Darwin Regional Indigenous Advancement & CDEP Inc. ABN: 36 ...

1. Introduction
Though physically based in Darwin, neither our service area nor our clientele fit a general
description of ‘urban’. Our region covers the Darwin metropolitan area, including Aboriginal urban
living areas and rural and remote Indigenous communities, such as Acacia Larrakia and Belyuen.
This area region is demographically diverse, covering approximately 12,000 Indigenous people
in communities and townships across an area of 10,620 square kilometres. Our clients, including
many of those in Darwin, are highly disadvantaged in regard to work and life skills and, in some
respects, are as culturally, socially and physically isolated as those Indigenous people living in more
geographically remote communities.
Darwin Regional Indigenous Advancement & CDEP Incorporated (DRIACDEP) was established
in June 2002 following extensive consultations with the Indigenous community in the Darwin
region. From these discussions, a unique governance model was developed with representation
and participation based on regional community organisations rather than individual members.
These arrangements include special acknowledgement of the Larrakia people and the Stolen
Generations within the constitution – in recognition of both traditional ownership of country and
our recent history which saw many Indigenous children removed from their families and placed
into institutions in Darwin and other communities.
DRIACDEP has grown markedly over the years, beginning with 50 participants (via the
Aboriginal Development Foundation), and progressing to be a major service provider to the
region for community and employment services. Until the Federal Government’s withdrawal of
CDEP from urban areas in July 2007, and its decision to cease the program altogether by June
2008, DRIACDEP administered CDEP and an award-winning Indigenous Employment Centre.
DRIACDEP has delivered a suite of training, employment and enterprise development services to
Indigenous job seekers in collaboration with a diverse cross-section of host employers and through
structured professional development activities, community based activities, accredited and non
accredited training, job placement, structured work experience and a tailored, highly personalised
mentoring program.
2. Current Services
With the removal of ‘urban CDEP’ in June 2007, DRIACDEP ‘lost’ 300 CDEP participants as a result
of the previous Coalition Government philosophy on urban CDEP. As a result of this decision our
very successful Indigenous Employment Centre (IEC) was also removed in this process. The
Indigenous Employment Centre won a Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership Award in
2005 and had consistently exceeded the national average for both Indigenous employment
outcomes and subsequent retention rates, translating into real outcomes with at least 100 CDEP
participants successfully transitioning to mainstream employment in 2006/2007.