Ross Rosas’ Journey with ATW at the Kidston Hydro Project
Discover how Ross Rosas, a proud Indigenous worker from Far North Queensland, received training with Australian Training Works (ATW) and secured full-time employment on the Genex Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project.
Ross Rosas knows what it’s like to travel far for work. Originally from Herberton, in Far North Queensland, he was working over in Western Australia when he heard about an opportunity to return home and work on the Genex Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project.
“I was going to WA for work at the beginning of last year, but then ATW mentioned that there was a job coming at the Kidston Hydro. So that gave me an idea just to stay back,” Ross recalls.
For Ross, this meant not only securing employment but also staying closer to family, something that had become increasingly important as his mother got older. “Mum’s getting on, so I said, ‘Oh, well, that’ll be good. Closer to home, 45 minutes, don’t have to go all the way to WA.’”
The choice to pursue employment at Kidston extended beyond mere convenience, it represented an opportunity to build a promising future while maintaining a strong connection to the land and community that held significant importance to him.
Ross’s journey back home started with training facilitated by Tracks Indigenous Services and Australian Training Works (ATW), ensuring he and other Indigenous workers were fully prepared for the demands of the job.
“Tracks got us all down into Kuranda, all filled out forms and that stuff to apply for these positions and everything,” Ross explains. “They took us down to ATW to introduce us to Tony and all the crew there. Then we did a three-month course on the loader, the dump truck, and a few other little jobs that we need a certificate for, like confined space.”
The structured three-month program provided hands-on experience with heavy machinery, including dump trucks and loaders, and certifications in confined space safety, skills that would be useful well beyond the Kidston project.
“It’s a good thing too, that I got to learn how to drive the dump trucks to come in and out,” he says. “And the agi trucks also. So that’s given us a bit of a benefit for the next job coming up.”
Ross had always been interested in operating heavy machinery, and this program gave him the skills and confidence to do so.
While Ross has learned a lot, he remains eager to expand his skillset. “There’s other things I’d like to learn, like getting on a monitor a bit more. That’s other tickets I'd like to get, but that’ll come one day.”
Beyond the skills and experience, Ross has also gained financial stability, something that has had a significant impact on his life and his ability to support his family.
“This job here really helped a lot because I got money coming in, I really like to help out the family, my own kids, and the family business.”
With a steady income, Ross has been able to save and invest in his family’s future. “The regular income—I can save, I can help the family when they need it. I’m the father there to help them out, you know? Like they say, the more you give, you receive more.”
Ross and his family live off the grid, and his dream is to invest in housing arrangements for his immediate family.
“With the money that I’m putting aside, I want to get, like, dongers for living and just have them around for my kids whenever they come back on the land and live.”
Beyond his immediate family, Ross had larger aspirations. He and his siblings were in the process of launching an Indigenous cultural tourism business, a venture aimed at sharing their heritage while generating economic opportunities for the community. With the financial security afforded by his job, Ross was able to invest in the business, helping to secure vehicles and infrastructure needed to get the operation off the ground.
His long-term vision extended even further. Living off the grid on his family’s land, he envisioned sustainable living solutions that would allow his children to return home when they were ready. Plans for an eel farm, fruit trees, and crops like watercress and taro—staples in traditional cooking—were all on his horizon. The financial stability from his job at Kidston was not just changing his life in the present; it was laying the foundation for a future deeply connected to culture and community.
“I want to try to make an eel farm, watercress, and taro. That’s one of the main food sources that we like to have there for the cultural cooking and everything.”
Ross’s success was not a coincidence, it was the result of deliberate efforts to include Indigenous workers in the Kidston Hydro Project. NAIF’s investment in the project came with clear expectations that the proponent would implement an Indigenous Engagement Strategy, ensuring that local communities, not just outside contractors, benefited from the work.
Through partnerships with organisations like ATW and Tracks Indigenous Services, the project created a structured employment pathway for Indigenous workers. Instead of simply offering short-term jobs, it provided training, skills development, and long-term career prospects.
Ross’s journey shows how infrastructure investment, when done with inclusivity in mind, can create lasting economic and social benefits.
“ATW working in with Genex—that’s great for getting an opportunity for us Indigenous boys here to work,” Ross says.
For Ross, the experience has been more than just a job, it has been an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to reconnect with others in his community. Working alongside other Indigenous employees has reinforced the importance of representation in large projects. Seeing familiar faces on-site, sharing stories, and learning from one another has made the work feel more meaningful.
“I feel great about what I’ve achieved,” he says. “It’s given me an open mind. I always wanted to drive a dump truck, get on out and do that sort of work. I was chasing mining for a long time, but this has really helped me to know what the feeling’s like—driving dump trucks in and out of the tunnels. It’s been a great opportunity.”
One of the things Ross has valued most is working alongside other Indigenous workers, strengthening connections and creating a sense of camaraderie on-site.
“You know, it’s good seeing the other Indigenous boys out here and then other guys that I’ve met. So it’s been great, having a catch-up with them and finding out where they’re from. And I like that. That’s been great—catching them up here.”
For other Indigenous workers looking for opportunities, Ross encourages them to take advantage of the training and support available.
“There’s work out there if they look for it,” he says. “If they try hard, they might quite enjoy it, you know? And then find themselves employment, get financially stable, and all that stuff.”
Ross knows firsthand how life-changing a job like this can be. “It’s worthwhile getting into the training side of things,” he says. “Through ATW, you get the training and coming out here and working—it’s been a great opportunity.”
Ross Rosas’ story highlights how meaningful employment, skills development, and strategic investment in major infrastructure developments can transform lives. With NAIF ensuring that Indigenous workers are not just included but actively supported in major projects, people like Ross Rosas are not just building tunnels, they’re building their own futures.
Find out more about the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project
