An Aboriginal company has been appointed by the Western Sydney Airport Corporation to ensure the giant infrastructure project includes Aboriginal engagement opportunities in business, education and employment.
The company ‘Enable’, headed by former AFL Sydney Swan player, Michael O’Loughlin, is to deliver the Western Sydney Airport Aboriginal Engagement Plan, the first plan of its kind for a major Australian Government infrastructure project.
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said Western Sydney Airport was setting a new standard for engagement with Aboriginal communities.
Mr Tudge said the plan would ensure Aboriginal people received theb maximum in opportunities out of the massive investment in Western Sydney’
“The new airport will generate tens of thousands of jobs and we want Aboriginal people to be part of it.”
He said the plan would see that at least 2.4 per cent of the total workforce building the airport was Indigenous and a minimum 3 per cent of all contracts let during the construction stage will be with Indigenous firms.
Managing Director of Enable, Michael O’Loughlin, said the company was focused on delivering meaningful engagement with Indigenous Australians, including developing and implementing a Reconciliation Action Plan.
“By developing a broad-reaching, highly-inclusive Aboriginal Engagement Plan, Western Sydney Airport will raise the bar on all future engagements of this type,” Mr O’Loughlin said.
“We will work with local Aboriginal communities and stakeholders to inform the Engagement Plan and the local Darug people will obviously play a big part in our program as well as other Aboriginal stakeholders, local communities and our partners at Western Sydney Airport.”
Mr Tudge said Western Sydney Airport’s partnership with Enable and its commitment to continuing Indigenous participation in the project would build on existing relationships.
