Meet Rhett, BT4 Technical Specialist in Far North Queensland.
Rhett has lived and worked in FNQ for over 55 years. Together with a dedicated BAI team at Mount Bellenden Ker, Rhett helps keep the tower operational to serve an area covering 220km of coastline and 90km inland.
Summer in Queensland. A cyclone on the way.
Preparing ahead of time
With cyclones part of life in North Queensland, the team stays prepared in the months leading into the cyclone season.
Generator fuel on site
Food and provisions on hand
Site integrity checked
When the forecast shows a cyclone on the way, the team does a final equipment check at Mount Bellenden Ker, test run the generators. Then, they head down and the cableway ropes are progressively clamped down to withstand expected high winds.
Now, it’s time to wait.
Let’s hear Rhett explain why this cyclone was worrying
In the early hours of the morning, Rhett received a phone call from the NOC. All services at Mount Bellenden Ker were off and the generator had failed. This left 550,000 people without information from emergency services and broadcasters.
With the cyclone still raging, there was nothing Rhett could do but wait. More than 24 hours later, the cyclone finally passed.
Getting to Mount Bellenden Ker
Rhett contacted the cableway operators and learned they were already on their way to Mount Bellenden Ker.
After making sure his loved ones could keep the family’s generator running, Rhett set off. With his own driveway blocked by fallen trees, Rhett left through a paddock and made his way to the foot of the mountain without any difficulties.
A two hour trip to the tower
Rhett met the cableway operators on site. They made their way to the cablecar on the access track, needing to walk the last hundred metres around fallen trees on the access track. But when they reached the cableway, they discovered a minor earth fault.
The only way to the top was to drive the car by hand, using manual operation. As they ascended, they unclamped the cableway ropes section by section to continue the journey.
With past experience weathering cyclones and getting services back to air, Rhett knew to take his safety seriously.
Fortunately, Rhett and the cableway operators are highly experienced and capable of operating the car in manual. It’s hard work, but when it’s the only way to the top, the team had to have their back-up plan well in hand.
Rhett took care to:
Regularly update his leader with information about his location, the conditions at site and priorities he is working
Look out for hazards such as fallen powerlines, trees at risk of falling, damaged equipment and wildlife—particularly snakes in this rainforest environment.
Rhett explains what happened once they arrived at the top station
Rhett explains what happened once they arrived at the top station
Rhett worked closely with the cableway operators to safely restore communications to the local community.
When an extreme weather event happens, always make a good call.
Check out more BAI stories
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- Stop, assess the risk, then act.
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