IT’S the office with the best view in Queanbeyan and it belongs to crane driver Eddie Burgess.

Working in the clouds above the city, the 36-year-old operates the tower crane helping to construct Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council’s (QPRC) $74 million civic and cultural precinct development.

Sitting 60 metres above the ground, with a 360-degree panorama of the city, Burgess has a rare view of Queanbeyan and the surrounding region.

“The view is amazing,” said Burgess upon descending from his nine-storey office. 

“Especially with the snow on the hills at the moment over the Brindabellas, it’s just sensational.”

On some of the best viewing days, the father-of-three takes a snap of the view to share with his son.

“Sometimes I FaceTime him or send him pictures so he can see the view,” Burgess said.

The experienced crane driver spends solitarity work days in his heated cabin suspended high above the ground. To reach it, he climbs several ladders for seven minutes to the top of the tower. 

“I climb up at 6.30am, check that everything is safe, then the boys come out, we put the chains on, and get to work,” said Burgess.

For a job that involves working at great heights, it’s surprising to discover that even an experienced crane driver gets nervous.

“When I first started driving the towers I wasn’t comfortable with heights, but now that I’m up there every day, you do get used to it,” said Burgess.

Inside the small cab there’s a swivel chair, an air-conditioning unit, a heater, a fridge and a radio.

From his cushioned seat – and with his cabin joysticks – Burgess directs the pace of the project, lifting timbers, scaffolding, reo, steel and precast panels, getting a nine-storey building off the ground.

“The heaviest panel we’ve moved here was close to 11 tonnes,” he said.

It is essential work, Burgess said, that is sometimes dangerous and requires skill and expertise.

“Any load can potentially kill someone, that’s why you have to take the job seriously, make sure everything is hooked up correctly and ensure that you are not overloading the crane,” Burgess said.

“You can’t do anything reckless, because there’s a lot of potential things that could go wrong.

“When it’s windy it rocks you around and it pushes the boom.

“Sometimes you get wobbly legs… it’s challenging in the wind, but it makes it interesting.” 

There are no such things as comfort stops for crane drivers.

He spends 10 straight hours in the cabin, and the closest Burgess comes to a toilet is a bottle.

“There’s no toilet facilities up there, you have to pee in the bottle, and hold on for the other ones,” he said. 

Although Burgess has had a long association with the construction industry working on various sites around Canberra, he only took to crane driving four years ago.

“I started out on the ground like the other boys, and wasn’t interested in driving the cranes at first,” he said.

“But then I got the opportunity to try it. It’s a great job and it’s satisfying seeing a project develop from start to finish.”

Only six months into the role, trainee crane driver Anthony Pidcock, 33, is thoroughly enjoying the job, too.

“I was petrified to start with, but you do get over it,” Anthony said.

“The views are great, and the job comes with a lot of responsibility. 

“You have to factor in the wind, and be mindful of the boys on the ground in order to keep everyone safe…it’s a difficult job.”

Born and raised in Queanbeyan, Anthony takes great pleasure from pointing out and identifying the local landmarks from the cabin while at work.

“You can see the suspension bridge, all the schools, the hospital, and my mum’s house,” said Anthony.