WA govt surpasses Aboriginal engagement targets

By PETER ROWE

The WA State Government has smashed through its target of awarding $700 million worth of contracts to Aboriginal businesses through its transport infrastructure program.

The target of $700 million was set in October 2021 to improve economic and social outcomes for Aboriginal businesses by providing opportunities on major transport infrastructure projects across the State.

A five-year time frame was set to achieve the target, which has been achieved nearly two years ahead of schedule, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has announced.

“We set these targets because we know how critical employment and training are to improving someone’s outcomes,” Ms Saffioti said.

“Having a job provides independence and economic empowerment and is one of the best ways of achieving improved social outcomes.”

The Government says it also remains on track to deliver on its target of 3.5 million hours worked by Aboriginal peoples, with 2.7 million hours already achieved.

To date, $716 million of works have been undertaken by Aboriginal businesses, equating to around 7 per cent of total business spend across the Transport Portfolio’s major infrastructure projects.

Around six per cent of hours worked across the State’s major infrastructure projects since October 2021 have been completed by Aboriginal peoples, directly engaged by agencies within the Transport Portfolio or through contractors.

The Wilman Wadandi Highway (Bunbury Outer Ring Road Project).

A number of major transport projects delivered across the State in recent years have helped achieve the State Government’s targets including:

Wilman Wadandi Highway (Bunbury Outer Ring Road Project) which has achieved $52 million in contracts with Aboriginal businesses, 11 per cent of total hours worked by Aboriginal peoples and supported 19 Aboriginal trainees and apprentices through the Yaka Dandjoo program; and the new Fitzroy River Bridge which achieved $38 million in contracts with Aboriginal businesses (23 per cent of total spend) and supported more than 260 local Aboriginal workers during construction.

More than 5,000 Aboriginal businesses are included in the Transport Portfolio’s Aboriginal Business Directory (ABD) through membership with Supply Nation, which verifies that businesses in the ABD are more than 50 per cent Aboriginal owned with 446 Aboriginal businesses securing work across the Transport Portfolio since financial year 2021/22.