Obi Obi Creek is one of six sites undergoing riverine restoration through the Landscape Repair Program. Indiji Civil was engaged to deliver the site's civil restoration works - their first riverine restoration project with BMRG. Despite fuel supply disruptions early in the year and wet conditions across several sites, the team completed the work to a high standard. But its contribution went beyond repairing the landscape: the project also provided a practical setting for Indiji Civil to begin putting its People at Risk approach into action, linking environmental restoration with meaningful pathways into employment, training and personal development.
For many people experiencing disadvantage, trauma or involvement with the justice system, finding a pathway into stable employment is not as simple as submitting a job application. Unstable circumstances, limited work experience, transport barriers and repeated setbacks can make it difficult to enter and remain in the workforce. This understanding is at the heart of the People at Risk Program being developed through a partnership between Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) and Indiji Civil.
Indiji Civil is a proudly Indigenous-owned and operated company specialising in civil construction, earthworks, rehabilitation and plant hire. Alongside delivering high-quality civil works, the company is committed to creating meaningful employment and training opportunities for Indigenous people and others who may have faced barriers to entering the workforce. The People at Risk Program aims to provide participants with experience in a genuine workplace, consistently supported by practical mentoring and progressively greater responsibility.
The approach is deliberately small, practical and personal. Rather than trying to reach large numbers of people with limited contact, it focuses on providing a smaller group of participants with the time, consistency and individual support needed to make lasting progress. The early stages focus on workplace orientation, safety requirements, site routines and entry-level activities. Participants can then progress into assisted labouring roles, learning about environmental controls, erosion protection, equipment care and how a civil worksite operates. As their skills and confidence grow, they may take greater ownership of tasks and gain exposure to more advanced activities. Where appropriate qualifications and site conditions allow, this can include supported pathways towards plant operation, formal training or further employment.
Importantly, the People @ Risk program is intended to build more than technical capability. Mentoring is built into everyday site leadership rather than delivered as a separate classroom-based program. Through routine, teamwork and positive workplace relationships, participants can strengthen their confidence, communication, reliability and ability to plan for the future. The long-term goal is not simply to help someone complete a short period of work. It is to support people to move beyond survival mode, recognise their own capabilities and begin building a career and future they can direct for themselves.
At Obi Obi Creek, Indiji Civil delivered complex works to stabilise the creek, including reshaping steep and unstable banks, installing pile fields, root balls and other timber structures, and placing rock armouring along vulnerable sections. The team approached the work with skill, care and a genuine willingness to share its knowledge. BMRG has been inspired by the company's commitment to both the quality of its work and the support of its people. The experience is helping BMRG and Indiji Civil understand how the People at Risk Program can be strengthened and applied through future landscape restoration projects across the region.
The Landscape Repair Program is funded by the Australian Government's Reef Trust
