New skills training a win-win for Normanby

Normanby Station was the scene of vital gully erosion mitigation works during August 21-25, 2023, which also combined practical on-ground training for Indigenous students and contributes to the overall improvement of waterways that run into the Great Barrier Reef. 

Six Indigenous students were hosted at the station, approximately 70 kilometres from Cooktown, to take part in theory and practical training in mobile plant operation, while managing gully erosion in Cape York’s Normanby Catchment.

The $1.338 million Cape York Gully Remediation and Creation of Indigenous Employment Pathways Project, being delivered by Cape York NRM, aims to provide environmental, employment and social outcomes on-Country at Normanby and Melsonby Stations, with participants supported and mentored by Indigenous peers. 

The students were provided with intensive training in machinery operation and earthmoving techniques, through practical works in remediation of gully features, and track and road development and maintenance. The experience also fosters social and emotional wellbeing through interactions within a work team setting. 

“It’s been an absolutely fantastic week,” MAC Training Solutions’ trainer Glen Groves said. “We’ve now got a crew of guys: no one needs me, no one’s asking questions, we’ve got trenches happening, we’ve got backhoes happening, we’ve got rollers making roads, guys on graders, absolutely fantastic.

“A big shout out to Cape York NRM for putting this together, an absolutely awesome job, helping us change lives and helping the people on land to get ahead.” 

Following the training, the students will receive the following tickets:

• RIIMPO320F Conduct civil construction excavator operations
• RIIMPO318F Conduct civil construction skid steer loader operations
• RIIMPO317F Conduct roller operations

The project builds on three previous rounds of machinery operator certification in 2021 and 2022, through a Department of Resources gully remediation project. While organising the previous training rounds, Cape York NRM staff received significant interest from Indigenous people and all three training courses were oversubscribed. 

The new Reef Assist 2.0 Project has extended opportunities to continue this training, while at the same time completing important environmental works to reduce sediment loss from the landscape to the Reef, and supporting the capacity building of First Nations people. 

The Cape York Gully Remediation and Creation of Indigenous Employment Pathways Project is being delivered by Cape York NRM and key delivery partners and funded through the $33.5 million Reef Assist program under the Queensland Government's Queensland Reef Water Quality Program.