Project Overview
The largest project of its kind, helping to close the gap of Indigenous disadvantage across the Northern Territory.
Scope of Works:
In 2008, McMahon Services in partnership with Sitzler Pty Ltd and Laing O’Rourke formed the Territory Alliance to help deliver the Federal Government’s $672 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP).
The Program was designed to bridge the gap between Indigenous disadvantage across the Territory, by providing quality housing and economic independence through opportunities for training and employment.
By early 2010 the Territory Alliance was awarded six work packages including; Tiwi Islands; Maningrida; Galiwin’ku; Groote Eylandt; Acacia, Belyuen and Gunbalanya; and civil works within the $138 million Alice Springs Transformation Plan -totalling approximately $600 million of housing and infrastructure works.
The Territory Alliance has completed a lion’s share of the project including:
- 518 new houses and six new sub-divisions
- 314 rebuilds
- 442 refurbishments
- Installation of new power, water, roads and street lighting
- Extensive civil works in Alice Springs – retrofitting 18 town camps with new connections and realigned roads (extended to mid-2012)
At the project’s peak, the Territory Alliance had more than 750 workers across the sites, including more than 20% of local Aboriginal workers who were also given the opportunity to undertake accredited training.
The Territory Alliance also subcontracted to 918 services and suppliers, with 769 from the Territory. Of the Territory companies, 52 were Aboriginal owned.
Community Engagement:
Becoming part of the community life in remote areas across the Northern Territory was very important. Workers engaged in local sports teams and festivals, and volunteered to help with barge landings, ceremony grounds and community facilities. The workers also offered equipment and help with odd jobs and repairs, cyclone clean-ups, and fighting fires, and work experience for local schools.
Stakeholder engagement was also a key component of the project, working closely with the Housing Reference Groups to ensure the planning, design, and scoping of houses and infrastructure were appropriate to each community’s needs.
The Territory Alliance is proud of its achievements and is aware that many of the dedicated staff worked long hours and long days in challenging conditions away from their families, some of them for more than three years.
