The new General Manager of CS Energy’s Kogan Creek Power Station Jacques Dippenaar has lived and worked in South Africa and several Australian states, and is now excited to be calling Dalby home.
Mr Dippenaar was recently appointed to the role after filling it in an acting capacity since earlier this year. He follows previous Kogan Creek General Manager Phil Matha who moved to Brisbane to take up the position of Head of Operations Performance at CS Energy.
Since joining the team at Kogan Creek, Mr Dippenaar has led their response to COVID-19, which has focussed on keeping employees and the community safe, and maintaining a reliable supply of electricity.
“Kogan Creek Power Station is a significant asset in the Queensland power generation industry, but is still small enough to feel like a community where everyone on the site knows each other,” he said.
“I am grateful to be part of a team where we continue to take proactive action to ensure the long term future of a power station with many years of operation in front of it.”
Above: Jacques Dippenaar
After living a fly-in, fly-out lifestyle for six years when he worked at BHP, Mr Dippenaar made the switch to the power generation industry in 2018 when he joined CS Energy’s Callide Power Station as their Maintenance Manager.
“The power generation industry provides the opportunity to live locally, which means you see your family each night and sleep in your own bed – something I value,” Mr Dippenaar said.
“I am really enjoying living in Dalby. It has a very active main street with locally owned shops. This is something to treasure and one of the things that convinced me to make Dalby our new home.
“People are friendly and welcoming, and my family and I look forward to increased socialising once measures around COVID-19 are relaxed.”
Mr Dippennaar was born in South Africa and moved to Australia in 2006.
“My wife (then fiancé) and I arrived in South Australia with 35 kilograms each of luggage and thought of it as a bit of an adventure.
“Since then we’ve lived in Perth, Newman, Bowen and Biloela; had two wonderful children and become Australian citizens. I look forward to putting down roots in Dalby and being part of this wonderful community.”