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52m ago

Class Action Alleges Discrimination Against First Nations People in Remote Work-for-the-Dole Scheme

The Federal Court claim seeks compensation plus repayment of fines for remote participants who lawyers say faced tougher rules than urban jobseekers.

The Milingimbi community and work fair in 2015, where Senator Scullion launched the federal government's Community Development Program. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
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A woman and elderly man sitting at a table with serious expressions.

Overview

  • Maurice Blackburn filed the case in the Federal Court against the Commonwealth over the Community Development Program covering 2015–2021.
  • The claim says remote participants had to work 50 hours a fortnight year-round versus a 30-hour cap for six months in city programs, leading to an estimated 30 million extra hours.
  • Plaintiffs say First Nations participants were about 27 times more likely to be penalised than urban counterparts, with repayments of fines and damages sought for hardship.
  • The proceeding could cover roughly 20,000 people across 60 remote communities in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia.
  • Lead applicant Serena Markawatch-Bonson from Maningrida reports 17 penalties over five years; the CDP is due to be replaced by the Remote Australia Employment Service on 1 November, and a 2019 Ngaanyatjarra Shire payout is cited as precedent.