Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has managed to head off a potentially damaging debate over asylum seekers, securing support for Labor's existing policies and negotiating some minor changes.

Key points: Labor sticks to hardline border protection policy at national conference

Labor sticks to hardline border protection policy at national conference Bill Shorten offers more funding to international refugee agency and more humanitarian places

Bill Shorten offers more funding to international refugee agency and more humanitarian places Labor also pledges to scrap Indigenous work-for-the-dole scheme if it wins the election

On the second day of the ALP conference in Adelaide, Mr Shorten got in early and made it clear he would stare down any push to end offshore processing or boat turnbacks.

"We cannot, we must not, and we will not permit the reopening of their trade in human desperation and the drownings and the irreplaceable loss of life that it brings," he told delegates.

In keeping with that theme, Mr Shorten promised to give the UN's refugee agency an extra $500 million over five years, and accept more refugees by increasing the Community Sponsored Refugee Scheme from 1,000 places to 5,000.

His message was that strong borders did not have to come at the expense of humanity.

"If we are elected, Labor will offer policies that are strong, compassionate and sustainable," he said.

"It means pursuing regional resettlement, turning back boats where it is safe to do so and maintaining offshore processing.

"But keeping our borders secure and keeping the people smugglers out of business … has never meant leaving men, women and children to languish for years and years in indefinite detention in substandard facilities and unacceptable conditions."

Australia would accept New Zealand's offer to resettle some of the refugees on Manus Island and Nauru if Labor is elected, he said, and the number of Australian Federal Police officers deployed overseas to disrupt people smuggling activities would be tripled.

On the floor of the conference, delegates approved further changes, committing Labor to restoring social services for asylum seekers waiting for their claims to be assessed, and improving the medical transfer process for sick refugees in offshore processing.

Labor MP Ged Kearney choked up as she hailed the "progressive Labor policy", one that the party had "moved mountains" to achieve.

"Whilst I know that this motion is not perfect and many may argue that, it does get us closer and it is an important statement because we need this on the record from this conference," she told delegates.

"We cannot continue to sit by while this Government tortures people on Manus and Nauru — and it must be condemned."

In the end, it was a highly stage-managed affair. The amendments had been settled before the debate began and only one was rejected.

With an election due in just five months, Labor leaders are working hard to present a united team and resolve any policy fights behind closed doors.

Replacing Indigenous work-for-the-dole

Labor's national conference has also committed to abolishing the Abbott government's controversial Indigenous work-for-the dole scheme and replacing it with a fairer program.

The Community Development Programme (CDP) forces unemployed people in remote areas to work up to three times longer than city-based jobseekers to receive welfare.

Introduced by the Abbott government in 2015, the CDP has been criticised as a "racist" and "deeply flawed" scheme, with figures showing hundreds of thousands of fines have been handed out in its first three years.

Labor's assistant Indigenous affairs spokesman, Pat Dodson, opened the second day of the conference by attacking the scheme as "discriminatory, punitive and ineffectual" and promising to replace it.

"A Shorten Labor government will abolish the current CDP and replace it with a new program," he said to applause in the audience.

"A program that creates jobs, meets community needs and delivers meaningful training and community development and proper working conditions."

Labor senator Patrick Dodson said the CPD would be replaced with a program that meets community needs. ( AAP: Lukas Coch )

ACTU president Michele O'Neil hailed the commitment as a win for the tens of thousands of participants who had been "racially discriminated against for the last three years".

"This program discriminated against people on the basis of the colour of their skin and the place they chose to live," Ms O'Neil said.

"This scheme is an appalling example of state-sanctioned racial discrimination and worker exploitation and Australia will be a better place without it."

Currently, CDP participants can be fined about $50 a day — or have their payments suspended for up to eight weeks — for missing activities, turning up late to work or repeatedly failing to meet appointments.

Since it began operating in 2015, more than 400,000 financial penalties have been issued to people enrolled in the CDP, about 75,000 more than other, city-based jobseekers.

Those participating in the scheme must complete jobs and activities to receive their Newstart Allowance in remote New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Winun Ngari Aboriginal Corporation delivers the CDP across 19 Aboriginal communities in the remote north of Western Australia.

Chief executive officer Susan Murphy said any commitment without detail will leave providers and clients in limbo.

"Don't stand up there and say you're going to abolish it, unless you have some detail," she said.

"If the Labor Party can't give us the detail, then they shouldn't make statements like this.

"We will have 1,100 clients in limbo if they are in government."