PM should reverse indigenous cuts: Labor

The prime minister should use his upcoming visit to Arnhem Land to reverse government cuts to indigenous affairs budgets, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says.

Mr Shorten said $500 million had been taken out of budgets for frontline services in Aboriginal communities.

"If Tony Abbott wants to help close the gap, it is not enough to simply visit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people," Mr Shorten told reporters on Wednesday.

"He needs to renew his commitment by reversing his unfair cuts and broken promises and lies to indigenous Australians."

Mr Abbott is due to visit northeast Arnhem Land next week, and promised at the 2013 election he would be a "prime minister for Aboriginal affairs".

A collection of indigenous groups recently called on Mr Abbott to personally step in and stop the funding for indigenous affairs from "descending into chaos".

The groups said funding for 38 children and family centres - "vital hubs in our communities" - had stopped on June 30.

"How is community safety advanced when important building blocks such as crucial support for women and children experiencing family violence, and access to legal representation, are stepped away from?" the groups said in a statement.