In February 2024, the Australian Government announced that it would invest $707 million to deliver a new Remote Jobs and Economic Development (RJED) program. This is the first stage in replacing the Community Development Program (CDP). The new program will provide people in remote communities with meaningful jobs with fair pay and conditions.
The RJED program is being developed in partnership with First Nations people and will initially fund 3,000 jobs gradually over three years, starting in the second half of 2024.
It will support job seekers currently participating in, or eligible for, CDP to move into employment.
A $185 million Community Jobs and Business Fund is an important element of the RJED program and responds to what communities have asked for. As part of this fund, community organisations can identify jobs and projects the community needs, and when applying for jobs, are also able to apply for funding of minor capital work and equipment.
There will also be a focus on young people to improve their employment opportunities once they have finished school.
The second stage of replacing CDP is the design and delivery of a new remote employment service.
The new remote employment service will complement the RJED program. It will support people who are not job-ready, or who are unable to be placed in a job right away, with the skills and resources they need.
CDP services will continue through an extension of most CDP provider agreements until 30 June 2025, before a new remote employment service begins on 1 July 2025.
This remote employment reform is about creating real jobs that communities want, supported by employment services.
You can read:
Consultation opportunities
In 2023, the NIAA consulted with more than 2,250 people and visited over 100 remote communities to hear from First Nations people about what they thought should be included in a new jobs program in CDP communities. What we heard led to the announcement of the new RJED program, with a commitment to develop this new program in partnership with First Nations peoples.
Further consultations took place between April and July 2024 on the design of the RJED program and how it should work in practice. There were face-to-face and virtual consultations in around 200 remote communities and we spoke with more than 3,100 people including community members, job seekers, employers, CDP providers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations, council members and other relevant stakeholders. We also received more than 80 submissions in response to a discussion paper and an online survey.
We also sought feedback on the draft Grant Opportunity Guidelines (GOGs) for the RJED program. What we heard is informing the final GOGs for the program.
While the NIAA welcomes further feedback at any time, any submitted after the listed closing deadlines may only receive limited consideration. This may be provided through peak bodies or First Nations Representative Organisations. Feedback or questions can also be provided directly to remote.jobs@niaa.gov.au.
First Nations Reference Group
A new First Nations Reference Group was established in March 2024 to oversee and advise on the design and implementation of the RJED program.
You can read former Minister Burney's media release about the First Nations Reference Group and its Terms of Reference.
Advice from the FNRG's design sessions and meetings with former Minister Burney, now Minister McCarthy, is helping inform the co-design for the new remote jobs program, including the grant process.
Feedback from the FNRG, community consultations, and findings from existing evidence on remote employment have informed elements of the draft Grant Opportunity Guidelines – which were open for public consultation until 31 July 2024.
You can read a summary of the options and issues FNRG considered in the program design to inform the draft GOGs.
You can read the Group's communiqués from their meetings below:
Job trials
The current three job trials underway – the New Jobs Program Trial, CDP Trials and Ngaanyatjarra Lands Trial – are helping us test what works and what doesn’t work so we can create the best possible program for the future.
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Are you interested in the development of the RJED program, the new remote employment service and remote employment reform more broadly?
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More information
- Contact us: remote.jobs@niaa.gov.au
- For enquires about the CDP in your region, contact your local provider or your nearest NIAA Regional Office.