Economic life

This chapter surveys the interaction of the spatial and social factors that underlie the diverse, "hybrid", Indigenous economy. Where there is a developed and diverse labour market, especially in metropolitan Australia, there is a greater degree of engagement with the market and less involvement in the customary sector. In the remotest regions, where the market is relatively absent, the state sector dominates the economy. These are also the areas where people often have land rights and are able to pursue customary economic activities. The state sector once facilitated economic participation that is compatible with customary practices through the CDEP scheme. The ranger program still engages participants at the intersection of the state and the customary sectors. The recent growth in Indigenous business in non-remote areas may also facilitate engagement between the private sector and customary activities and directly enhance economic independence. However, abolition of the CDEP scheme happened when there was a substantial decline in remote Indigenous enterprises and an increased emphasis on welfare conditionality. It appears that public sector policies can affect the hybrid economy, which in turn affects the capacity of Indigenous community members to run local enterprises. The Indigenous economy is not a homogenous entity and there are signs of increasing polarisation of economic outcomes. An Indigenous middle class is emerging with many people now working in relatively well-paid professional and managerial occupations and substantial numbers of Indigenous businesses being created.