Federal Class Action Alleges Racial Discrimination In Remote Work For Dole Program

A Federal Court class action has been launched against the Commonwealth by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, alleging the Community Development Program (CDP), a remote Work for the Dole scheme from 2015 to 2021, racially discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by imposing more onerous work requirements and harsher penalties than those faced by urban participants. Indigenous people were required to work longer hours—up to 50 hours per fortnight, five days a week, year-round—to qualify for income support, and were about 27 times more likely to be fined for non-compliance, leading to significant hardship, shame, and humiliation. Lead plaintiffs, including Aboriginal artist Serena Marrkuwatj Bonson and Yolngu elder Baru Pascoe, shared experiences of culturally inappropriate work and financial penalties that deeply affected their communities. The class action seeks compensation and recognition of the dignity and equal rights of those impacted, highlighting the program's negative social and cultural effects on remote Indigenous communities. Critics argue the CDP's design and administration perpetuated systemic racial discrimination and worsened conditions for many participants. This legal action follows previous successful claims against the federal government regarding discriminatory impacts of the CDP in remote areas.