Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator McCarthy. This month marked the Albanese Labor government delivering on its commitment to abolish the failed Community Development Program, replacing it with the new Remote Australia Employment Service. How will this new service better support people in remote communities to build skills, find work and participate in their local economies?

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Stewart for the question and for her work in the area of economic empowerment for First Nations people—in particular, for her artwork on her Christmas card, by the way. On 1 November, the Albanese Labor government delivered on its commitment to abolish the failed Community Development Program and to replace it with the new Remote Australia Employment Service, or RAES. For years, remote communities were very clear. The CDP was not working and it focused on compliance rather than opportunity. It did not deliver the real jobs, training or pathways people asked for.

RAES is changing that. It will provide tailored support to around 40,000 participants across 1,200 remote communities. It will help people build the skills they need to become job ready, to move into work when it's available and, crucially, to stay in work through greater access to mentoring and ongoing support.

Where the job market is limited in these communities, RAES providers will engage participants in local community projects that build practical skills and confidence. At least 25 per cent of provider funding will be invested directly into these projects, giving communities the flexibility to design solutions that meet their own employment needs.

This is about shifting from a top-down model to genuine partnership. We've already seen the impact through job trials that informed the design of RAES in Galiwin'ku—just one example. The Miyalk Kitchen has supported 28 Yolngu people to build a thriving community enterprise, creating pathways to long-term employment and even supporting faster delivery of housing projects in the region.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Stewart, first supplementary?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for that update. The Remote Australia Employment Service is a major new investment in remote Australia. How will the Remote Australia Employment Service work alongside the government's remote jobs and economic development program to create real jobs in remote communities?

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senators will be very familiar with the catchphrase that I've been speaking about, and that is 'jobs, jobs, jobs' in our remote communities. While RAES is an employment service that provides skills training and activities to get people job ready, we know the reality in some of our remote communities is that their job market is limited. That's why we're delivering on our commitment to creating 3,000 jobs in remote communities under our Remote Jobs and Economic Development program. That program, RJED, is currently rolling out. These are real jobs that provide the dignity of work with proper pay and conditions, like sick leave, annual leave and superannuation. These jobs are rolling out in communities in industries like health, education, tourism, land management and cultural services.

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians in remote communities deserve a government that delivers appropriate services and employment opportunities. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering jobs in remote communities making a real difference to empower Australians living in the bush?

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When we develop policies for remote communities, I want to ensure that it's done in a way that does maximise the catchphrase of 'jobs, jobs, jobs'. Two examples of this are Indigenous rangers and food security. Both of these policies are creating even more jobs on top of our commitment to 3,000 remote jobs. On rangers, last week, I announced 900 new ranger jobs on top of that. They will be created in the latest round of funding as this government continues on the path to deliver on our commitment to double the ranger workforce by the end of the decade. On food security, we're also delivering a new nutrition workforce in remote communities, with over 100 locally employed positions in remote stores. These roles will provide culturally appropriate nutrition support delivered by local people in local languages, improving health outcomes while creating new employment pathways.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And I inform the Senate that there was a brief power outage at the Telopea Park Substation. Maintenance teams are currently working on resetting infrastructure that has been affected by the outage.