A couple of former Wallabies stars have been offered a historic contract as part of the build for Stage 3 of the Gold Coast Light Rail.
Brothers Saia and Anthony Fainga’a are the founders of Moonyah Workforce, which trains workers in traffic management and construction, with a focus on supporting First Nations workers.
On Thursday it was confirmed they had been awarded a three-year contract to provide traffic management for the $1.2 billion extension from Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads.
It’s one of the biggest civil contracts awarded to a certified Indigenous-owned and operated business.
Anthony Fainga’a, who takes a hands-on role with workers and clients, says it will make a major difference in the lives of local workers.
“I’m excited about what this will mean for the incredible people we work with and those we hope to provide with new prospects,” he said.
“This deal will give more of our worker’s meaningful opportunities to improve their lives and support their families.
“We want to create a safe workplace where everyone is welcome, knows they’ll get a fair go, and that we’ll listen.”
Brother Saia said it was important for them to be able to give back.
“It’s so important to us to give back to the community and give people chances just like we got when we were able to play rugby at school and later as Wallabies,” he said.
“To be able to use our profiles and our voices to find work for people who want it is so worthwhile. It doesn’t matter where you’ve come from or what your situation is, everyone deserves a chance at a better future.
“People said we’d never play for the Wallabies, but we always had the support of our families. Now we want to be that support for people looking for work.”
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said it was important to support local jobs.
“All of our infrastructure projects support good jobs, and light rail is no different, “ Mr Bailey said.
“Boosting the local economy, while building transport connections to support this major growth region, means prioritising local jobs that attract and develop talent.”
