Indigenous alliances
The Split Rock Inca Alliance
The Split Rock Inca Alliance (SRIA) was established to complete the final stage of the Barkly Highway upgrade between Mount Isa and Camooweal in far north-west Queensland. The alliance consists of the civil construction company Seymour Whyte Constructions, Myuma (a young company owned and managed by the Indjilandji-Dhidhanu people), the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of the Camooweal region and Main Roads.
Through the SRIA, significant economic and social outcomes were achieved for the Indigenous people of Myuma. The SRIA promoted cooperation and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to successfully complete the project.
The training, employment and business development benefits to the local Indigenous communities are testament to the approach taken. Indigenous employment and training reached 57% and 24% respectively, figures much higher than current government requirements of 20% and 10% respectively.
Recognising outstanding achievement in alliance contracting, employment and training, the SRIA has received several awards, including the 2007 Reconciliation Awards for Business, Partnerships category and the overall Premier’s award for its commitment to cultural awareness and reconciliation.
The SRIA approach to establishing long-term engagement with Indigenous people has provided industry and government with sustainable employment and training models, and set a benchmark for future initiatives in Queensland.
