Revealing new research looking at the drivers of poverty in Central Australia and what can be done to address them has been released by Lutheran Care with the Batchelor Institute.
Developed by Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, the independent report applauds Lutheran Care’s work in Central Australia and exposes systematic barriers and failures in Government systems set up to support Australians experiencing hardship or disadvantage, such as Centrelink.
The report indicates that Centrelink often fails to adequately cater for many central Australians because it does not take into account unique factors such as geographical isolation, cultural and language diversity, and limited access to technology and internet/phone coverage.
Lutheran Care Chief Executive Officer Rohan Feegrade was thrilled to launch the report, which is groundbreaking in its identification of challenges facing central Australians, particularly Aboriginal people, and practical solutions and pathways to change lives for the better.
“Our team provides Financial Wellbeing services in Mparntwe/Alice Springs and travels out to 28 remote Aboriginal communities,” Mr Feegrade says.
“In two of the remote communities we service, there is no mobile phone service whatsoever, and computer systems that are defunct, damaged or non-maintained. With hundreds of kilometres between most of these communities to a Centrelink office, increasing reliance on phone and internet reporting to Centrelink – and low levels of spoken and written English even if there is connection – it means Centrelink compliance is impossible for many central Australians.”
Shockingly, the report found Centrelink staff often end calls with clients, even where a client is being assisted by a Lutheran Care staff member, because of language barriers.
The report also found that measures such as Income Management and enhanced Income Management, and the associated cards set up to quarantine welfare payments, have failed to achieve their intended outcomes including improved employment outcomes and mental health, school attendance and economic activity.
Other issues impacting financial resilience identified by the report include falling into debt traps due to Buy Now Pay Later and Afterpay schemes, and becoming victim to scamming activity including romance scams.
For many Central Australians, basic necessities for survival including access to food, shelter and safety, are all encompassing.
“When surviving and accessing basic support is a daily challenge, thriving isn’t possible,” Mr Feegrade says.
A key report recommendation is to roll out Emergency Relief, including emergency food parcels or vouchers, to Aboriginal communities as a matter of urgency, although the higher prices of food in remote locations needs to be considered when deciding upon voucher amounts. Providing access to healthy, nutritious and fresh fruits and vegetables through a subsidised scheme to make them more affordable, was another recommendation.
The report found Lutheran Care’s Financial Wellbeing programs including 1:1 support or workshops delivered by financial counsellors or capability workers make a positive and valuable impact in terms of educating people around budgeting and money matters, and scam prevention. However, many clients come to Lutheran Care at the point of financial crisis and disengage after the crisis has been averted, before embedding skills and strategies that may help the person avoid getting to crisis point next time.
The report found that to enhance the reach of Lutheran Care’s important work in the region, more funding is needed, which would allow Lutheran Care to increase their local workforce, hire and train Aboriginal community-based Financial Wellbeing staff to provide in-community support, add more financial wellbeing sessions and types of sessions in locations including schools, and visit remote locations more often.
“Our small but dedicated central Australia team does a fantastic job supporting local people and bats well above its weight with regard to the difference they make to people’s lives,” Mr Feegrade says.
“It was heartening to see how this independent evaluation commended the work we are doing, as well as suggested ways we could work together with our sector colleagues, and cooperate with regional partners and Government to maximise the impact we have in the local area, to help people improve their financial resilience and overall wellbeing.”
The report, An exploration of the impact of Lutheran Care’s Financial Wellbeing programs in central Australia, the drivers of poverty and what can be done? was co-authored by Jude Lovell, Margeret Friel, Theresa Alice and John Guenther from the Batchelor Institute.
To download the full report, click here.
To access a Summary of the report, click here.
About Bachelor Institute
Batchelor Institute is a renowned Northern Territory- based educational and research institution with a focus on community-led research, specialising in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, culture, innovation and empowerment.