Marinus Link kicking goals for local jobs

WITH two Gippsland football identities already taking key management positions in Marinus Link, the giant undersea cable project based at Sandy Point is kicking early goals for local job seekers.

As preparatory works get underway ahead of major construction later this year, local contractors have been mobilised to establish construction sites and access tracks.

The initial phase has involved extensive geotechnical, environmental and site investigations ahead of horizontal directional drilling.

This process will eventually connect the area behind the sand dunes three kilometres from Sandy Point to the power hub at Hazelwood in the Latrobe Valley.

The major works scheduled to start in October will include the drilling of wells to allow for water access and the creation of a platform for stringing out pipes for the undersea cable.

Despite the scale of the machinery required, Marinus Link has assured the local community that the work will not be visible from the beach at Waratah Bay.

Fifteen staff are currently working on the project full-time at Sandy Point, and the local economy is already feeling the ripple effect.

Contractors have trucked in hundreds of loads of material from quarries in Leongatha South and Fish Creek.

“Seasonal weather has been great and we’re ahead of schedule,” former Traralgon premiership player and TasVic Greenlink general superintendent Matt Malone said.

“We’re working 10-hour days, five days a week,” Mr Malone said.

“We hope to finish the preparatory works by June 10.”

The undersea cable across Bass Strait is a feat of modern engineering, planned for completion by 2029.

To facilitate the deep-water installation, the project will employ the Leonardo da Vinci, a state-of-the-art cable-laying vessel coming from Italy.

The vessel is widely considered the most advanced of its kind in the world, capable of laying cables at depths and precision previously thought impossible.

Joining Mr Malone in a leadership role is another well-known Gippsland football identity, Mark Lindsay.

Now Head of Communications and Community for Marinus Link, Mr Lindsay is perhaps best known to the younger generation as the father of AFL Melbourne Demons player Xavier Lindsay.

For Mr Lindsay, the project is about more than just wires.

“Gravel is being used to provide a weatherproof surface for the heavy machinery, and geo-technical studies are still being conducted to ensure the ground stability for the long term,” Mr Lindsay said.

Mr Lindsay was quick to allay fears regarding the cable’s footprint.

“The pipes carrying the cables will be 15 metres below the ground. Once the work is complete, you won’t be able to see the pipes at all. The technology allows us to tunnel deep beneath the surface, bypassing the sensitive dune systems entirely.”

Drilling offshore will be conducted in about 10 metres of water, creating a seamless undersea path for the cable.

As the June deadline for preparatory works nears, the project is being hailed as a win-win for Gippsland.

It provides high-quality employment for locals while positioning the region as a vital artery in Australia’s national electricity grid.

For Mr Malone and Mr Lindsay, who spent years competing on the local footy fields, the goal has changed but the team spirit remains.

They are no longer just playing for points, they’re powering the future.