Service providers, including Centrelink staff, allegedly barred from remote Aboriginal communities
"In previous years the Department of Human Services have been given an exemption and not required to obtain individual permits for their remote servicing teams to deliver Centrelink services on the APY Lands," a DHS employee wrote in an email to the APY executive.
"Is it possible to get an organisation permit, which will cover all DHS staff, we have at times professional staff, e.g assessors, social workers, come from interstate to assist and would not be able to arrange a permit in time. "Our remote servicing staff can also change last minute and again we would struggle obtaining a permit."
The request was denied, with APY requesting a $22 payment, individual applications and evidence of a current police check for each staff member planning to access the lands. APY general manager Richard King told the ABC the decision to tighten permit requirements was made by the APY executive three months ago to"protect some of the most vulnerable people in Australia and also to protect their culture"."This is about bringing our due diligence up to the same standard as Government does for their employees," Mr King said.
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