WA companies win Great Central Road works

A joint venture between Carey Mining and Central Earthmoving has secured sealing works on Great Central Road under a $20 million contract, with the project jointly funded by the state and federal governments.

The consortium is named the Wongutha Way Alliance, referring to the broad group of local Aboriginal people who reside in the Wongutha area.

Carey Mining won the work through its subsidiary Carey MC.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt said the communities along the Great Central Road offer unique cultural experiences and give tourists insight into Australia’s Aboriginal heritage.

“This project will see up to 30 Aboriginal people involved in construction works and ongoing employment opportunities, with an expected economic boost from an increase in visitors to the area,” he said.

The Alliance will complete work on the 41 kilometre section of Great Central Road, including reconstructing pavement and sealing the road surface.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said the project formed part of the longer-term upgrade of ‘Outback Way’.

“This will create Australia’s third Transcontinental Highway, providing a sealed route starting in Laverton, Western Australia, through Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and connecting all the way to Winton in Queensland,” he said.

Federal Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson said the Alliance had been preparing for the project since 2019, with the recruitment of local Aboriginal people into structured training programs.

The programs included theory and practical training modules, undertaken in the Laverton Community Hall, Carey’s Laverton yard and nearby sites.

A graduation ceremony was held in Laverton in February whereby trainees were presented with a training certificate and offered a job with Carey Mining to work on the project.

The federal government has committed $37.2 million towards the project, and the state government $9.3 million.