Currently CDEP keeps 33 000 of our people out of the welfare system. However, the ATSIC Board acknowledges that the CDEP scheme is no substitute for mainstream employment outcomes for our people where these opportunities exist.

Welfare reform can be transformative. Structures that empower communities and individuals will emerge as our peoples are accorded their right to take control of their lives and destinies. Our people have already demonstrated their capacity for innovation, by the way in which 33 000 of them have embraced CDEP. It is not the solution, but it is useful tool in building community. Empowerment emerges through the process that involves our peoples in making decisions about their own futures (see Rowse, Ch. 5, this volume).