As at 25 December 2020, slightly more than half (53%) of Indigenous Australians aged 16 and over were receiving some form of income support payment – a total of around 299,600 recipients (ABS 2019a; DSS 2021).
On a per person basis, government welfare expenditure was $13,968 per Indigenous Australian, compared with $6,019 per non-Indigenous Australian in 2012–13—this equates to expenditure of $2.32 per Indigenous person for every $1.00 spent per non-Indigenous person.
There are about 35,000 CDP participants in Australia and 83% are Indigenous. As a condition of income support, remote area participants must engage in up to 25 hours of work for the dole, five days a week.
Taking into account the $300 million allocated for Indigenous housing and the $177 million underspend in 2021–22, the October 2022–23 Budget provides $1.1 billion more than the March 2022–23 Budget for Indigenous Australians-related matters, averaging $4.2 billion per year over the forward estimates.
The median gross weekly equivalised household income for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults was $825 in 2021. This ranged from $982 in Major cities to $459 in Very remote areas.
The New South Wales Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme provides ex-gratia payments of $75,000 to living Stolen Generations survivors who were removed from their families and committed to the care of the New South Wales Aborigines Protection or Welfare Boards.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Indigenous holding entities don't need to pay income tax or capital gains tax on native title payments or benefits.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' rights and interests in land are formally recognised over around 50 per cent of Australia's land mass. Connection to land is of central importance to First Nations Australians.
What about student fees? Eligible Aboriginal students do not pay a fee for any Smart and Skilled qualification they undertake, regardless of the number of qualifications in which they enrol, or the level of the qualification.
Reasons for the lower employment rates include lower levels of education, training and skill levels (human capital), poorer health, living in areas with fewer labour market opportunities, higher levels of arrest and interactions with the criminal justice system, discrimination, and lower levels of job retention .
The figure shows that in 2022, the highest proportion of Indigenous Australians lived in New South Wales (33.2%), followed by Queensland (28.2%) and Western Australia (12.5%). The Australian Capital Territory has the smallest proportion of Australia's Indigenous population (1.0%).
Indigenous Australians face greater barriers to employment, including a lack of access to high-quality and relevant training, limited access to supportive workplaces, inconsistent mentoring for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander job seekers and few long-term job opportunities.
High unemployment and lasting impacts from colonialism have caused low income in Aboriginal homes. Today, people often find that Aboriginal communities in non-rural areas live off welfare in crowded housing.
Income. Over one third (36.7%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households reported an equivalised total household weekly income (HIED) of $1,000 or more in 2021. The median equivalised total household weekly income for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households (INGDWTD) was $830.
Most indicators of poverty and related disadvantage show that Indigenous people are between two and three times worse off than non-Indigenous people in Australia. About 30 per cent of Indigenous households are in income poverty, which indicates that over 120,000 Indigenous people are living below the poverty line.
The mining magnate Gina Rinehart is Australia's biggest landholder, controlling more than 9.2m hectares, or 1.2% of the entire landmass of the country, according to data compiled by Guardian Australia.
1st. Oldfield and Costello families: 7.2 million hectares
In early 2022, their joint venture Crown Point Pastoral Company purchased 3.26 million hectares from Gina Rinehart's portfolio. This purchase bumped up their landholding to 7.2 million hectares, making them Australia's official largest landowners.
The Aboriginal population in Australia is estimated to 745,000 individuals or 3 per cent of the total population of 24,220,200.
But for Australian Aboriginal people, or those searching their family tree, a DNA test will not necessarily give you confirmation of an indigenous Australian heritage. There's three types of different tests available, but they're not going to yield exact results for very different reasons.
Telstra and retail giant Wesfarmers dropped out of the top 10 in the report released on Thursday, as BHP was revealed to be the single largest taxpayer. The company paid $7.3 billion in 2020-21, up from $4.6 billion the prior year. The company's BHP Iron Ore (Jimblebar) entity paid $2.4 billion.
Please note: AIATSIS cannot comment on, prove or provide confirmation of anyone's Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Heritage. Your Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage is something that is personal to you. You do not need a letter of confirmation to identify as an Indigenous person.
Financial help. Aboriginal students who live or work throughout NSW (or live in identified border postcodes) are eligible for subsidised training places under Smart and Skilled and a full fee exemption. You could also qualify for a scholarship, or financial help with travel, accommodation and meals.
Letter from an Indigenous organisation or Community Elder
We prefer a letter from an Indigenous organisation to confirm your heritage. However, we will also accept a letter from a Community Elder. Use the Confirmation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent letter to confirm your heritage.
Since legislation for Indigenous people was a state matter, each state found its own definition for 'Aboriginal'. Examples: Western Australia: a person with more than a quarter of Aboriginal blood. Victoria: any person of Aboriginal descent.