Embedding genuine engagement with the Aboriginal community and local economy – Economic Outcomes

The MELconnx Alliance comprising of Laing O’Rourke and the Office of Major Transport Infrastructure Delivery (OMTID) is delivering the new METRONET Morley to Ellenbrook Line (MEL) Rail Project. The works includes construction of twenty-one kilometres of rail, five new stations at Morley, Noranda, Malaga, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook, and six major structures including two road over rail bridges, two elevated viaducts, a bridge over the Bennett Brook and two rail tunnel portals into/out of a major highway.

To support meaningful engagement with local Indigenous community and leave a positive legacy, MELconnx created a series of initiatives that addressed METRONET’s Gnarla Biddi (Our Pathways) Strategy and supported Laing O’Rourke’s Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan objectives. By embedding the five engagement streams listed below, our robust framework was developed to celebrate culture, ensuring values and stories were not only acknowledged but deeply integrated to create community assets that are more culturally inclusive.

MELconnx implemented the following initiatives to align with the five streams:

• Stream 1, Noongar (an Aboriginal person and language of the south-west of Western Australia) Cultural Recognition: All (>5,000) project workforce who engaged in the Heritage Induction (onboarding process) were provided with specific content on cultural heritage sites. Comprehensive Cultural Awareness Training was rolled out to all Alliance team members, connecting back to the historic Noongar lands within the 21km project footprint and broader Boorloo (Noongar name for Perth, WA) region.

• Stream 2, Noongar Cultural Input into Placemaking: The project team facilitated workshops with local elders and external experts to embed local traditional knowledge into placemaking and landscape design at each of the five newly built train stations. This meaningful representation into public art ($19million), dual-naming, signage, meeting places, six-seasonal landscape planting, etc. will result in essential representation, knowledge-sharing and importantly, will leave a lasting legacy that recognises the lands of the Noongar people.

• Stream 3, Aboriginal Procurement: With a project target of $25million spend with Aboriginal businesses, MELconnx have significantly surpassed this target and engaged a total of 52 local Aboriginal businesses to the value of over $56million. In addition, support was provided for a range of Aboriginal businesses to increase capability and upskill their workforce to deliver the specialised Project works.

• Stream 4, Aboriginal Employment: An in-house, industry led training program was implemented with recognised qualifications, dedicated mentoring program and ultimately, ongoing employment for local Aboriginal people.

• Stream 5, Land Access and Sites Management: Full compliance with Heritage management procedures and extensive engagement and consultation with key community members was undertaken to support the education and management of nearby Heritage site, Bennett Brook.

Led by Terika Horwood, a proud descendant of the Ngarrindjeri and Kalkadoon people, Terika grew up on Warumungu Country (Tennant Creek, Northern Territory) and brought extensive experience to the MEL project, having worked with Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory supporting healthcare programs with not-for-profit organisations, and State and Commonwealth Government agencies to support the delivery of outcomes above and beyond contractual requirements. Terika has been whole-heartedly supported by the project to achieve these outstanding results.

Laing O’Rourke’s Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) combined with the MELconnx’s specific Indigenous inclusion strategies, have driven substantial outcomes on the MEL project to date. The project has delivered and shared the following outcomes across all five engagement streams, to achieve exemplar economic outcomes.

Stream 1, Noongar cultural recognition and prioritising cultural awareness
An internal learning program was embedded in site inductions for all project personnel (over 5,000) including cultural recognition and site-specific heritage education. This identified significant Aboriginal sites across the project and advised on the appropriate actions if unknown heritage artefacts are discovered during construction. Smoking ceremonies, supported by local elders to cleanse the area and support spiritual and cultural safety were conducted at all sites prior to commencement of works.

Stream 2, Noongar cultural input into placemaking
Relationships and engagement with key Aboriginal elders, community members and reference groups are ongoing to ensure knowledge, language and art are embedded within placemaking at the station precincts.
Example outcomes include:

• Noongar place naming: station signage on concourses proudly display Noongar language. Notably, the Morley to Ellenbrook Line will be the first trainline with all stations having dual-naming.
• Public Art: Fourteen local and six Noongar artists have created 20 public art pieces across the five stations - making it the largest art collection ($19million) commissioned on a METRONET project. Examples include: Station Skylights - honouring concepts of Aboriginal beliefs unique to each station. Station Screening - representing a ‘place of looking’, feature the circle stump of the Balga (grass tree), gum tree leaves and peppermint trees, all linked to traditional smoking ceremonies. Bright, bold murals surround stations’ electrical buildings, representing the Karla Nara Gyinning Bidi (Ellenbrook train track). Whiteman Park Station’s Turtle playground reflects the significance of the wetland system to the traditional custodians of the land, a play area located centrally in the ‘Meeting Ground’ is inspired by the Noongar story of the ‘Booyee’ (the turtle). Marker Sculptures e.g. Mussels, a staple for Indigenous people in this area which encompassed bidis (trails) and a chain of wetlands. Underpass Murals have images which represent traditional Aboriginal pathways. Ballajura station has four unique arrival sculptures, positioned in pairs to reflect how Noongar families travelled together on Country in search of food and water sources. Concourse and facade screens – inspired by the Ballajura area as a place of trading for Indigenous people.

Stream 3, Aboriginal procurement
Through strong relationships with Supply Nation, Aboriginal Business Directory of Western Australia, Indigenous Emerging Business Forum, Waalitj Hub and Noongar Chamber of Commerce, MELconnx ensured that new and emerging businesses were aware of the support and procurement opportunities available on the project. To build capacity of local Indigenous businesses, leaving them more capable and confident to work on complex projects, a WA-based Aboriginal Business program was developed (Connect, Gather, Grow) to provide supportive pathways into new/future procurement opportunities. By spending time proactively sharing information on company processes, businesses feel more confident in tendering for opportunities. Fifty-two WA-based Aboriginal businesses have been engaged on MEL at a contract award rate of $56million, the highest ever engaged by Laing O’Rourke on a project and highest State-based outcome to date.

Stream 4, Aboriginal employment
In collaboration with community partners Career Trackers, Nudge and Western Training Cultural Awareness Training, MELconnx undertook a range of educational, mentoring and employment initiatives including:

• Bespoke Trainee Workshops about Workplace Health & Safety, People/HR Function and Support
• Professional training completion and ongoing employment resulting in 11 Indigenous trainees, above industry average across Administration and Civil Construction
• 1 x Certificate III Business Administration
• 5x Certificate II Civil Construction
• 4x Certificate III Civil Construction
• Individual training tickets on eight various plant/machines
  As a result of these focus areas and the close alignment with our stakeholders, 261 Indigenous employees have worked on MEL, making up 5.5% participation rate of direct staff and subcontractors.

Stream 5, Land access and site management
Aboriginal heritage monitors were engaged for ground disturbance works to identify potential impacts on heritage sites, planning surveys before clearing commenced. As a result of extensive Aboriginal heritage monitoring at Bennett Brook, sixty-three quartz artefacts were collected and placed in a culturally appropriate location as directed by local elders.

The beneficiaries of the Indigenous inclusion activities within the MEL project have been far reaching, including:

• Noongar Elders and local Aboriginal community members – fostering trusting and long-lasting relationships
• WA Indigenous businesses working on the project will benefit not only from an increase in social and economic security, but also the upskilling of employees and company processes in collaboration with the MELconnx team, providing these businesses with confidence to tender for new business opportunities in the future. Additionally, new and emerging Aboriginal businesses, not yet engaged by industry, are provided support to tender for new opportunities.
• Local Indigenous workforce MELconnx have provided a culturally safe place for nearly 300 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees through our various cultural recognition and cultural awareness programs. In addition, eleven Indigenous trainees have worked towards qualifications in civil construction as well as business administration whilst employed on the MEL project, upskilling and providing them and their families with opportunities not just within Laing O’Rourke’s business but elsewhere.
• Local Indigenous Artists, including six Noongar artists have delivered public art at various locations along the project.
• The broader Project workforce have been educated in cultural awareness and heritage induction programs.
• End users/Community who will be immersed in Noongar culture at the stations and precincts. The Noongar stories and culture embedded into design and public art will provide a platform for language, education and knowledge sharing of local Indigenous culture.
• Future projects through improved procurement practices such as better identification of packages potentially suited to Indigenous businesses, increased visibility of focus packages for all project commercial team members, tracking current project spend against targets, better visibility on packages that are suited to be “broken up” to suit small suppliers, visibility on potential Indigenous businesses to invite to tender, - feedback to unsuccessful tenderers.

With connecting and collaborating at the heart of the MEL Indigenous inclusion initiatives, MELconnx have been able to positively influence a range of employment opportunities, clients, suppliers and partners, to work differently with culture front of mind. MELconnx’s efforts have played a significant role in developing a project model for success in inclusive and culturally sensitive project delivery. The significant outcomes achieved on the project send market signals that best practice social outcomes are also economically viable when supporting stakeholders at a community level.

As a Stretch RAP organisation (Laing O’Rourke)’s vision, behaviours and attitudes have been proactive towards Reconciliation. MELconnx’s Indigenous inclusion efforts have not only created a meaningful legacy but also align closely with the UN sustainable development goals, fostering greater equity, cultural appreciation, and economic opportunity.

• SDG 4 Quality Education - through knowledge-sharing with the incorporation of traditional knowledge and language into public spaces that serve as an educational tool, providing the community with education about Indigenous cultures, history, stories and language, promoting lifelong learning and invaluable cultural education. In addition, traineeship support provided for workforce, including Indigenous trainees, has seen the achievement of numerous qualifications and future work opportunities.
• SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth – through upskilling and supporting Aboriginal Businesses, facilitating face-to-face interactions with contractors that creates economic opportunities and decent work for Indigenous entrepreneurs and their associated employees, contributing to economic growth and development. Aboriginal employment and training will significantly contribute to Aboriginal employees gaining valuable, transferable skills that enhance their employability and career prospects into the future.
• SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities – through Cultural Recognition that embeds Indigenous cultures into public spaces, serves to reduce inequalities by promoting inclusivity and representation. This work addresses the marginalisation of Indigenous communities and supports equal opportunities. In addition, through meaningful consultation with local elders’ representation in public art and dual-naming contributes to truth-telling and knowledge-sharing with the wider community. This helps to correct historical imbalances and provides visibility to Indigenous cultures that leave a legacy of respect and recognition, as well as representation and acknowledgement. Lastly, the practice of heritage monitoring at Bennett Brook for example, emphasises the respect for cultural heritage and contributes to preserving the connection to traditional lands in perpetuity.
• SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities - Placemaking and landscaping has incorporated integration of traditional knowledge into urban design, which contributes to making cities and communities more inclusive and sustainable. An example of this includes the Noongar ‘Six Season Planting’ approach that celebrates culture and incorporates native, drought-tolerant planting. Approaches such as these ensure urban development celebrates, respects and reflects local cultural heritage.
• SDG 16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions - By supporting truth-telling and accurate representation of Indigenous cultures, MELconnx’s initiatives incorporated on the project contribute to greater justice and the strengthening of institutions that honour cultural diversity and historical accuracy.
• SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals - The significant collaboration undertaken with community partners such as local Indigenous elders, employment and mentoring partners such as Career Trackers, Nudge, and Western Training, exemplifies the importance of partnerships in achieving sustainability goals that result in excellent outcomes across the ‘triple bottom line’. These alliances have helped leverage resources, expertise, and networks to maximise impact, particularly in economic and social outcomes where local Indigenous businesses have been given an opportunity to flourish and grow, as well as the Indigenous workforce that they employ. Partnership with our Western Australian government client has generated glowing reviews, with call outs to the teams’ success in:
• transparency on project processes, activities and decisions to better facilitate support for projects/industry and connect local supply chain to opportunities in a more meaningful way.
• Providing an exemplar of meaningful Noongar engagement that maximises cultural input into placemaking.
• Providing best practice tools and systems to accurate account for outcomes achieved which will be considered/implemented for future infrastructure projects.

The persistence in achieving outstanding outcomes in this space has supported greater Indigenous inclusion and improved supplier diversity within the broader industry which contributes to increased focus on supply-chain diversity on future projects.