A diverse supply chain

A number of Victorian companies are providing life-changing opportunities for local employment, as part of their works on major transport infrastructure projects across the state.

A number of businesses who work with Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) are driven by an ethos of providing employment opportunities to communities that would otherwise face significant obstacles in the labour market.

This forms part of MRPV’s vision of a strong, sustainable and diverse infrastructure sector. 

Key to achieving these milestones is supporting businesses that are contributing to the betterment of the industry, particularly when it comes to removing barriers to meaningful employment.

LaTrobe Valley Enterprises (LVE) is one such company. Suzanne Lewis, CEO – Latrobe Valley Enterprises says LVE works to remove barriers to employment. 

“We provide meaningful and sustainable employment to people living with disabilities,” Lewis says.

“We have approximately 100 people with a number of those people living with various disabilities, whether they be intellectually or physically disabled.”

Around 85 per cent of LVE’s entire workforce has disabilities. General Manager Operations Mark MacManus says the company’s ethos has remained intact since its inception, with a focus on grasping opportunities and growth.

“We’ve been going for close to 57 years now and since we started the goal was to provide opportunities. As the business has grown and we’ve started to work in a lot of different areas,” he says.

“This growth has meant that we’ve needed to make sure that our business can continue to grow and offer more people opportunities. That’s a big part of our work, we make sure that it’s sustainable so we can continue to do this into the future.” 

LVE offers a variety of services for projects of all sizes, such as sign making, recycling, business support services and grounds & facilities maintenance.

LVE’s variety and quality of services has led to the company winning several contracts for works on infrastructure projects with Major Road Projects Victoria. 

This includes works on Princes Highway East, the third and final stage of the upgrade is delivering 43 kilometres of duplicated highway between Traralgon and Sale in the state’s east.

LVE has also delivered signage works for projects that form part of the Regional Rail Revival program.

“We’ve had a great relationship,” says Lewis on the affiliation between MRPV and LVE. “MRPV has been on that whole journey of social enterprise. There’s a lot of organisations that might speak about social enterprise, or about people living with disabilities, but they don’t truly live it.”

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All in 

Another company that’s opening doors for employment is NLA Logistics. 

NLA Logistics is the only 100 per cent Aboriginal Female Owned plant hire business in Victoria, catering for the plant hire needs for major infrastructure works.

With works on projects such as the Monash Freeway Upgrade, Hall Road Upgrade, Glen Huntly Level Crossing Removal Project and Epping Road Upgrade, NLA has grown rapidly since its foundation seven years ago.

Director Nicole. A says NLA has grown its fleet to more than 150 contractors, with more than 15 units of its own. 

In the beginning, she owned and operated the one truck business, before expanding the company’s capabilities for works across Melbourne.

“We try and engage as many members of the Aboriginal community as we can,” she says. “We try and engage contractors to help them to get work. It doesn’t have to be for us, it doesn’t have to benefit us. It’s just to help them.”

NLA contains a diverse workforce, with many contractors from a variety of backgrounds, as Nicole. A explains. 

“A lot of our [staff] are refugees, asylum seekers, former defence personnel and more,” she says.

She adds that this generosity and commitment to providing opportunities stemmed from her own personal experiences during the early days of NLA. 

“I didn’t have that support from anybody with my business. It’s not easy, so if we can help someone when we can, we try to,” she says.

“A lot of the contractors come to me and say that if it wasn’t for NLA they wouldn’t be in the industry, or they would be in a poor financial situation. They’re very thankful.”

She’s also recognised higher quality outcomes during projects, thanks in part to the commitment and thankfulness of NLA’s contractors. 

“I think it’s very rewarding. I find that they actually care about what they’re doing, they care about their own business, and they care about NLA. It makes them happy to come to work and this shows in their work ethic,” she says. 

This has been prevalent on the company’s recent works on the Hall Road, Carrum Downs Upgrade. Beginning early last year, NLA was tasked with a variety of cartage responsibilities on the works, including the transportation of quarry products and exporting clean fill.

These works will wrap up in 2024, but the impact of providing employment and industry opportunities will last a lifetime, she says.

“Some other plant hire businesses treat contractors like a number. But I like to find out what our contractors need and if we can help them,” she says. “That’s how I choose to run the business.” 

This article was originally published in the August edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.