The Australian Government will begin reforms to its remote employment and community development service from March 2019.

Job seekers in remote parts of Australia will have more opportunities for flexible working arrangements under the first phase of changes to the Government’s Community Development Program (CDP).

The changes have been designed to facilitate greater employment outcomes for CDP participants. Phase one of the reforms includes increasing flexibility for job seekers to complete their mutual obligation requirements and reducing maximum participation hours from 25 hours per week to up to 20 hours per week.

Changes to the provider payment model will also be introduced to incentivise CDP providers to offer a more tailored service to keep participants engaged in activities or in a job.

Under the changes, the program will only be delivered by Indigenous organisations, giving communities greater control over how the program is administered.

The Government’s full suite of changes will be introduced later this year following the passage of legislation.

To find out more information on the reforms visit the Community Development Program page.