The Australian Government will build on the early success of the Community Development Programme (CDP) by introducing a more direct and immediate compliance regime that will encourage jobseekers to be more active in their communities.

The Government will today introduce legislation to reform the CDP so that local service providers will make income support payments instead of Centrelink and there will be a stronger connection between jobseekers fulfilling their obligations and the income support they receive.

The Australian Government will provide the NSW/ACT Aboriginal Legal Service with $1.8 million to support the NSW Custody Notification Service (CNS) until June 30, 2019.

Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, provided the funding assurance to deliver certainty for this critical service. He also called on the NSW Government to meet its responsibility to support the service.

“I have been trying to get the NSW Government to fulfil its responsibilities in relation to this matter,” Minister Scullion said.