Split Rock Inca Alliance produces legacy for north-west communities

An award-winning alliance created to complete an upgrade of the Barkly Highway has achieved ground-breaking results and delivered sustainable employment and training outcomes for Indigenous workers in north-west Queensland.

Main Roads Warren Pitt said the Indigenous employment, training and business development initiatives developed by the Split Rock Inca Alliance had evolved into a nationally recognised training program.

The Split Rock Inca Alliance – comprising Main Roads, Seymour Whyte Constructions and Myuma, a company run by the land’s traditional owners, the Indjilandji-Dhidhanu people – upgraded 35km of the Barkly Highway with excellent results.

"The way the Queensland Government has delivered this federally funded upgrade shows that Main Roads is more than just a good infrastructure agency – it shows that we are winners when it comes to delivering community benefits as well,” Mr Pitt said.

"Trainees that worked on the project have gained employment in the construction and mining industry and Myuma Pty Ltd has become a skilled and self-sufficient company, winning contracts with the mining and construction sectors and providing training courses.

"Six trainees who gained civil construction qualifications as plant operators are currently working for Myuma and have recently worked on upgrading a section of the Gregory–Camooweal Road.

"A further six trainees gained qualifications in road construction and maintenance. Of these, four have gained further employment with private contractors in the region and one is employed with Mount Isa City Council.”

Since completing the Barkly Highway project this year, Myuma has formed a working group with state and federal agencies and departments, training organisations and mining companies to develop and deliver civil construction and mining skills training programs.

Myuma managing director Colin Saltmere said programs such as the Split Rock Inca Alliance delivered not only great infrastructure projects but also skills, partnerships and training opportunities that helped build capacity within Indigenous communities.

"These alliances leave legacies such as the Dugalunji Civil Construction and Mining Skills Prevocational Training Program,” he said.

“They set high standards for participants and Indigenous communities, which can work with their alliance partners to develop their capacity to better manage their affairs."

Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan said the project's success in providing training and employment opportunities for Indigenous communities was being praised by government departments and industry sectors and would provide a benchmark for future initiatives.

"The Split Rock Inca Alliance has gained state and national recognition for its success in developing partnerships between government, industry and Indigenous groups to deliver employment and training opportunities for Indigenous communities," she said.

The alliance has won a number of prestigious awards for its achievements, including two prestigious Premier’s Reconciliation Awards for Business – in the partnerships category and the overall Premier’s Award.

It has also won the project management category at the Engineers Australia Queensland awards, the Premier’s Innovation in Skilling Award at the Queensland Training Awards and a Civil Contractors Federation Earth Award in the projects category.

The Split Rock Inca Alliance is also short-listed for an Australian Training Initiative Award. Winners will be announced at the Australian Training Awards in Hobart on 8 November 2007.

Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819; Mrs Kiernan's Office 4742 2530