WINTER 2026 | Mid-Western Living | 21 ACEREZ COMMUNITY GRANTS We received a huge response to the first round of the ACEREZ Community Grants Program with impressive submissions received across six priority areas: public amenity, health, agriculture, sports, education and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. A second round will open later this year and free grant writing assistance will again be available to applicants. Up to $4 million in funding is on offer in 2026 and we’re looking forward to working with the community on a range of projects that will make a lasting difference. STANDING TALL: TRANSMISSION TOWERS RISE The Central-West Orana REZ transmission project marked a huge milestone with the first tower completed in a major step towards our clean energy future. In an impressive feat of engineering and teamwork, this first tower near Merotherie weighed in at 55 tonnes, comprised 2,862 steel components and 6,252 bolts, with 19 pre-assembled sections all lifted into place by a giant crane. It was the first of the transmission towers and monopoles that will form the backbone of the new transmission network. ACEREZ is proud to play its part in delivering this key infrastructure needed to keep the lights on and secure our energy future. 548 local workers on the project; 276 of them from the Mid-Western region 113 local businesses on the project; 63 of them from the Mid-Western region SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ACEREZ COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM KEY DATES: 6 June: Gulgong Henry Lawson Heritage Festival, supported by ACEREZ 19 June: Art Unlimited in Dunedoo, supported by ACEREZ 23 June: Business briefing in Mudgee 10-11 July: Mudgee Small Farm Field Days Perhaps the most unexpected journey into renewables belongs to Brittany Horne, who swapped a career in banking administration for a seat in the cab of one of the most powerful machines on a construction site. Brittany is believed to be one of only a handful of female scraper operators in Australia. A trial run on the Western Sydney Airport project was all it took to convince her. Scrapers cut, load and move massive volumes of earth and are known as the heavyweight boxers of the earthmoving world. Operating one demands real precision, but Brittany embraces every challenge. “Once I was over the initial hurdle of operating, each day of experience improved my confidence,” she says. She credits Senior Civil Supervisor Matt Prior for backing her. “With his support, I now have a great career pathway. If you’re seriously interested, go for it. Life is too short.” Emily agrees: “There is real space for women to lead, grow and succeed.” Together, these women are doing more than building infrastructure. They’re reshaping what a career in construction can look like and showing the next generation what’s possible.
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