It takes more than a village to run the Loy Yang power station and mine for 40 years.
We've captured just a few of the people who are working hard to keep the lights on across Victoria and asked them to share their experiences with us.
“The strong sense of pride and collaboration... is the true strength of Loy Yang”
James Sammut
Asset Specialist
39 years of service
Can you tell us about your journey at Loy Yang?
As a teenager, on the way back from Port Albert, my dad pulled over to look at a huge billboard in an empty paddock advertising the site for a giant new power station. Never did I imagine I would eventually work there and have such a varied career.
In 1985, during my last year of engineering studies, I received an SECV (State Electricity Commission of Victoria) scholarship. Then, in December, straight after exams, I started at Loy Yang A Station, which was still partially under construction.
I first worked in the Boiler Group as part of the Performance (Engineering) team. I have worked in Operations, Engineering & Maintenance, Business Planning, Marketing & Trading, and Major Projects & Outages. I am currently involved with Asset Strategy & Planning helping to co-ordinate Loy Yang's future capital needs.
Tell us why you think Loy Yang has been so successful over the last 40 years.
The Loy Yang plant was designed well in the day, but what has made the place perform at much higher levels than originally designed is the people.
The strong sense of pride and collaboration by all involved (employees, contractors, the community, etc.) is the true strength of Loy Yang. There has always been a strong "can-do" attitude here.
Can you share an accomplishment at Loy Yang that you feel particularly proud of?
The last 40 years have been a blur of change, but one event stands out, our first significant generator failure on Unit 4, just three days before Christmas in 2001. In close collaboration with Siemens, we identified a potential replacement generator that could be modified to suit our configuration. The only problem was that it was part of a power station being demolished on the other side of the world. Nevertheless, it was removed, shipped, modified, installed, commissioned and operational in 115 days (under four months), and affectionately became known as Moorburg 1. I believe this is a great example of teamwork across the board and our ability to rise to the occasion in collaboration and trust with our partners.
Kylie Pancutt
Watchman/Guard
30 years of service
Can you tell us about your journey at Loy Yang?
On August 1 1994, I started working for Deanmac Emergency Services as an emergency services officer (ESO). I was in the role for 20 years, and it entailed fire, rescue, first aid and security.
My home base was at the Hazelwood Power Station, but every three months I’d be on a relief roster and transfer to Loy Yang and Yallourn, where I’d spend two or three months.
In 2004 Deanmac transferred me permanently to Loy Yang. I’ve been there ever since.
When I started, the ESOs covered the security gate, first aid centre and fire station. In 2012, the security staff became a separate team. I joined the team in 2013, and am currently Second in Charge. The Security Team monitor about 100 cameras across site, and also monitor and assist other sites nationwide.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career at Loy Yang?
The friendships and connections I have made, and the knowledge and experience I have gained. It has boosted my confidence in all aspects of my life.
Tell us about the people at Loy Yang over the years. Are there any memorable people you have worked with?
Ian Nethercote was an amazing General Manager. He was all about the people who worked at Loy Yang Power. Everyone was treated the same, no matter what position they held, and he would always take the time to speak to everyone about any concerns they had.
What has working at Loy Yang enabled you to achieve?
I’ve been able to take training and gain experience in the fields of fire, first aid, rescue and security. Taking my ESO skills into my training at the CFA (Country Fire Association), where I have been a
volunteer for 36 years, led to helping produce a video for all Fire Rescue Victoria and CFA firefighters on how to combat and extinguish a coal fire at an open-cut mine.
How has the team at Loy Yang supported you over the years?
Loy Yang has rallied around me in both challenging and rewarding times. When I had a death in
the family, Nick Demetrios, who was AGL Loy Yang's Emergency Service and Security Manager, attended the funeral. He also helped me through depression at work. Thinking of a rewarding time, I received a thanks and recognition for stepping into the Supervisor role in my team during Covid.
Sonia Williams
Finance Business Partner (Maintenance)
15 years of service
Can you tell us about your journey at Loy Yang?
I started at Loy Yang in March 2008 as a contractor with GBS Recruitment working in the Accounts Payable Team. The next January, I was offered full-time employment.
In 2010, I spent six months with the station and mine finance teams, followed by a secondment to Loy Yang Marketing Management Co (LYMMCo) as a settlements officer. After the AGL acquisition, I returned to the station finance team. Since 2015, I’ve been a finance business partner, primarily aligned with the maintenance team for the past two years, while also handling GST returns, accounts receivable, and balance sheet reconciliations.
Fifteen years on, I am still working in finance, although in a very different role from where I started. Almost a jill-of-all-trades but a master of none.
What were some of the most significant changes you’ve witnessed during your time here?
The three that immediately come to mind are the acquisition by AGL 2012, the PT3 and SAP software rollouts in 2018/19, and the considerable changes to finance processes and the downsizing of the site finance team.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career at Loy Yang?
I love where I live, so having a job that allowed me to build my home and stay in the Valley is important. Being close to family and friends is priceless. While travel is great, nothing beats the lifestyle I have here.
At work, I really appreciate the interactions between the various teams. Working together to resolve issues is rewarding. Also, having access to the Loy Yang Social Club and the Health Power Club (available to all employees and on-site contractors) is a bonus.
What do you believe has been the key to your long-term service at Loy Yang?
I’ve been willing to take on new tasks and learn as I go. While I may not be manager material, I believe that I have good relationships with people in the field and can talk finance with those without a finance background.
Tell us about the people you’ve worked with at Loy Yang over the years.
It’s the people that make Loy Yang. I have worked with many memorable people.
People who immediately spring to mind are Janine McCowan, Dave Andrews, Rob Benson and Warren Marriott. They’re the main reason I got involved with the Social Club, and they were great teachers from that point of view. Another is Jenny Martin. Jenny seconded me to station finance after my settlement role disappeared in 2012. Her leadership, support and belief in me and her team was amazing. There are lots of work friendships that have spilled over to outside of work. We catch up for coffee or dinner, even if that means a little interstate trip.
Tell us about the Social Club, your role and why you think it’s important to Loy Yang?
The Social Club has been running since the 80s, when it was originally two separate clubs – Mine and Station. The committee is volunteer-run. Meetings are held monthly during our lunch breaks and many extra hours are contributed, especially around the Christmas Picnic.
For $2 per week, members, their partners and all dependent children are eligible to purchase significantly discounted tickets to advertised events and attend the famous Annual Christmas Picnic.
I’ve been on the committee for 12 years, starting as a general committee member, and for the last seven years I’ve been the president. Apart from being the first female president, I’m also the first president to have had to cancel a Christmas Picnic, not just once, but twice (thanks, Covid!), and to increase the fees (first time in 30 years).
The Social Club has been an important way to connect and socialise outside of the workplace after the 2022 Covid restrictions. It's important to be able to catch up and relax with each other without worrying about work. Oh, and to see what people look like in something other than hi-vis orange!
What has working at Loy Yang enabled you to do?
After some big life changes in 2002, I was starting over again. Starting at Loy Yang in 2008 allowed me to settle down in my hometown and build my own house. For someone in her late 30s and single, this was a massive achievement.
Glenn Rogers
Superintendent of Production Control and Performance
36 years of service
Can you tell us about your journey at Loy Yang?
I started straight out of high school as a commercial administration assistant at the Morwell Open Cut.
I spent some time at Hazelwood in major works and routine maintenance but came out to Loy Yang when Generation Victoria was split around the early 1990s.
I was here to see the creation of Loy Yang Power as a separate business from Generation Victoria. After that, I worked with the infrastructure services group in desktop support, but also took over the creation of nearly all reporting out of the works management system – Passport or Passsuite, as it ended up being called. I did a lot of work around preparing for the fizzer that was the Y2K problem.
In 2004, I won a position in Mine Production as a production support officer, but while still in that role I temporarily moved over to mine planning to take over the 14-day mine plan. I was a mine production planner up until I became a Mine Production Superintendent in 2019.
What were some of the most significant changes you’ve witnessed during your time here?
I saw the introduction of the Internet to Loy Yang, and the ability to work from home has significantly changed the landscape, especially if you were around when desktop PC's were new, like I was. I think we had one computer between five people at Morwell Open Cut, and who would need a hard drive bigger than 5MB? That’s just ridiculous!
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career at Loy Yang?
Every step was rewarding. I have had opportunities most people will never have. To stay in one place for 36 (continuous) years may be unheard of in the future.
What do you believe has been the key to your long-term service at the?
I started when computing was only just becoming more accessible, and computing has remained a theme throughout my career. I've been at the forefront of change as computing has evolved and enjoyed the challenge.
Tell us about the people you’ve worked with at Loy Yang over the years.
Oh, there are so many! Dennis Hume – he came out to Loy Yang when I did and set me on a path of discovery in the computing area. He introduced me to VBA programming, which was an amazing eye-opener. Tony Dickinson gave me several opportunities, and I came out here to Loy Yang with him in the tax team. John Devent was key in the works management area, introducing me to working with relational SQL tables and a simplistic functional development philosophy. It was great to find Danny Frost and Mal Mayer here in the mine. We went to primary school together.
There have been so many characters in production, but everyone has heard of Thommo. Also, Chimpy, Col McCowen, Dave Smith, Hunter Richardson, Bill Madden, Rusty and Kate Wenig. My team and the other people I’m in daily contact with are all very important to me, and I value their contribution to Loy Yang, and to me.
How has the Loy Yang team supported you over the years?
It’s still hard to talk about it, even 15 years later. We had a very difficult time with the Black Saturday bushfires, including a family tragedy and a family member in intensive care for months afterwards. We weren’t able to live at our home for a time, and my family were a huge support, my mum specifically, but my brothers as well. Loy Yang offered overwhelming help when we needed it. My colleagues supported us throughout, even when the longer-term effects were hitting home. That will never be forgotten, and I will always be grateful.
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You can read more about the birthday celebrations in this introductory post, as well as this story on AGL Loy Yang's community grant program, which is currently open.