People Behind the Power
Luke Sondergeld’s first few weeks with Stanwell have been all plain sailing.
The former Navy Warfare Officer recently joined Stanwell as a Health, Safety and Environment Advisor for the Projects team.
Luke plays an important role in Stanwell’s energy transformation assisting the teams working on our wind, solar and dispatchable energy projects, our Future Energy Innovation and Training Hub (FEITH) and Stanwell Asset Maintenance Company (SAMCo).
He spends his day managing safety and environmental procedures for our renewable related projects and engaging with stakeholders to ensure the best safety and environmental outcomes for Stanwell and its employees.
“It’s a pretty exciting space to be working in,” Luke explained.
“There is a lot happening, as these projects start ramping up.”
During his working life, Luke has moved around a lot, but claims to be a Central Queensland local, having lived in Rockhampton for 10 years.
His career has also had many changes – before joining the Projects team, Luke was the Facilities Asset Manager for a large Central Queensland meat processing facility, a Registered Nurse, and a member of the Royal Australia Navy for five years.
“My stint with the Navy has, to date, been the highlight of my career,” he confessed.
“I met a lot of great people and did a lot of things I could only ever dream of.”
With Stanwell well on its renewable energy transformation journey, Luke saw this role as Health, Safety, and Environment Advisor as a wonderful opportunity to grow and move as Stanwell does.
“Stanwell has a great culture and provides heaps of opportunities to grow and learn.
“I’m looking forward to cementing myself with Stanwell and contributing to the success of the many projects in our pipeline.”
Luke said one of the unique things about working onsite at Stanwell Power Station was the pleasant, relaxing drive to and from work each day.
“The 20-minute commute gives me the time to unwind and reset before getting to work or back home to my family.”
When he’s not wearing hi-vis, Luke enjoys shooting, hiking, bowling, and fishing, but has a soft spot for the Scouts movement.
“Whenever I get the opportunity, I love helping out with the Warripari Scout Group in Rocky. I spent a number of years Leading the Scout Section, 10 to 14 year olds, before assisting the Group Leader with the administrative and growth roles of the group.
“Warripari Scout group is the oldest in the region, with Mount Archer, Gracemere, and Yeppoon making up the balance.
“The group has over 30 how many members members who meet weekly for activities, learning, and growth. We camp a number of times a year, sometimes as small groups of 6 to 8 up to large district events which can have over 100 youth involved,” Luke said.