CULTURE ON SITE: Perth Road Infrastructure Project Made Way for Truth-Telling and Connection to Land

A major Perth road infrastructure site became an unlikely backdrop for Aboriginal connection to Country on Friday morning, as construction workers briefly laid down their tools and site plans for a lesson on truth-telling.

IPS hosted a NAIDOC Week celebration at the Stephenson Avenue Extension project site office on Friday morning.

The occasion featured a powerful Welcome to Country and cultural session by Noongar language teacher, Jayden Boundry.

The interactive session explored local language, dreaming stories and the importance of truth-telling — all framed within this year’s NAIDOC theme of “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy – 50 Years of NAIDOC Week.”

“Today was a really special opportunity to celebrate NAIDOC Week here at the S2M Project office,” said IPS Executive Director and Noongar man, Cameron Wood.

“We had Jayden Boundry come out to share cultural knowledge, and we explored language, connection to Country, and the significance of NAIDOC."

"It was a chance to bring the team together — to connect over food and conversation and reflect on the importance of Aboriginal history and identity.”

The event was held at the office site of the Stephenson Avenue Extension infrastructure project, which is delivering a new connection from Cedric Street to Scarborough Beach Road.

The project includes an interchange at Mitchell Freeway with a southbound Smart Freeway on-ramp and new local road links to Ellen Stirling Boulevard — a critical piece of Perth’s transport puzzle aimed at easing congestion and improving access in the northern corridor.

As part of its partnership on the project, IPS provides end-to-end support across three pillars: Aboriginal Workforce Activations, Aboriginal Engagement, and Aboriginal Procurement.

In Workforce Activations, IPS supports culturally safe recruitment, employment programs and mentoring, while helping subcontractors meet Aboriginal participation targets.

In Engagement, the team works closely with Elders and cultural consultants to embed cultural awareness across the project.

Through Procurement, IPS connects contractors with Aboriginal businesses in construction, helping deliver real economic impact in line with the Indigenous Participation Policy (IPP).

“There are so many incredible Aboriginal businesses working in infrastructure,” Wood said.
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It’s been a privilege to help this project connect with them — and to support long-term, meaningful inclusion at every level.”

Jayden’s session highlighted the role of language in respect and reconciliation.

“I live for the day I walk into Bunnings or a coffee shop and hear someone greet me with ‘Kaya’ ('hello' in Noongar),” he told the team.

“Language is a part of our identity — it’s how we’ve spoken to country forever, and we should still be using it."

"It’s a simple way to show respect and grow together.”

He also spoke about the importance of truth-telling in building understanding and trust.

“If you went to school here, you probably didn’t learn much about the real history of this land,” he said.

“We learned about atrocities overseas but swept our own under the rug."

"We have to talk about what happened here so we can heal — that’s what truth-telling is.”

Jayden closed by sharing stories connected to the land, explaining how the footprints of spirit ancestors shaped country — and how those ancient song lines still influence the rhythms of place today.

“There are spots across this country where you just feel good — because they’ve been places of gathering, ceremony and healing for tens of thousands of years,” he said.

“When each of us brings our puzzle piece, we create something powerful together.”