Video transcript
[A joint initiative of the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Myuma Pty Ltd.]
[Building Indigenous capability. A remote employment and training partnership that works.]
[Colin Saltmere – Managing Director, Myuma Pty Ltd]
It's not about building roads and construction, it's about building people.
[Peter Trim – Regional Director, Department of Transport and Main Roads]
I think a bridge is a bridge and a road is a road. It’s about learning to deal and work with Indigenous people.
[Colin Freeman – Trainer & Assessor, Civil Construction & Metalliferous Mining, Myuma Pty Ltd]
I think the good thing about this program is because we've got, you know, Indigenous trainers and Indigenous staff—it breaks a barrier straight up as soon as they walk in the door.
[Narrator]
Welcome to Camooweal—close to the Queensland-Northern Territory border and north-west of Mount Isa, where the Barkly Highway crosses the Georgina River. It's a small tight-knit community making a big difference to the lives of Indigenous people, government and industry.
Camooweal is home to a nationally recognised, award-winning partnership between the local community and the Department of Transport and Main Roads. It's achieved ground-breaking results and is delivering sustainable economic development opportunities for Indigenous people in north-west Queensland and beyond. It's a result of a partnership between the department and Myuma Proprietary Limited—a company owned and operated by the local Indjalandji-Dhidhnu people.
To understand how it all started, we need to go back in time.
[Creating opportunity]
Built during World War 2, the Barkly Highway was initially designed as a vital supply link to reinforce Darwin. Sixty years later, a major upgrade and modernisation of the highway meant that there was a need to construct a new bridge over the Georgina River at Camooweal.
The logical site for this new bridge ran through a location of great cultural significance to the local community. An historic agreement was reached, protecting the area's indigenous heritage and enabling the bridge’s construction. Importantly, it also led to new employment and training opportunities for local Aboriginal people.
[Colin Saltmere – Managing Director, Myuma Pty Ltd]
It started off with Main Roads, with the Georgina River bridge. And I guess it started off with Main Roads and us having confrontation over who the traditional owners were and about the sites in the river. They wanted to design a bridge to put pylons down, and we didn't want that because it would affect the sacred sites underneath the ground.
The new bridge, if you have a look at the steel here, they've designed that specially so that it wouldn't impact on the cultural heritage. All the stuff that's here was built on site, except for the pre-fabrication work, the steel, bridge trussels, but everything else, the pylons and the headstocks, all that was built on site, in situ so the people actually worked on this. We had a fairly large workforce of Aboriginal people to do that, steel fixes and so forth.
I guess it's one of the most underrated bridges and people don't know about it, but it's, you know, it's had Aboriginal input even into the design of it. And a lot of work put into it by Aboriginal people. And that's basically the forerunner to all the other alliances that we've conducted with Main Roads over the years, and to what we're doing now.
[Peter Trim – Regional Director, Department of Transport and Main Roads]
The issues were the relationship between Main Roads and Indigenous people—trying to work with Colin to get the outcomes he wanted on that project for his people, and probably the process we went through to make that happen. Rather than the technical issues about the bridge—I think the bridge is a bridge and the road is a road—it's about learning to deal and work with Indigenous people, cater for their needs through a project that achieves the project but also achieves some outcomes for those people as well.
[Narrator]
Following the construction of the Georgina River bridge, the department entered into a series of road construction alliances, directly involving the local Indigenous community. These converted the Barkly Highway from a single lane road to a modern two-lane highway. In 2006, the Split Rock – Inca Alliance, involving the Department of Main Roads, Seymour Whyte and Myuma Proprietary Limited delivered the final 35-kilometre section of highway upgrade.
[Colin Saltmere]
We wanted to develop our business opportunities as well and grow so we, we preferred the alliance model and went first with it as a sub, kind of sub-outside alliance for the Georgina River bridge. Then we went into a sub-alliance with Leightons and then the Inca, Split Rock – Inca Alliance was a full alliance, so we were full alliance partners. And we, you know, were a part of alliances we’re in the gains and pain and we were prepared to do that on this case.
[Narrator]
At its peak, the Split Rock – Inca Alliance had up to 120 people on site with almost half of these being Indigenous workers. The project was delivered ahead of schedule and also exceeded benchmarks in terms of cost and road quality. The alliance and its predecessors helped forge the ongoing strong relationship between the department and the local Indigenous community.
[Peter Trim]
I think the alliances and an alliance format for the delivery of those projects was a key element in the success of, not only those alliance projects, but now the success of Myuma. What it really did, it put the mechanism in place that we could work together. I’ve spoken about the success of those alliances before and there's no one key factor, it's about a number of people working very hard and working very hard and together to deliver the outcomes. And as I said before:
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the contractor has an onus to make money
- Main Roads as a client, we want a quality product at a reasonable price
- and then for Myuma, they wanted respect for their cultural heritage issues but also they wanted some long-term outcomes for the business and for their people.
In the alliance I think when the 3 proponents of that alliance understood those various needs from the different proponents, and that translated through the whole workforce, I think that really then ensured the success of those projects. And that's why we were able to come in ahead of schedule and under budget. But we also did a lot of work with the community and with Myuma to ensure that the people were skilled up to do the job.
[Narrator]
The Split Rock – Inca Alliance won numerous training, reconciliation and construction awards. Winning these awards highlighted how alliances can deliver multiple benefits in terms of:
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infrastructure development
- improved cultural heritage management
- as well as creating ongoing training and employment opportunities for Indigenous Australian.
Most importantly, the tangible benefits of the alliance didn't end when the project finished.
[Colin Saltmere]
The awards that we've won is a key and it opens that door. But the big thing that we, you know, we really got out of it was a was a professional organisation that could tender for jobs.
Having the capacity to skill those people up and having the capacity to go out and be a contender in the mainstream arena. We know that if we didn't have those skills that we learned on the alliance, we probably would have been a small little organisation going backwards. And it gave us the resources to put back into the camp to upgrade it to the capacity it's got now, to start the training that we're doing.
[Narrator]
The alliance format is delivering cost-effective project outcomes for the department, while simultaneously providing Aboriginal workers with invaluable work, training and life experiences. It's also laying the foundation for their future economic independence.
The department and Myuma recently entered into a new agreement to continue the upgrade of the Camooweal to Gregory Downs Road.
[Peter Trim]
To me it seemed like a natural progression from the alliances on the Barkly Highway and we committed at that stage to support Colin and Myuma, so that they could continue to do the things they're doing here. And subsequently we have over the last couple of years and we will in the future, provide Myuma with a continuing program of works. So that they can not only build the road for us, which is the key outcome I'm looking for, but also support the training and development they do for the young Indigenous people that come to these camps.
[Narrator]
The experience gained from working with the department has assisted Myuma to secure other employment and training opportunities related to civil construction and mining.
[Colin Saltmere]
At the present time we've got a contract with Main Roads for 2 years for the upgrade of the Camooweal-Gregory Road. And we also are working with a mining company that's developing a phosphate mine not far from the Thorntonia quarry.
The Thorntonia quarry is a quarry that's been there since 1987 and we have a kind of unique relationship with the owner, where we bring people up, crush material for the road but also train them on it. And it's a relationship that's been going for the last 4 or 5 years now that works.
The other thing we have is a very experienced cultural heritage crew which go out and do a lot of cultural heritage work.
[Chapter 2 – How the program works]
[Narrator]
An important legacy to come out of the alliances with the department is a highly successful civil construction and mining skills training program. This 13-week pre-vocational course is run by Myuma with the support of the Mount Isa TAFE, other government agencies and industry. Conducted at the Dugalunji training camp, it provides trainees with on-the-job training, formal certificate level qualifications and practical assistance in securing long-term employment. The camp provides trainees with wages, accommodation, meals and cultural activities. And it also gives them the real-life experience of being in a construction or mining camp environment.
[Colin Saltmere]
It was established in 2002, to cater for the Georgina River bridge and then it grew over time to what it is now, so it's been there since 2002. We accommodate up to 70 people and train 30 people, so we have enough room for up to 70 people, and trainees and staff. And then we've got our own cultural heritage crews that do other work as well, so we contract out on other projects as well. We keep the training down to 30, we don't want to kind of go any bigger than that because it just becomes a sausage factory.
The other thing with you know with Myuma, we've got really good staff and if you, like all things, you've got to have you know good cogs in your wheels to make things work—just like country you got to have good rain to make it make it grow.
We haven't advertised it's just been by word of mouth. And people you know have come into us and put their applications up. We've had 120 through, as of this training course. There's been 5—we start off with—10, 20, 30 and this is the third lot of 30, so it makes it 120. And in the last round of applications there was 130 applications.
[Narrator]
Myuma's trainees come from a variety of communities across the top end of Queensland. These include:
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Aurukun, Kowanyama, Napranum and Weipa on the Western Cape
- Gregory Downs, Doomadgee, Mount Isa and the Gulf
- Palm Island, Yarrabah, Townsville and Innisfail on the east coast
- as well as Alpurrurulum or Lake Nash in the Northern Territory.
Despite their different backgrounds, the trainees quickly adjust to the camp environment and enthusiastically embrace the opportunities offered by this unique course.
[Colin Freeman – Trainer & Assessor, Civil Construction & Metalliferous Mining, Myuma Pty Ltd]
The good thing about this program is because we've got, you know, Indigenous trainers and Indigenous staff—it breaks a barrier straight up, as soon as they walk in the door. When they first come in they're, you know, they're a bit shy and stuff like that. After the 3 months that they, you know, they’re living side by side they, you know, they tend to come out of their own shell and they're stronger people by the time they end up finishing the program. And you know, they're conscientious and keen to get in and do the work. And that's part of the things that we try and teach them is, you know, don't pull back and just get in and have a go, and don't worry about whatever other people say or anything like that, yeah.
[Dave Minniecon – Former trainee, Now Trainer & Assessor, Civil Construction & Metalliferous Mining, Myuma Pty Ltd]
The key benefits from my point of view, for them being more confident within themselves to approach different people, ask for jobs, you know, get out there, put themself out. It's a big benefit for a lot of them because, like I said, they wouldn't have it otherwise.
[Sandie Norman – Program Coordinator, Life Skills, Literacy & Numeracy, Myuma Pty Ltd]
They're here for a period of 13 weeks and in that time, they have their induction. They also are skilled up with mining and with civil construction skills, both theory and practical, as well as the life skills. And then after the 13 weeks they are just so full of confidence, they're skilled up, their self-esteem has improved and it's just great, absolutely great to see the difference in them.
[Colin Saltmere]
The biggest thing, biggest qualification I see is self-esteem and you know, fixing up that personal self, so it's a personal thing. But it's about people, it's not about putting numbers on people, it's not about training them for one specific area, it's about making sure that these people are equipped to go out into the big world. It's just not about driving a machine, it's about how they can cope out there as well.
[Narrator]
After graduation many of the trainees find employment with mining and construction companies, while some may also work for the Department of Transport and Main Roads. Either way, the skills and experience gained through this course is helping to overcome the shortage of skilled labour in remote areas of Queensland.
[Sandie Norman}
This is going to be about the fifth graduation that Myuma has been able to host and parents have come from everywhere. We even have some parents here today and they have driven down from Kowanyama and so the support that they're giving their sons and daughters is just great.
The benefits of companies such as Main Roads, of employing some of our trainees, is that they have had excellent training. They have confidence, they have the skills, they have the knowledge, they want to work and they'll actually have, you know, tickets and skills, experience on different equipment that they will need to be using when they're at work at Main Roads.
[Colin Freeman]
Without Main Roads I suppose this program probably wouldn't be as successful as it is now. Seeing the people you know, the young people graduate and finish a program, I think that's a big accomplishment and I get the gratification of those young people finishing the program.
[Hare Coakley – Graduate trainee, Kowanyama]
Very privileged for me to graduate from this course, so that will make it much more easier and better future for the future generation and the future Indigenous people who will attend here.
[Sharonna Johnson – Graduate trainee, Palm Island]
I'm just glad that I got the opportunity as an individual and as an Indigenous lady, that I got the chance to come out here and do 13 weeks with people I didn't know. It's something worthwhile, it's a life-changing experience and I learnt a lot from it. I'm very excited about it yeah and I'm going to pass a word on, this is the place to be.
[Chapter 3 – The future]
[Narrator]
The Department of Transport and Main Roads was the first state government agency to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan. It continues to be a leading organisation in meeting the challenges we all face in closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage. The alliances and Indigenous training program pioneered by the department and Myuma is a tangible practical example of reconciliation in action.
[Peter Trim]
It's a commitment from Main Roads to recognise the importance of cultural heritage and to work towards this theory of closing the gap for Indigenous people, under a framework of reconciliation. And I think the thread to that is to really promote working more closely with Indigenous groups and traditional owner groups on all Main Roads’ projects across the state.
[Colin Saltmere]
The Reconciliation Action Plan is about Indigenous people getting an opportunity in mainstream workforces and infrastructure projects. The other thing that you know, I've really got to get out there, it's not about building roads and construction, it's about building people.
[Narrator]
The award-winning alliance between Myuma and the department is just one example of how government and industry might work together to address the need for economic development and capacity building within Indigenous communities.
[Peter Trim]
Where it's evolving or where I hope it might evolve to from this, is that this is the model that Main Roads can look to across Queensland for other projects, whether they be alliance projects or whatever. Working with some of the remote communities on the Cape to deliver infrastructure projects but under this format, so we get long-term benefits for Indigenous people, in terms of training and employment but also in business development. So we can give work directly to Indigenous companies and they can deliver work for us, but also achieve some real outcomes for Indigenous people in communities both in the Cape and the Gulf.
It doesn't necessarily need to be restricted to government projects and obviously there's opportunities for other private industry, private civil constructors to be involved and to use this model on those sort of projects. Which yes, you can translate through the whole gambit of civil construction and mining worksheets, both private and public.
[Colin Saltmere]
To either get to start, you've got to have a, you know, a dream—you've got to have a start and you've to be in there and you've got to push it and you know, it's fascinating because you know, it's like a magnet people stick onto it. Sometimes you pinch yourself to realise where you are and you know it's also a powerful tool to take out to government and to industry.
Like the first bloke that built a motor car and said it run by petrol you know, not having a horse pull it, they didn't believe it happened and now it happened, you know, and an amazing thing can happen. The name Myuma is to ‘do good’, so we always try to do better than what we've done before.
