Workers from the Central Land Council have immediately put their training in operating heavy machinery to good use.

Four rangers plus 3 land management staff have cleared rubbish from a sacred women’s site at Aputula, formerly known as Finke, 317km south of Alice Springs.

Rubbish from a nearby tip was encroaching on the sacred site, which is known as the kungka tree.

The workers successfully completed a skid steer loader operations course, which qualifies them to use bobcats and other heavy machinery.

Ranger Kitana Shaw told the Central Land Council’s Land Rights News that she loves the training course.

“I’m learning new things and I’m getting my way through it.”

She enjoys comments such as ‘we look deadly’ and being called the ‘bobcat girl’.

“The best thing about it is driving through Finke and seeing all the uncles and the families and the little cousin brothers just looking at me and putting their thumbs up.

“We see a lot of men in a bobcat and now it’s time to change the gender stereotype. We can do it if we put our mind to it. Yes, we’re strong enough to do it.”

The Central Land Council engaged Civil Contractors Federation NT to deliver the course, which included planning and preparing, conducting machinery pre-operation checks, operating skid loaders, lifting, carrying and placing materials, and carrying out machine operator maintenance.

It was overseen by trainer Steve Scheyer under the Territory Government’s Aboriginal Responsive Skilling Grants program, which provides access to training that leads to jobs.

The aim of the training is to boost regional economic development, create new local jobs and boost the capabilities of the workforce.

Training can either be accredited or non-accredited.

For more information, go to the Northern Territory Government website.