The Australian Government’s Community Development Employment
Projects (CDEP) programme is performing strongly, with the latest performance
figures showing double the number of people moving from CDEP into paid work
over the past three months compared with the same period last year.
The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin
Andrews, hailed the latest figures as a major achievement in getting Indigenous
Australians into real jobs.
Between July and September 2006, 1482 people moved from CDEP
into paid work, compared with 731 people in the same period in 2005. This
improvement in performance is being seen more strongly in remote areas than in
urban areas.
“This result is proof that the significant reforms to
CDEP that the Government started in 2005-06 and has continued this financial
year are hitting the mark,” Mr Andrews said.
“I’m particularly pleased to see the impact these
reforms are having in regional and remote Australia with employment outcomes
for CDEP increasing by 113% on the previous year to date. We’ve also seen
strong performance in urban areas however with a 97% increase over the same
period”
“Indigenous Australians, many of whom have languished
for too long in make-work situations, are now beginning to reap the rewards of
the Government’s CDEP reforms and getting the opportunities they deserve to
share in the real economy.
“It’s good for the individuals, it’s good for their
families, and it’s good for employers and for the Australian taxpayer.
“For their part, Indigenous Australians have welcomed
and embraced the opportunities to move into real jobs. As a result, twice as
many Indigenous people are getting jobs.
“I’m delighted with this result and look forward to
even better results in the future.” Mr Andrews said