A submission to the Senate Community Affairs Committee on the repeal of the cashless debit card has been lodged by the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
The council's submission, lodged on August 9, was one of 40 made to the committee and called for alternatives to be developed before the card was scrapped.
"The cashless debit card has made a significant difference in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community," the submission read.
"This includes a reduction on levels of alcohol use and associated behaviours, early improvements to child welfare and well-being; reported changes in spending on household items; improvements to financial management and a reduction of over 57 per cent in crime over the life of the program."
The submission came as the inquiry held its second public hearing on the amendment to the Bill, with two more hearings to be held this month.
The final public hearing will be held on August 22 before any decision by the committee.
The federal government aims to begin the transition away from the cashless debit card in the next parliamentary sitting period in September.
Mayor says card 'led to good decline' in crime
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor John Bowler said he was in favour of retaining the program.
"If you talk to people, police and ambulance people who are at the coalface, they say it led to a pretty good decline in problems around town," he said.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the card had been beneficial in remote communities.
"It gives opportunity for the more senior people in families and the elders and some of the Aboriginal communities to use the money on food for the kids and other things," he said.
"It just seems to settle the community down and gives them better opportunity to spend their money on priority needs."
Mr Bowler said if the card was to be repealed, he was unsure if a job readiness program introduced in January as a wrap-around program to the card would continue.
He said the program, which has seen 70 people find a job since its inception, had been a great success.
Debit card 'harmful to the communities'
While the submission pointed to the social benefits the card has had in the community, others have called for it to be abolished.
A submission by the WA Council of Social Services said the use of the card was harmful to the communities in which it had been introduced.
"This is a stigmatising and discriminatory policy that seeks to restrict and control the behaviour of individuals, rather than addressing the systematic and structural causes of social issues and challenges in our communities," the submission read.
The submission made by the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council included recommendations to be considered by the committee when making its decision.
The recommendations include further consultation, more support services for the community and keeping the card in place until "alternative arrangements were developed and funded.
