National Intermodal Partners with Kinaway!
Overview of the Partner’s business
National Intermodal is a Commonwealth-owned business dedicated to developing a network of modern, open-access intermodal precincts across Australia. These precincts will be operated and delivered to support the Inland Rail project on behalf of the Australian Government, helping to revolutionise how products are transported across the country.
Australia is currently facing a freight challenge driven by a significant increase in the volume of goods being consumed. While population growth contributes to this trend, changing consumer habits—particularly the rise of online shopping—play an even greater role. These shifts require goods to travel longer distances, increasing the demand for high-quality, strategically located industrial land to support efficient logistics hubs.
National Intermodal, in collaboration with Inland Rail, plays a vital role in the Australian Government’s long-term strategy to meet the freight challenges of the next 20 years. Together, they aim to transform Australia’s supply chains for generations to come.
How has the Partner engaged with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island businesssector? What actions have they taken to reconciliation? Any special programs, projects or collaborations? E.g. RAPs, employment, procurement
As a partner in the NSW, Moorebank Intermodal Precinct we have engaged with traditional owners throughout the development process, including re-burial of encountered artefacts and next week, as part of the commencement of new construction activities we will be holding a smoking ceremony.
However, holistically speaking, National Intermodal is really at the beginning of its reconciliation journey and in seeking greater engagement with the Indigenous sector. To inform that journey, we sought assistance from 15xBetter with the development of our First Nation’s Strategy in mid-2024. We also prepared and submitted our first REFLECT RAP to Reconciliation Australia in 2024. This RAP was endorsed in late 2024 and launched publicly in December 2025. Since then the business has established a RAP Working Group, joined Supply Nation to cover all our sites and now joined Kinaway to heavily localise those efforts around our Beveridge project. While starting from a low base, our efforts have already resulted in a number of new suppliers to National Intermodal from design services, to office supplies, catering, workwear and cultural awareness training. During NRW we will also be launching our very first on-line cultural awareness training provided by CATOnline. We will be asking all employees and controlled contractors to complete this training and will be making it a mandatory part of on-boarding for new employees.
In Victoria specifically, we are working closely with the Wurundjeri to shape a long-term relationship ( our infrastructure project if green-lit will be in operation for many decades) around shared objectives such as promoting cultural heritage, supporting employment/economic engagement, restoring waterways and more.
Why did the Partner sign up with Kinaway? What was the driving factor?
We want to support the Wurundjeri partnership, and with its focus on local employment and economic engagement, we see Kinaway as one more way we can support that objective. National intermodal does not know the local indigenous businesses or workforce and so Kinaway’s expertise in these areas, as well as cultural training, procurement and more is seen as a great way for us to support the Wurundjeri relationship. More broadly to that, we also hope that together National Intermodal, the Wurundjeri and Kinaway will be able to ensure the freight precinct provides opportunities for Indigenous engagement, for many decades to come.
Lastly - By staying true to our desire to act at both a national and a local level, our local partnership with Kinaway will work in perfect alignment with our existing Supply Nation relationship.
Kinaway will be able to support a more targeted and localised diversification of suppliers and First Nation employment opportunities within Victoria, as well as provide us with access to locally relevant cultural training.
We look forward to commencing our partnership with Kinaway and further strengthening relationships within our Victorian communities.