Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Transport and Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS) funding program
Established in 1996, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Transport and Infrastructure Development Scheme funding program (TIDS) is provided to local governments by TMR. The program funds infrastructure upgrades that improve road, air and sea access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities throughout Queensland.
An annual state-wide funding allocation of $8.2 million across Queensland is provided to improve access via transport infrastructure such as roads, aerodromes, barge ramps and jetties. TIDS funding is managed by TMR’s Far North District.
A number of Aboriginal Shire Councils receive an annual allocation of TIDS funding through membership with established Regional Roads and Transport Groups under the Roads and Transport Alliance. These councils include:
- Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council
- Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council
- Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council
- Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council
- Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council.
These councils have decision-making authority over the programming of their TIDS allocation within their local government area.
In 2020-21 we allocated $8.2 million TIDS funding, with 15 new projects across 10 local government areas funded.
Works completed under the TIDS include:
- resealing airstrips at Pormpuraaw, Yam Island and Warraber Island
- sealing roads in Aurukun, Lockhart River, Moa Island and Wujal Wujal
- improving marine infrastructure at Seisia and numerous outer Torres Strait islands.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement in Transport and Roads Infrastructure Delivery and Maintenance Strategy
We have a legislative and social responsibility to manage our respective road and transport networks and collaborate to deliver a safe and reliable network for Queensland communities.
In carrying out this responsibility, we have a long-standing history of engaging with local businesses and communities to deliver shared transport infrastructure priorities, specifically in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders.
Released in June 2019, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement in Transport and Road Infrastructure Delivery and Maintenance Strategy was developed in response to feedback on recommendations presented to the northern Australia Ministerial Forum in April 2018. We identified a need to develop a policy and strategy to provide guidance and measures on Indigenous engagement as part of our transport infrastructure and maintenance programs and policy.
Aligning closely with Queensland Government priorities, the strategy aims to support us to further embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement into transport infrastructure and maintenance programs. It will help us to continue to develop and embrace Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business capacity and capability through ongoing engagement with, and procurement of, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and workforces.
By embedding these practices into our normal business, we will enable a sustainable, transparent and price-competitive market for Queensland Government contracts to all suppliers and workforces.
Queensland Government Building and Construction Training Policy 2014
In 2014 the Queensland Government introduced the Building and Construction Training Policy, replacing and consolidating 2 previous Queensland Government policies.
The policy applies both to eligible projects located in Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities and eligible projects located throughout the rest of Queensland identified as Indigenous projects. For all of these projects, contractors are required to employ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as apprentices or trainees and undertake other workforce training as a mandated component of being awarded work on the project.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement in Transport and Roads Infrastructure Delivery and Maintenance Policy
Released in 2018, the policy provides direction to relevant TMR business areas seeking to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders in economic and employment opportunities.
The objectives of the policy are to:
- foster a greater level of Traditional Owner participation and partnership through focused opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and employment and training
- plan transport infrastructure and delivery investment to better support and promote local economic development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses
- continue the management of Cultural Heritage, Native Title and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander environmental issues as key considerations during infrastructure project delivery.
Queensland Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Procurement Policy
The Queensland Indigenous Procurement Policy provides a whole-of-government framework to increase procurement with Indigenous business to 3% of the value of government procurement contracts by 2022. Overall, the policy aims to increase capability and capacity of Indigenous businesses in tendering for Queensland Government contracts and improve employment opportunities for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Under the policy we, along with the other Queensland Government departments, have committed to:
- increase capacity and capability of Indigenous businesses to successfully tender for Queensland Government contracts
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grow and develop a diverse and sustainable Indigenous business sector in Queensland by increasing the capacity and capability of Indigenous businesses to supply to the Queensland Government, and the private sector, through supply chains and increase private sector demand
- improve employment outcomes and opportunities for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples to participate in the Queensland economy.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Procurement Guide
In April 2021, we released the TMR Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Procurement Guide to help support buyers with Indigenous procurement best practice.
The guide provides our employees with advice on:
- what a First Nations business is
- how to find First Nations businesses
- what defines a First Nations project
- how to apply Indigenous Procurement practices
- advice on tender and contract clauses, and available cultural capability resources within the department.
In support of the guide we have created a range of online resources with information and links to help TMR staff with Indigenous procurement.
Queensland Indigenous Procurement Champion for TMR—Clare Connell, Procurement
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Video transcript
Hi, I'm Claire and I'm from the Chief procurement office.
I joined TMR as a contractor in January 2019, so approximately 2 years ago and I've also been an active member with the Indigenous Employee Network.
I joined TMR in 2019 to drive the procurement control self assessment.Following that, I started work on the TMR procurement forum, chairing the procurement regional networks with PDO and RoadTek, and then I've been identified as the Queensland Indigenous Procurement Champion for TMR.
So that's led into the TMR indigenous Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander buyers guide being produced which were just about to implement.
The buyers guide has been brought about to cover and go across all of TMR's 4 procurement frameworks and to act as a best practice guide for buyers to assist them in understanding what resources are available within the agency. What supports are there to assist them to put those practices into motion and as well as to encourage them to engage with Aboriginal businesses and include them into tendering for these government contracts, and as such contribute to the Queensland Government target of 3% spend by 2022.
Indigenous procurement is about using our contracts and our spend to influence the people, places and communities of Queensland and we do that by looking at the audiences that will receive benefit from the contracts that we have.
By understanding the businesses who we can invite to tender and engage with, and then in turn, how they will deliver those products and services and who they'll engage with within the supply market.
So the guide promotes TMR. TMR's corporate membership with supply nation. It looks at best practice principles of indigenous procurement as well, so it looks at how we can include the employment and training components into contracts to drive and influence change. But not only that, it looks at not only the high value funding required components of a contract, but looking at how us as buyers can influence change through low value, low risk contracts through the diversity and complexity of so many different contracts that we can invite Indigenous businesses to tender for and become engaged with and in turn spur on business growth and development within Queensland.
So Covid has had a bit of an impact about how we as buyers think about engaging with businesses and it sort of brought to the forefront on how procurement drive to include social change, economic change, cultural changes.
So at the moment there's the drive for social procurement. Well Indigenous businesses have the potential to drive that change not only just as a local supplier, but within the communities that are originally placed and even remote. So by looking at the audiences that can be influenced not only not only just as a community but within a family unit itself. So employment and training changes the dynamics of a families well being and worth an intern that can influence the local sporting team.
The local business at the corner and even Indigenous businesses are more likely to engage other Indigenous businesses so it spurs on the supply chain, and that's important for Queensland economic delivery.
