Community Development Employment Projects

Community Development Employment Projects
Name	Community Development Employment Projects
Founded	1977
Dissolved	1985
Country	Australia
Administered by	Australian Public Service
Funding	Federal budget appropriations

Community Development Employment Projects Community Development Employment Projects were an Australian federal initiative established in the late 1970s to provide subsidised work, training and community infrastructure in remote and urban disadvantaged areas. Originating amid debates in the Whitlam Government aftermath and implemented during the Fraser Ministry, the projects intersected with institutions such as the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, and regional bodies like the Aboriginal Land Councils. The initiative influenced later programs under the Hawke Government and shaped policy dialogues involving the Australian Labor Party, the Liberal Party of Australia, and advocacy groups including the National Aboriginal Conference.

Background and Origins

The program emerged in the context of late 1970s Australian public policy debates involving the Commonwealth Employment Service, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and social planners from the Australian National University and the University of Sydney. Policy drafting drew on precedents such as the Works Progress Administration in the United States, the British New Deal-era schemes, and development thinking from researchers at the International Labour Organization. Prominent ministers and advisers from the Fraser Ministry negotiated frameworks with representatives from the Australian Council of Social Service, State Premiers, and Indigenous leaders from organisations like the Aboriginal Medical Service and the Northern Land Council.

Program Structure and Administration

Administration rested with the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations and later involved the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet for coordination with state agencies like the New South Wales Government and the Northern Territory Government. Funding decisions moved through the Parliament of Australia appropriation processes and scrutiny by committees such as the Joint Committee on Public Works. Local management often engaged community-controlled organisations like the Aboriginal Legal Service and regional development bodies such as the South Australian Department for Communities and Social Inclusion. Trade unions including the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union influenced job classifications and award coverage under the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.

Activities and Projects

Projects ranged from infrastructure works coordinated with municipal councils like the City of Sydney to remote community services in collaboration with the Yorta Yorta Nation and the Tiwi Islands. Activities included construction and maintenance of facilities linked to the Royal Flying Doctor Service airstrips, community health centres aligned with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and cultural programs supported by the Australia Council for the Arts. Training partnerships involved institutes such as the Technical and Further Education network and universities including Monash University and Griffith University. Environmental tasks connected to agencies like the Australian Conservation Foundation and projects in partnership with the Parks and Wildlife Service featured revegetation and landcare initiatives influenced by practitioners from the CSIRO.

Social and Economic Impacts

Analyses by scholars at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the Australian National University, and the Grattan Institute assessed effects on employment rates reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and on regional indicators tracked by state treasuries such as the New South Wales Treasury. The program aided participants associated with community organisations like the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and stimulated local economies near industrial hubs including Port Kembla and mining towns in Western Australia. Policy commentators from publications tied to the Lowy Institute and the Institute of Public Affairs debated impacts alongside evaluations by the Commonwealth Auditor-General and case studies produced by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics from groups including the Australian Council of Social Service and academic authors from the University of New South Wales questioned program efficiency cited in reports presented to the Parliamentary Library. Trade union disputes arose that involved the Australian Council of Trade Unions and employer organisations such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry over displacement and award coverage. Controversies included debates with Indigenous organisations like the Aboriginal Legal Service about community control, legal challenges referencing interpretations from the High Court of Australia, and media coverage in outlets such as The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Legacy and Influence on Policy

The program influenced subsequent federal initiatives under the Hawke Government including employment measures connected to the Community Employment Program and informed policy instruments administered by the Department of Social Security and the Department of Employment, Education and Training. Its approaches to community engagement were cited in reforms coordinated with the Council of Australian Governments and in Indigenous policy dialogues involving the National Native Title Tribunal and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. Scholars at institutions like the Australian National University and think tanks such as the Centre for Policy Development reference the program in comparative studies with international schemes like those overseen by the International Labour Organization and modern employment policy experiments in the United Kingdom and Canada.

Category:Employment programs in Australia Category:Public policy in Australia Category:Indigenous Australian affairs