Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to add to some information to an answer to a question that I received from Senator Siewert yesterday. SIHIP is delivering training and employment for local Indigenous people in remote locations. Every hour of SIHIP work attracts payment at or above the award wage, including for those who are on CDEP work placement, and 784 Indigenous employees have been employed since the commencement of SIHIP across the various packages of work around the Northern Territory to date. At 8 November 2010, 323 Indigenous people were employed by SIHIP in 53 communities and town camps across the Northern Territory.

The duration of SIHIP projects in communities varies depending on whether new houses are being built, upgraded or refurbished. The SIHIP southern refurbishment package in the central region involves relatively short time periods. For this reason the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has approved the alliance partner using labour hire arrangements with CDEP service providers to employ people for short-term periods at award rates. This is the same arrangement CDEP offers other employers in order to secure work placements for participants. As at 8 November, a total of 58 Indigenous people were employed in this package, 10 of whom are on this CDEP arrangement. This has provided valuable work experience and on-the-job training.