Community Development Program (CDP)

The Community Development Program (CDP) is designed around the unique social and labour market conditions found in remote Australia and is an essential part of the Government’s agenda for increasing employment and breaking the cycle of welfare dependency.

The CDP supports participants in remote Australia to build work-ready skills, address employment barriers and contribute to communities through a range of flexible activities. There are CDP Service providers in 60 regions across remote Australia.

The objective of the CDP is to help connect working-age Australians with real and sustainable jobs, including by:

  • ensuring participants engage in activities and gain experience that builds work-readiness and contributes to the broader community;

  • fostering Indigenous business; and

  • assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to generate economic and social benefits, including from their natural and cultural assets, as well as effective management of Indigenous-owned land and seas.

CDP provider Eyre Plus is a partnership between the five Aboriginal communities of the Far West region of South Australia, being Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation, Oak Valley Aboriginal Community, Yalata Aboriginal Community, Scotdesco Aboriginal Community, Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation and People Plus Australia.

Eyre Plus operates across the Eyre Peninsula in the Far West Region of South Australia and has extensive knowledge and experience in the delivery of employment and community programs and is funded through National Indigenous Australians Agency to deliver the CDP.

Building on our past work in this area, where we have supported over 200 CDP participants, we are exploring opportunities to deliver CDP in our areas of strength, including art, language, ground maintenance and cabinet making.

StreetBeat

Our StreetBeat program works with vulnerable people who may be sleeping rough to assist them in managing their daily lives. This includes assistance with medical appointments or referrals to other services, and help in accessing basic services such as transport, banking and telephone, and dealing with Centrelink.  The service supports around 30 clients each day in Ceduna.

Cultural Diversionary Program

Our Cultural Diversionary program aims to support men who may have fallen into alcohol or other substance abuse through working to renew connection to their culture and their Country.

Employment Hub

Our Employment Hub aims to strengthen local support services and connect participants and other members of the community to employment, or pathways to employment, in Ceduna.

We deliver this a range of activities include:

  • one-on-one and group mentoring support and guidance to promote local job opportunities, increase participation in training opportunities, build participants skills and job readiness, and upskill where appropriate
  • designing individualised support plans tailored to participant needs
  • building participants confidence and ability to job search, including support for resume writing, interview preparation and coaching, and creating awareness of different employment pathways such as apprenticeships, traineeships and direct recruitment
  • engaging with local employers and industry to identify opportunities and promote career pathways that lead to sustainable employment
  • supporting employers with ongoing mentoring to improve retention of employees
  • developing retention strategies to keep participants in work
  • engaging other services and/or organisations to deliver a workshops around financial literacy, goal setting and work readiness
  • supporting other agencies and services to improve their engagement with community.

If you are feeling motivated to start your career journey, but not sure where to begin, please contact us on 8625 3210 or admin@cac.asn.au

Early childhood and parenting support (ECPS)

We are working to improve early childhood development, education, care and the transition to school for Indigenous families in Ceduna, Koonibba and Yalata. In doing so, we are partnering with local agencies, including 54 Reasons, Connected Beginnings, Far West Community Partnerships, Ngura Yaduririn Children and Family Centre (NYCFC) and Yadu Health.

We help improve parenting skills and wellbeing by supporting:

  • parenting skills development through role modelling, providing information and referrals
  • peer support for isolated parents
  • parenting and family support through early intervention case management and
  • community connection opportunities for isolated families through child-friendly play spaces or holiday activities.

To support these activities, dedicated facilities are being developed at 45 McKenzie Street, Ceduna, including a playground and sandpit with appropriate shading.

There are regular supported playgroups at NYCFC Ceduna (0-5 years), Far West Aboriginal Complex (0-5 years) and Koonibba Remote School Attendance Building (0-9 years).

Tourism

‘’Australia is home to the oldest living culture on Earth and Aboriginal guides across the country offer a real connection to the place and a new way of experiencing it. Every part of Australia is Aboriginal country and every part of the country has a series of stories and experiences that are unique to it.’’ (Far West Aboriginal Tourism Strategy)

The Far West Region of South Australia has many culturally rich and thriving Aboriginal Communities from the desert to the sea. These peoples have continued to practice and pass down culture, ceremony, stories and language, English is often a second language in this region.

There is however a large disparity of employment opportunities for these remote communities in comparison to the non-Indigenous peoples who also reside in the region. Aboriginal tourism has enormous potential to create employment and way of keeping culture alive, a positive way to create proud and strong communities in a sustainable way that gives future generations connection to country and culture.

Our aims include working with and supporting Aboriginal community and individuals to develop tourism products and increasing the stock of suitably skilled and qualified persons to take on newly developed employment opportunities derived from these tourism products.

We will be working to promote the Far West Coast/Ceduna region to international and Australian visitors as a unique and culturally diverse destination to experience Indigenous culture, focussing on:

  • marketing
  • partnerships
  • Far West Aboriginal tourism products
  • Far West Aboriginal Tourism operators’ capacity.

In doing so, we also have capacity to support other tourism initiatives in the region or the greater Eyre Peninsula area that have a genuine interest in adding or entirely showcasing Aboriginal Culture and Country of the Far West Region.

Any prospective community members that have an interest in tourism or a great idea for tourism product are encouraged to contact the Tourism Development Officer for a yarn: Rodney Short 0498 956 887

Ready to Talk?

DO YOU HAVE A BIG IDEA WE CAN HELP WITH?

Contact Us