and deliver more housing options close to jobs, healthcare and education in Melbourne’s east and south east when operational.
Link: https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/news/suburban-rail-loop/hundreds-apply-to-join-all-women-tunnelling-crew