Transport Minister Rita Saffioti today visited local workers on the Cape Leveque Road project, near Broome, which recently started pre-construction works.
Once completed, a sealed Broome-Cape Leveque Road will improve access through the Dampier Peninsula to Aboriginal communities, pastoral stations, pearling industries and tourist destinations.
The local government road that links Broome to the top of the peninsula is notoriously rough and dusty, and the latest sealing project is expected to provide a major boost to the region.
A 102km section of the road is already bitumised and the latest upgrade will seal the remaining 90km of Broome-Cape Leveque Road. The project will take three to four years to complete.
To recognise the traditional owners of the land that the Broome-Cape Leveque Road runs through, a welcome to country was performed by representatives from the Bindunbur (on Jabirr Jabirr country).
Main Roads Western Australia has worked closely with the local community, in particular to maximise Aboriginal job opportunities for the project.
The Cape Leveque Road project has created full-time work for 20 Aboriginal workers and ensured at least 20 per cent of the subcontract works are undertaken by Aboriginal businesses.
The project is one of the first to consider the State Government’s new Aboriginal Procurement Policy that will apply across government from July 1, 2018.
The final stage of Broome-Cape Leveque Road sealing will cost about $65 million, with $52.5 million of Commonwealth funding and $13.1 million of State Government funding.