North West Alliance

Building a positive workforce through Indigenous enterprise

Published on Jul. 19, 2024
9 mins

The Challenge

The Pilbara region in Western Australia covers more than 500 thousand square kilometres of arid land. Due to the vastness of this region, remote townships and mining villages need to carefully forecast, plan and ensure that they have a reliable supply chain to remain self-sufficient. This includes waste management and recycling materials, with limited landfills being easily accessible in these remote locations.

Sodexo Australia (Sodexo) provides waste management services to more than 30 remote villages and townships in the region, managing the safe disposal or recycling of 720 tonnes of waste monthly. To do this, Sodexo requires a transparent and trustworthy partner.

A Collaborative Solution

Since 2018, Sodexo has partnered with waste management and environmental services company, North West Alliance (NWA).

Emu Nest's vision is to foster Aboriginal economic futures by creating nests of opportunity for people, family and country. Emu Nest were established to enable their beneficiaries to generate intergenerational wealth, overcome hardship and participate in the economy. They invest in initiatives which provide a sustainable financial return and create environmental, economic and social value.

With waste transfer stations located throughout the region, NWA is the largest Aboriginal waste company in the Pilbara, employing over 100 people.

NWA prioritises local employment to service the whole of the Pilbara region and has achieved a consistently high rate of Aboriginal and female engagement, with emphasis on the safe and timely service to the sites it services. Sodexo and NWA’s partnership is collaborative, with both entities participating in logistic planning, as well as forward planning for cyclones and other extreme weather events.

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Results Achieved Together

Sodexo’s long-term partnership with NWA has supported growth in the business, with NWA’s capabilities growing by 51% in spend and 98% in waste removed over the life of the partnership. Currently, the services NWA provide are valued at approximately $2 million per annum. Since its formation in 2013, North West Alliance has generated over $100 million in economic impact to the Pilbara region.

Sodexo and NWA’s shared commitment to diverse workforces has supported NWA’s employment objectives to achieve 20% Indigenous, 30% female, and 75% local employment.