Melbourne’s underground transport network is a creeping network. For those of us above-ground, we take little notice that, when standing in the CBD, there is so much going on beneath the surface. Because we give nary a second thought to the network underfoot, equally forgivable is the fact that most of us probably don’t know the half of what is involved with tunnelling itself.
So, is there more to making a tunnel than burrowing? You betcha there is!
The first Australian tunnelling training centre to be located at Holmesglen Institute’s Chadstone campus will open in 2020. The Victorian Tunnelling Centre will train students in tunnel boring machine (TBM) operation and underground construction, offering Diploma and Certificate qualifications, as well as safety-based training for those working underground. The centre will include a replica, with the same diameter, of the Metro Tunnel, three engineering spaces as well as virtual reality experiences1. This is exciting news in an otherwise boring type of job. See what we did there?
The inclusion of a training centre in Melbourne will ensure that thousands of local workers are skilled in the development of Victoria’s transport and infrastructure needs and the project itself will move ahead with speed, and safely managing these latest underground assets.
The Victorian Tunnelling Centre is modelled on the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy in Kuala Lumpar2.
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1 Sourced: https://metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/jobs/tunnelling-centre
2 Sourced: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/construction-of-victorian-tunnelling-centre-set-to-commence