During the 1988 bicentennial events, Indigenous people countered the dominant view of Australian history with their own, alternative view. Transcending the history of the denial of the reality and validity of Indigenous society and culture by the dominant society, the strong message from Indigenous people was: ‘We have survived’. The policy of assimilation has been replaced by self determination and, more recently, self management, and the Indigenous view should be accorded the respect that is due. The CDEP scheme should not be utilised to provide a mechanism for a more subtle form of assimilation—not by overt prescription but by default.

Of course, all cultures change, and the situation in many Indigenous communities is truly desperate and must be addressed. But economic change is only one aspect of social change, and the full potential of the CDEP scheme will only be realised through its capacity to foster community development which includes, but is not limited to, economic development.