Glen Groves putting students through training during Cape York NRM’s gully erosion mitigation works on Normanby Station recently.
BOTH the Great Barrier Reef and Indigenous students benefited from a recent Cape York Natural Resource Management project on Normanby Station.
The vital gully erosion mitigation works were carried out late last month to prevent runoff into the Great Barrier Reef, and also provided practical on-ground training in mobile plant operation for eight students.
The $1.38 million project aims to provide environmental, employment and social outcomes on Normanby and Melsonby stations, with participants supported and mentored by Indigenous peers.
The students were put through intensive training in machinery operation and earthmoving techniques while completing the gully remediation works and track and road development and maintenance.
Glen Groves of MAC Training Solutions said the week on country was “absolutely fantastic”.
“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,” Mr Groves said.
The students will receive excavator, skid steer and roller tickets, which builds on three previous rounds of machinery operator certification courses in 2021 and 2022.
