Indigenous Engagement

We aim to build confidence in Indigenous communities, by creating opportunities for employment, economic independence and cultural preservation.

McMahon Services has a long history of working in and around Indigenous communities for well over 20 years and have always been committed to contributing to the social, economic and environmental well-being of Indigenous communities across Australia.

Cavan Youth Training Centre

Early Beginnings

In 2010, Intract Indigenous Contractors was established under a partnership model between the Aboriginal Foundation of South Australia and McMahon Services.

This demonstrated McMahon Services’ commitment and support of the Council of Australian Government’s efforts to Close the Gap on Indigenous Disadvantage. Our vision was to form a business that would not only open doors for Indigenous training and development, but deliver stable and long-term employment for Indigenous people in contracting services across the mining, civil, and construction industries.

The Intract Australia business was developed to help Indigenous people ‘Walk a New Path’ and that’s exactly what we have achieved. Our simple business model of ‘train on the job – stay on the job’ is proving to be a great success. We now look forward to the next chapter of Intract and new opportunities for future growth.

Intract Indigenous Contractors

Do you require a specialist remote area rental solution? Driven by a dedicated Indigenous labour force, Intract Hire provides plant and equipment for the mining and civil construction industries across Australia.

Feature Project - Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program

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).

SIHIP was designed to bridge the gap between Indigenous disadvantage across the Territory, by providing quality housing and opportunities for economic independence. The Territory Alliance also helped to deliver social and economic benefits to local Indigenous people as well as the wider Northern Territory community.

By early 2010 the 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.

By the end of 2012 the Territory Alliance completed a lion’s share of the SIHIP work including:

  • 517 new houses and six new sub-divisions, including essential infrastructure such as roads, power, water and sewerage in six communities across the Territory
  • 350 rebuilds
  • 450 refurbishments
  • Installation of new power, water, roads and street lighting
  • Extensive civil works in Alice Springs – retrofitting town camps with new connections and realigned roads

At the project’s peak, the Territory Alliance employed more than 750 workers across the sites, and approximately 30% were local Indigenous workers who were given the opportunity to undertake accredited training.

The Territory Alliance shared a strong commitment to the training and employment of Indigenous people with the overall aim of creating a sustainable workforce to manage the on-going maintenance of the housing.

The Territory Alliance also subcontracted to 918 services and suppliers, with 769 from the Northern Territory, and of these companies 52 were Indigenous owned.

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.

Territory Alliance Logo Intract Logo

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territory alliance house handover

territory alliance

Do you require Intract Indigenous Contractors on your next project? Contact the expert team at McMahon Services to assist you with your estimating and project delivery requirements.
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Territory Alliance leaves a legacy

The Territory Alliance has been awarded the prestigious Northern Territory Award for Project of the Year by the Internatio...

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Opening doors for Indigenous employment

A unique business called Intract – Indigenous Contractors developed to train, employ and open long term career pathways ...

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Intract Australia deliver community football clinics in the NT

Andrew McLeod, Intract Australia and Territory Thunder visit Arnhem Land.

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Mobile Concrete Batching Plant


Model: DB 460
Type: Concrete Batching Plant
Capacity / Size: 4.0m3 / Output - 12-16m3 p.h
Manufacturer: Fiori

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