Ceduna Residents Abandoned and Ignored on Cashless Debit Card 

Living with daily violence, break-ins and abuse, the desperate community of Ceduna is calling for the urgent return of the Cashless Debit Card and the attention of the Prime Minister.

On removing the card in 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said they “were delivering certainty and choice for Australians” but locals nowadays use the language of ignored and abandoned.

“What I heard from residents this week in Ceduna was that they feel unsafe, property damage is increasing, violence is increasing and so is its intensity and that children should be in school but are not,” Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence, Senator Kerrynne Liddle, said.

“Those who are addicted to alcohol, drugs and gambling no longer have the CDC to help reduce the impact of their addiction on themselves and others and the consequence is worse for everyone.

“It was one tool but not the only one.”

With Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Senator Liddle held two roundtables in Ceduna and Port Lincoln on the impact of the escalating levels of violence and its debilitating consequences on families.

“How absurd and insulting that Minister Rishworth as late as this week, continues to say there is no evidence the Cashless Debit Card made a difference when locals provide their thoughts on paper and the data backs up the change in these communities,” Senator Liddle said.

“Perhaps the PM and Minister should try living there or visit even. Staying overnight in Ceduna I heard and saw what the locals were talking about and what makes them feel as if they have been abandoned.”

Increasing alcohol and substance addiction, abuse, social unrest, family and domestic violence and crime in Ceduna is a similar story to other former CDC sites. Residents fear reprisals for speaking out about their daily experiences – but they’ve had enough.

This week Minister Rishworth announced a further $17.5 million for programs to address the chaos their own actions have enabled to thrive. This comes on top of $130 million for program delivery and $217 million to change from a mandatory to voluntary card.

“All this spending for no improvement in anyone’s lives. I call that reckless, irresponsible and unaccountable,” Senator Liddle said.

“No amount of funding will make a difference unless it’s targeted, monitored and effectively deployed. That’s why the Coalition has, and will, repeatedly call for an audit of organisations receiving federal funds for improving the lives of Indigenous Australians.

“It’s simply not good enough. No Australian should have to live in fear of their lives in their homes and when they step out of the door.”