Commission starts welfare quarantining in N Qld
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The Family Responsibilities Commission says it has begun to quarantine people's welfare payments in four far north Queensland Aboriginal communities.
The commission began operating in July and has the power to control welfare payments if recipients break the law, fail to send their children to school or do not look after their homes.
Commissioner David Glasgow says four people who failed to attend conferences are having 80 per cent of their payments managed.
He says they are only able to spend the money on approved items like food and the orders will be reviewed after six months.
"The elders in the community are very firm, if people don't comply with things they're very quick to impose this order because they think it's effective," he said.
"But they only impose it on people who either ignore us or really require it to be done."
