A day on the Bay with our Hydrographic Survey team
Helping to keep Australia’s third largest multi-cargo port open for business is a big responsibility, but we’re in safe hands with our Hydrographic Surveying team.
Their ‘office’ is the Port of Brisbane’s 90km of shipping channel, which stretches from Caloundra to Breakfast Creek, and it’s not unusual for the team to share their digs with other ‘locals’, including dolphins and whales!
One of the largest and most experienced port hydrographic surveying teams in the country, our Hydrographic Surveyors use an array of technology and highly specialised equipment including multibeam sonar equipment and vessel mounted terrestrial laser systems with precise inertial navigation and GPS positioning systems.
They’re experts at solving problems and delivering solutions to ensure they keep our shipping channel open, operational and safe.
The variety that keeps the team hooked
When not out and about surveying, the teamwork from our Operations Base, where they process survey data and share relevant information with the Regional Harbour Master or their clients.
Talking to two of our Hydrographic Surveyors, Celeste Tan and Scott Thompson, they both agree that no two days are ever the same, and it’s the variety of the work, on the ground troubleshooting and the opportunity to leverage new technology that makes their roles so exciting.
“I really enjoy the problem-solving aspect that comes with the job, especially processing work. You never know what you’re going to find and sometimes issues appear during our work, so you need to think quickly and come up with the best solutions. It breaks up the day and you know today will be different to yesterday – it keeps things really interesting and you’re constantly learning,” said Scott.
“The accountability side of our work really appeals to me as well. I don’t just go out and collect the data, I come back into the office afterwards and process it as well. I’m also meeting clients in my role – I like knowing why I’m doing something, rather than just doing it.”
While many other hydrographic surveying roles can be connected to specific projects or sites, our Hydrographic Surveying team also delivers plenty of client work up and down the Queensland coast, surveying rock walls, canals, shipwrecks and more.
Opportunities at the Port
Celeste and Scott are both Level 2 Certified Professional Hydrographic Surveyors, however they’re not stopping there. Both have their sights set on achieving their Level 1 Certification, the highest in a niche industry.
Celeste said the Port of Brisbane has provided her with critical support to achieve this in a short period of time.
“For me, I love the idea that I’m working towards achieving my Level 1. It’s the highest certification level and before joining the Port of Brisbane, I didn’t think I would achieve it at this stage of my career, but the Port has encouraged me and is helping me in an efficient way to achieve that goal,” said Celeste.
“A group of us also got our truck licences, which the Port supported and encouraged because you may need to be able to tow some of the boats for client work. It’s just another example of how the Port supports us to go above and beyond in our roles.”
Scott reiterated it feels like there’s never ending support for the team to learn, evolve and improve.
“There’s a wide range of certifications that we go through, including first aid courses and different trainings to keep our skills up to date and relevant. We’re extremely lucky to have leadership that encourages us to think outside the box and we’re always brought along on different projects to get more involved in the business. It’s great.”
Playing a critical role in the operations of the Port and Queensland
Supported by our Marine Crew, the team surveys the seabed to help ensure Port of Brisbane, and other Queensland ports, remain open for business.
Their client work is also critical in enabling the delivery of major infrastructure projects along the coast or within waterways, such as canal surveying for local Councils.
When a severe weather event hits, like the 2022 Brisbane floods, our Hydrographic Surveying team stand ready to help. They worked tirelessly to help remove debris from the shipping channel and support a safe environment to help get the Port back to business as usual, as quickly as possible.
“In 2022, we worked tirelessly for weeks following the floods to get the Port back to normal operations. We were out on the boat, working to identify as much debris as we could, so our Marine team could then remove as many objects as possible. Looking back, it was quite extraordinary to work with the team and play a key role in getting Brisbane back to business,” said Scott.
Calling the Sunshine State home
Unlike many Queensland locals who work at the Port of Brisbane, Celeste and Scott both moved from overseas and decided the Sunshine State, and the Port of Brisbane, was the place they wanted to call home.
Scott, an Englishman who worked as a surveyor in the UK, applied for a role at the Port in 2019 after his parents shared a picture of one of the survey boats, the Jim Peel, while visiting sunny Queensland.
“My parents just happened to send a picture of the Jim Peel, one of our survey boats. The lifestyle certainly attracted me to Brisbane, but the Port of Brisbane team was hard to beat,” said Scott.
“If your job is to work offshore, you're away for a long part of your life. But at the Port it’s different – we might be aware few days here and there, but 90% of the time we get to go home at night.
“As a Hydrographic Surveyor, it’s a great lifestyle. You get to break up your day between sea and land, you can be out on the boat in the morning and then back in the office for the afternoon.”
Celeste, originally from Malaysia, moved to Australia with her husband to spend more time with family who reside here, but decided the lifestyle was too good to leave. After working down south in other roles, the Port of Brisbane and its unique opportunity to be primarily based in Brisbane on a regular roster was a key attraction.
“We thought it would be a short stay, but we ended up loving it and haven’t left. For me, the role at the Port and the stability of being home, yet still with the opportunity of some smaller trips away every now and then, was a key attraction. It’s nice to be home and not away all the time.”
Interested in learning more about why Celeste and Scott love their jobs? Watch our video to see what a day in the life looks like for them: Hydrographic Surveyors
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