Local councils are reconciling the impending boom in local jobs from the approaching Narromine to Narromine stretch of the Inland Rail, working to fill the local workforce demands with Indigenous workers from Western NSW. 

The shovels are yet to hit the dirt on the Narromine to Narrabri section but already local councils are predicting a worker shortage from their local talent pool, with over 1200 jobs predicted for the rail corridor. 

Narromine Shire Council Mayor Craig Davies said that the Inland Rail will already be a benefit to the shire, but there’s potential to help people further afield. 

“I’ve been in contact with all of the mayors and general managers of the councils in the Alliance of Western Councils and I’ve organised for them to be partners in a scheme that will take on indigenous workers onto Inland Rail,” Cr Davies said. 

Indigenous employment and opportunity is already a feature of the project according to Inland Rail, but the local initiative helps to ensure that the support remains in Western NSW. 

In the rail’s Narrabri to North Star section, Inland Rail say that 135 people out of the 920 people employed over 18 months were Indigenous. 71 of those Indigenous people were local to the area. 

Cr Davies said he facilitated discussions between Inland Rail and Indigenous employment company Indigeco to keep opportunities close to home. 

“Knowing that we will be major beneficiaries and we won’t be able to supply the number of Indigenous people that Inland Rail are looking for, we are hoping to attract other Indigenous staff from other areas in Western NSW,” he said. 

“The work is just as important as getting some training and some mentoring so that we can assist the future for them too,” Cr Davies said. 

With over a thousand jobs set to continue in the region well after completion of the railway track, not outsourcing to other regions is important, allowing the local economy and skillset to prosper. 

While Indigeco has been awarded a contract with Inland Rail in NSW as an employment service, it is unclear how successful the local councils have been in lobbying for keeping employment as close to home as possible. 

Indigeco have been contacted for comment.