Leighton Contractors have completed phase one of the Ord East Kimberley Expansion Project irrigation channel.

The project comprised the construction of a 19.7km channel, 14km of drain infrastructure and a 14km road extension, bringing the irrigation channel to the start of the Goomig farm area.

The end-of-phase coincides with the State Government announcement Leighton had won the contract for phase two works on the Ord expansion project.

On average, more than 21 per cent of the local indigenous workforce was employed by the project throughout the 2010 and 2011 construction period.