NT organisations in Central Australia call for permanent rise in social security payments

ABORIGINAL organisations in Central Australia are putting pressure on the federal government to permanently raise income support payments and create more jobs

Groups are calling on the federal government to permanently raise income support

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ABORIGINAL organisations in Central Australia are putting pressure on the federal government to permanently raise the rate of income support after seeing promising signs of improved standards of living thanks to temporary coronavirus supplement payments.

The Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the Northern Territory joined hundreds of organisations around Australia in calling for a permanent increase to welfare payments and more jobs in remote communities.

Central Land Council CEO Joe Martin-Jard said temporary coronavirus supplement payments has already improved the health of Aboriginal people in remote communities and it should be a more permanent measure.

“We heard from our constituents that people were less stressed about money, had more food in the fridge and they were able to buy warm clothes for winter,” he said.

While facing extremely high rates of poverty, the cost of food and other essentials in remote communities has been growing, with a basket of healthy food estimated to cost $319 more in a community store than in a Darwin supermarket.

“There just aren’t enough jobs [in community] at this point. People ae keen to work and older people are keen to see young people with working and making an income and being productive,” Mr Martin-Jard said.

“They’re worried with the alternative which is becoming welfare dependant and all the inherent problems that come with that.”

Leaders in the Aboriginal Peak Organisations have also raised concern in the government’s community development program which they claim has stifled job creation and financially penalised people forced to work for less than a fair wage.

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Associate legal director of Human Rights Law Centre Adrianne Walters said communities cannot afford to go back to lower welfare incomes.

“We cannot go back to the indignity of people scraping to survive on $40 a day,” she said. “The Government should permanently raise payments and end discrimination in the social security system to ensure every person has enough money to live a decent life.”