Wind turbine jobs blow
Assembly contract at former Geelong Ford site comes to end
THE assembly of wind turbine components has stopped at North Geelong’s former Ford factory, bringing an end to a lucrative contract and putting staff out of work.
Five staff employed by engineering company Marand will be made redundant with the assembly of 50 drive trains and 100 wind turbine hubs for wind farms west of Geelong now complete.
A Marand spokesman said 15 of the 20 staff needed for the project would be kept on, 11 of whom would work at the company’s Geelong base.
“As per the contract sched
A GEELONG mother who doctors said would not live past her 25th birthday is continuing to break ground and create change in her community.
Melissa Ligonis, now 34, was essentially given a death sentence when diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in the 1980s.
The inherited life-threatening disorder progressively damages the lungs and digestive system. It is also incurable.
When she was a child Ms Ligonis’ parents took her to two CF support groups — but the sessions were bleak.
Young people were in wheelchairs and on oxygen tanks.
Ms Ligonis’ parents could not find an adult with the condition because most didn’t live past the age of teenagers.
Ms Ligonis struggled with her diagnosis greatly as a teenager and found it difficult to plan for a future she was unlikely to live to see.
“At an early age you’re told that your life expectancy is low, mentally you want to achieve but your body can’t take you there,” Ms Ligonis said. “I’m really aware of that experience, of what it does to a young person mentally.”
At the age of 19 Ms Ligonis unexpectedly fell pregnant.
While she was worried what her parents would think, Ms Ligonis said her daughter Milan’s birth was the lifeline she desperately needed.
“My parents said that this was a gift from God — and it was exactly that and she gave me a reason to live,” Ms Ligonis said.
“She is my absolute rock.” Milan is now 15, while Ms Ligonis’ son, Mac, is 13.
Neither child has CF, but both are carriers of the gene. ule, production commenced on the 15th July 2019 and will be completed on the 13th of March 2020,” the spokeswoman said.
“There are currently no new
After giving birth to Milan, Ms Ligonis studied and has since forged a successful career. She works full-time at Give Where You Live.
The determined mother’s arrangements to assemble hubs or drive trains.”
Assembly of three turbine hubs was due to be completed this week before the operation wrapped up. health battles have increased as she has aged – but she is hopeful a new medicine could improve her ability to breathe and lessen her constant aches and pains.
Ms Ligonis recently found that her CF was caused by two rare gene mutations.
She is the only person in the world to have CF caused by these mutations.
Ms Ligonis will lobby the Federal Government in coming months in bid to gain access to the medication, which is not available to people with her gene mutation.
The project, a joint venture between Marand and Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer and servicer Vestas, was launched in February last year and heralded as a saviour for manufacturing at the former Ford Factory.
A source close to the project told the Geelong Advertiser it was never intended to be an ongoing set-up.
Another source said “not a single part” was provided by local manufacturers for the project, with most wind farm components coming from China or India.
The spokeswoman said Vestas had a contractual commitment with its project part
“Cystic fibrosis is a chest disease but it also affects other organs,” Ms Ligonis said.
As well as breathing difficulties, Ms Ligonis is now experiencing problems with her pancreas and bowel.
But ever the optimist, Ms Ligonis is determined to use her struggles and successes to help other people in need.
She remembers meeting a young boy who had recently been diagnosed with CF.
“I talked about my journey with these parents. They were just blown away that I was an adult working,” Ms Ligonis ners for the Berrybank and Dundonnell wind farm to locally source “a percentage of content.”
“Vestas endeavours to meet this commitment through construction and local supply chain requirements,” she said.
The spokeswoman said a wind farm training facility in Grovedale that opened in November and was backed by Vestas would continue to operate.
“The Vestas training facility is a state-of-the-art resource for Vestas technicians and its emerging workforce across Australia,” she said.
“Following the success of the Vestas Geelong wind turbine manufacturing facility said. “They had never heard about anyone like me.”
Ms Ligonis will return to study this year and hopes to become a life-coach for terminally ill children.
“I just want to give back,” she said.
To nominate an inspiring, influential and innovative Geelong woman visit geelongadvertiser.com.au/ competitions.
Nominations for the Women of the Year awards are open until April 5, with winners to be announced on May 8. and the rollout of Dundonnell and Berrybank wind farm, Vestas and Marand are open to future opportunities where required.”
It’s understood Vestas will establish a facility for the wind turbine spare parts in Geelong.
The company will also form a partnership with Deakin University to research the next generation carbon fibre to use in making wind turbine blades longer, stronger and more productive.
The State Government is moving to source 50 per cent of the state’s electricity needs from renewables by 2030, a move it hopes will create 24,000 jobs.