Remote Australian job seekers will have more employment opportunities and communities will have more say over how the Community Development Program is delivered locally under changes to the program.
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These changes will be part of the first phase of CDP reforms, which aim to increase CDP participants’ attendance and reduce penalties applied to remote job seekers.
Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion said 1000 subsidised jobs for CDP participants would be available from March 2019.
“These 1000 new jobs will be available throughout remote Australia,” Minister Scullion said.
“There will also be a focus on supporting Indigenous businesses, as these subsidies will help those businesses operating in remote Australia to expand and hire new staff.
The changed may never come to pass if the ALP comes to power at this year’s Federal Election as widely tipped as Labor has promised to replace the CDP as part of the ALP’s new Reconciliation Action Plan.
Minister Scullion also announced a further step in the transition to Indigenous organisations delivering CDP.
“This is because Indigenous organisations are better placed to engage with the community and respond to community priorities.
“Through the recent CDP provider selection process, I am delivering on that promise and from July 1 2019, all CDP providers will be Indigenous organisations, including around 20 new local Indigenous organisations.”
Minister Scullion said most of the organisations selected would be local to the regions where they will deliver services or will be partnered with a local Indigenous organisation.
He said notable CDP provider success stories included Regional Anangu Service Aboriginal Corporation (RASAC) in the APY Lands, which will continue to deliver CDP services after winning its first Funding Agreement last year and Winun Ngari in the Kimberley.
“Importantly, we have paved the way for many Indigenous organisations to deliver CDP for the first time.
“This includes Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation in the Cook region, Mokwiri Aboriginal Corporation in the Western Cape, Mungoorbada in Robinson River, Kalano in Katherine and Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council on Palm Island,” Minister Scullion said.
CDP supports job seekers in remote Australia to build skills, address barriers to employment and contribute to their communities through a range of flexible activities.
Since CDP was established in 2015, remote job seekers have been supported into more than 29,000 jobs. On over 10,000 occasions, these jobs have continued for at least six months.
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