From Hand out to Hand Up, and the Final Report Due in September 2007
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From Hand Out to Hand Up Cape York Welfare Reform Project Aurukun Coen Hope Vale Mossman Gorge Design Recommendations May 2007 Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership PMB 1, Cairns Q 4870 Tel: 07 4046 0611 Fax: 07 4046 0601 The Welfare Reform Project The Welfare Reform Project is an Australian Government funded project. The Project is undertaken by the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership (the Institute) in conjunction with Cape York Partnerships Projects, and with support from the Queensland Government. The four Welfare Reform communities that are involved in the development of the project are Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge. This project has been undertaken with the financial support of the Australian Government. The opinions, comments and/or analysis expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs or the Australian Government Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, and cannot be taken in any way as expressions of government policy. This publication incorporates work undertaken by Department of Treasury staff while on secondment to the Institute. The published form of the work does not necessarily represent the view of the Australian Government or the Department of Treasury. The Cape York Institute The Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership is a public policy organisation that champions reform of Indigenous economic and social policies. It is focussed on issues in Cape York, but aims to have a national influence. The Institute’s Director is Noel Pearson of Hope Vale. The Institute sits in the nexus of academia, community development, and advocacy. The Institute’s goal is to be rigorous yet practical in advocating for change. The Institute is guided by the Cape York Agenda whose stated goal is to enable the people of Cape York to have the capabilities to choose a life that they have reason to value. The Institute’s work falls into three broad streams: (1) Short-to-medium-term policy/research projects across a wide range of economic and social policy issues. Projects seek to determine the first causes of the issues and develop practical solutions. (2) The Institute runs a number of programs aimed at developing the capabilities of current and future leaders. Programs are designed for current Cape York leaders as well as secondary and tertiary aged youths. (3) In addition, the Institute has an overarching Think Tank function which is responsible for idea articulation, external liaison and public seminars and conferences. Welfare Reform Project 1 Welfare Reform Project 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary............................................................................................................... 7 1 Introduction.................................................................................................................. 17 1.1 Collapse of social norms in Cape York Peninsula............................................... 17 1.2 What needs to be done ......................................................................................... 21 2 The Social and Economic Reform Context in Cape York Peninsula........................... 23 2.1 The development of reforms since 1999.............................................................. 23 2.2 Role of regional organisations ............................................................................. 24 2.3 Key Reform Concepts.......................................................................................... 26 3 Restoring Social Norms by Attaching Reciprocity to Welfare Payments ................... 45 3.1 Defining and attaching obligations...................................................................... 45 3.2 Family Responsibilities Commission: a local Indigenous body to enforce obligations and rebuild social norms ................................................................... 49 3.3 Triggers for referral to the Family Responsibilities Commission ....................... 54 3.4 Consequences of breach of an obligation ............................................................ 65 3.5 Funding a new service delivery model with brokerage capacity......................... 71 4 Addressing the Welfare Pedestal ................................................................................. 73 4.1 Climbing off the pedestal..................................................................................... 73 4.2 Reforming CDEP and Job Network..................................................................... 76 5 Supporting Engagement in the Real Economy ............................................................ 95 5.1 Creating real jobs in the community through the conversion of CDEP positions............................................................................................................... 95 5.2 Making communities more business friendly...................................................... 96 5.3 Providing business support for individuals.......................................................... 98 5.4 Mobility for employment and education ............................................................. 99 6 Moving from Welfare Housing to Home Ownership................................................. 107 6.1 A private property market.................................................................................. 108 6.2 Tenancy Reform ................................................................................................ 114 6.3 Pride of Place ..................................................................................................... 115 6.4 Community Views on Housing.......................................................................... 117 Bibliography ...................................................................................................................... 357 Welfare Reform Project – Table of Contents 3 Acronyms ...........................................................................................................................367 Welfare Reform Project – Table of Contents 4 APPENDICES Appendix A: Project Description ........................................................................................... 123 Appendix B: Welfare Reform Communities.......................................................................... 127 Appendix C: Engagement Process ......................................................................................... 141 Appendix D: Evaluation Framework...................................................................................... 153 Appendix E: Summary of Government Engagement............................................................. 161 Appendix F: Conditions and Payments: Domestic and International Experience.................. 165 Appendix G: Analysis of Suitability of Courts and Community Justice Groups to Rebuild Social Norms.............................................................................................................. 181 Appendix H: Sharing Information With the Family Responsibilities Commission............... 187 Appendix I: Information Relevant to Judicial Triggers........................................................... 191 Appendix J: Case Management and Family Group Conferencing......................................... 195 Appendix K: Operational Details of Conditional Income Management ................................ 203 Appendix L: The Challenges Presented by Redirection of Welfare Payments...................... 209 Appendix M: Money Management Support Services ............................................................ 213 Appendix N: Services by Community – Queensland Government........................................ 221 Appendix O: Services by Community – Australian Government .......................................... 247 Appendix P: Other Mechanisms to Rebuild Social Norms .................................................... 255 Appendix Q: Analysing the Effect of Work, Study and Dole Payments on Individual and Institutional Incentives and Decision Making .................................................................. 275 Appendix R: Details on IEP and Business Hubs.................................................................... 309 Appendix S: Detailed Analysis of Mobility ........................................................................... 313 Appendix T: Community-based Jobs Brokers ....................................................................... 343 Appendix U: Case Study: Land Tenure and Business Development in Hope Vale............... 353 Welfare Reform Project – Appendices 5 Welfare Reform Project – Appendices 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership (the Institute) is working in partnership with the Australian Government, the Queensland Government, and the Cape York Indigenous communities of Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge with the objective of achieving comprehensive welfare reform. The Cape York Welfare Reform Project aims to develop reformed incentives and appropriate enabling supports at the community level which catalyse the restoration of social norms in the Welfare Reform communities and ultimately in the whole Cape York region. The future that the Institute envisages is one in which the people of Cape York Peninsula internalise a set of revitalised social norms, which mandate personal responsibility for work, education and the welfare of children, so that they become free from