Organisation: ESSENTIAL ENERGY Subtransmission Branch – Asset and Network Planning Team
Job Title: Subtransmission Network Projects Manager
Word Limit: One page per criterion
Selection Criteria 1: Following a review of the position description, why are you suited to this
role?
Throughout my career, I have been responsible for a substantial number of projects where I have
contributed to ensuring investment approval for and progress to construction of multi-million
dollar subtransmission network augmentations, and expansions. My responsibilities have involved
taking preferred network project recommendations and solutions through internal and external
approval and governance processes, through facilitating the integration, management, and
endtoend delivery of the projects. Some of the projects that I have contributed to, include
Narrabri Voltage Regulation study and recommendations to install Dynamic Reactive
Compensation (D-VAR) at Walgett kV
Murraylink 220 MW ±150 kV High Voltage Direct Current Light bipolar interconnector project
Spring Hill (Astor Terrace) Substation Fault Current Limiting Reactor project
Mudgeeraba 110/33kV Bulk Supply Substation project
Woolnorth Wind Farm project
In my previous role as Planning Manager for the North-West Region of Essential Energy, I led a
team of nine staff members working on Essential Energy's Network Management Plan (the Plan),
which aim is to provide a framework that will ensure that Essential Energy’s distribution system
provides an adequate, reliable, and safe supply of quality electrical network services to customers.
Throughout the project management stage of developing the Plan, it was my responsibility to
clearly and consistently communicate the key priorities and set achievable goals for my team.
These goals and priorities were consistently monitored, and adhered to by facilitating regular
meetings, providing training and mentoring where needed, and ensuring that all work undertaken
was accurate and adhered to the required Australian Energy Regulator (AER) standards.
Additionally, I made certain that all information in relation to the Plan was developed in line with
Essential Energy's Asset Management Framework.
Possessing a Master of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and having over 20 years of
experience in the electrical power industry, I have superior knowledge of technical, commercial,
and regulatory aspects of electricity networks. This includes the roles of the Council of Australian
Governments’ (COAG) Energy Council, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), the
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), and the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). The
combination of my skills, knowledge, and experience make me well suited to this role.
Selection Criteria 2: Please outline your experience in scheduling and managing the delivery of
required outcomes for multiple projects and detail how you ensure you are monitoring
deliverables and outcomes.
With over 20 years of experience in the electrical power industry, I have gained extensive
experience in scheduling and managing the delivery of required outcomes for multiple
subtransmission network expansion and augmentation projects. My excellence in project
management is achieved through a structured process that involve multiple phases, including
initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closing, all with an emphasis on risk management.
During the initiation and planning stages, I establish the qualities of the project that are necessary
to satisfy client and end user needs, and expectations once the expansion or augmentation has
taken place. I then gather the relevant information for a preliminary enquiry, as per Schedule 5.4
of the National Electricity Rules (NER). This includes relevant technical information in relation to
distribution network, including guidance on how the connection applicant can meet the
requirements once the application proceeds. It is at this stage that I consult with the relevant
Design Teams to ensure compliance with design standards, and to discuss alternative options if
necessary. I then identify and report on possible future network limitations, including network
capacity constraints and aged or poor performing assets, and the potential credible solutions to
these limitations. Once I have established the required outcomes and have all necessary
information, I produce a detailed response to the enquiry, as per Schedule 5.4B of the NER. This
includes written details of each technical and connection requirements relevant to the proposed
connection, all risks and obligations in respect of the proposed connection as well as other data
such as terms, conditions and constrains that have been agreed to for connection to the network,
as specified in the NER. This project information is then submitted for final approval.
Throughout this process, I ensure that I am monitoring deliverables and outcomes by ensuring
that all schedules in the NER are met so that I can guarantee complete project compliance with
NER, Australian Energy Regulator (AER), and company technical requirements. This in turn
provides transparency to the decision making process to assist non-network providers, other
Network Service Providers, and connection applications to make efficient investment decisions,
and ensures that all deliverables occur as per schedule.
Selection Criteria 3: Please describe how your experience demonstrates your ability to interpret
and prioritise the requirements for projects to be endorsed and completed to provide
appropriate technical solutions to identified network needs.
In my previous role as Planning Manager of the North-West Region of Essential Energy, I
consistently and successfully interpreted and evaluated ongoing projects and business process
performance to ensure effective and on-time delivery of technical solutions to identified network
needs. By identifying critical success factors, I have been able to lead flexible and responsive teams
to achieve results and present quality ontime outcomes.
One of the projects I have worked on for Essential Energy, involved identifying the constraints and
limitations that result in poor performing feeders that influence network performance and
reliability indices. The poor performing feeders were affecting the system performance and
reliability indices of the organisation, and were resulting in increased customer complaints. In one
particular instance, I noted that the identified projects to address the issues were not progressing
well and were not being completed on time. To resolve this issue, I facilitated regular meetings
with the planners involved with the projects, the Network Reliability team, and Asset Managers, to
review the business policies in relation to this project, and to encourage the team to understand
the need to provide on-time delivery of the projects. I used logical reasoning to present the
business case, and promoted the benefits of making changes by providing a clear picture of the
results that we could achieve.
By balancing the needs of my team and those of our customers, I was able to interpret and
prioritise the requirements, and fast track the process of the delivery of the projects. The progress
of the identified projects were prioritised, and monitored every six months to ensure compliance.
Subsequent to the implementation of the new plan and regular follow-up process, I noted
significant progress in the delivery of the projects and less customer complaints. This eventually
improved the network reliability indices such as System Average Interruption Duration Index
(SAIDI) and System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI).
Selection Criteria 4: What career achievement relevant to this role are you most proud of and
why was it such an important achievement for you?
A career achievement relevant to this role that I am most proud of occurred while I was working at
ENERGEX Ltd. as a Network Planning Engineer, and contributed to the capital expenditure
program which included establishing the 110/33kV Bulk Supply Substation at Mudgeeraba for a
total estimated cost of $8.4 million. This project was initiated subsequent to Powerlink and
ENERGEX Ltd. conducting joint planning studies, and identifying that the establishment of a new
substation was the most economically efficient solution, after applying the Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s regulatory test. The two companies agreed that without
further augmentation the capacity of the Mudgeeraba substation would be exceeded during a
contingency event.
My contributions involved undertaking planning studies, preparing Planning Approval Reports, as
well as performing distribution network analyses and determining network capabilities. This
included analysing the expected future operation of the transmission network over an appropriate
planning period, while taking into account the relevant forecast loads, any future generation,
market network service, demand side and transmission developments, and any other data as
requested. My report included my assessment of all identified options, the economic cost
effectiveness analysis in accordance with the NER Chapter 5, Part B – Network Planning and
Expansion, and consultations conducted for the purpose of that analysis, as well as my
recommended actions to be taken. Additionally, my report included augmentation technical
findings and any inter-network impact that the augmentation would cause. Because of my
expertise in developing Planning Reports, I was able to provide all stakeholders with insight into
the factors considered in addressing network issues responsibly and efficiently, while providing
timely network solutions to both emerging constraints and developing customer needs.
This project was an important achievement for me as my ability to provide timely analyses and
reports that adhered to all NER policies and procedures enabled this project to progress as per
schedule. I valued the opportunity to be involved in a joint collaborated project between ENERGEX
Ltd. and Powerlink with the aim of maintain supply reliability to the Gold Coast network.
