Editors --- "Community Development Employment Projects Scrapped - Digest" [2007] AUIndigLawRw 24; (2007) 11(1) Australian Indigenous Law Review 133

• Community Development Employment Projects Scrapped

Community Development Employment Projects Scrapped

Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

17 February 2007

The Federal Government has announced that the Community Development Employment Project (CDEPs) will be scrapped Australia wide, except for in remote communities where the unemployment rate is above 7%.

According to the Federal Government, CDEPs – which pay Aboriginal people a little over $200 a week for 16 hours work – are a disincentive to work and are too generous.

After a consultation process, CDEPs in 41 cities and towns will be replaced with Structured Training and Employment Projects (STEP) Centres, which will act as jobs brokerage offices. The new program will be implemented by July 2007, and is estimated to affect over 6,000 people currently involved in the CDEP scheme.

The text of the Government’s Policy Announcement to scrap CDEP is available at the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website: <http://mediacentre.dewr.gov.au/mediacentre/AllReleases/2007/February/IndigenousEmploymentServicesReformsAnnounced.htm>