The Settlement Council of Australia has welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to invest $2.6 million for providers of the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) program, which will provide long-awaited relief for settlement services facing unprecedented funding pressures.
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) is grateful for the opportunity to make a submission in response to the Fourth National Hepatitis B Strategy 2023-2030 (the Strategy). As the Strategy notes, in 2020, nearly 70% of people living with chronic hepatitis B in Australia were born overseas, with many acquiring the infection at birth or during early childhood in other countries. This highlights the urgent need for targeted support for migrants and refugees living with hepatitis B. Settlement services play a crucial role in improving access to care by providing culturally appropriate interventions and facilitating linkages to healthcare services.
The CALD Women in Leadership Program is a transformative training initiative designed to support CALD women in developing their leadership skills and promoting civic participation. The program was developed in response to the identified need for capacity building and mentorship opportunities for CALD women, as highlighted through community consultations, interagency groups, and research findings.
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) is grateful for the opportunity to make a submission regarding Australia’s Humanitarian Program 2023–24. Australia’s commitment to resettling refugees is fulfilled through the Humanitarian Program, which is complemented by settlement services that are vital in assisting humanitarian entrants as they start their new life in Australia. We acknowledge and appreciate the Australian government’s commitment to the Humanitarian Program, but we have a few recommendations for the program below.
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) welcomes the Federal Government’s package of reforms announced on Monday designed to address migrant worker exploitation.
SCOA is disappointed that the Federal Government has not gone far enough to address the growing pressures facing our neglected settlement service industry, with many migrants and refugees left behind in the 2023/24 Budget.
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) is grateful for the opportunity to make a submission to the Australian Government’s Early Years Strategy. The Settlement Council of Australia is the peak body representing the vast majority of settlement agencies across Australia providing direct services and support to people of migrant and refugee backgrounds. Settlement is a two-way process of migrants and refugees adjusting to a new life in Australia, and Australia welcoming migrants and refugees. Australia has an obligation to those who come here, including providing the best settlement outcomes for its youngest arrivals. With almost a third of the population (27.6%) born overseas, and 22.3% of people using a language other than English at home, it is critical to include Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) perspectives in the context of the Australian Government’s Early Years Strategy.
Changing the Conversation is a series of thought-provoking discussions hosted by Multicultural Australia, in partnership with the Queensland Performing Arts Centre exploring key issues in our increasingly multicultural society that all Australians must grapple with to create a more inclusive future. The goal is to bring together thought leaders from academia, government, business and the community to engage in robust discussions about multiculturalism in the Australian context, exploring issues of who and where we are as a nation and what we need to do to create a society that better reflects and cares for all its people.
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) has praised the Federal Government’s announcement that all skilled temporary migrants currently in Australia will have a pathway to permanency, but is calling on the government to adopt our key recommendations to ensure all migrants are supported once they arrive in Australia.
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) is recognised as a well trusted peak body in the migration sector. Working with over 100 organisations across Australia, SCOA is well placed to support migrants and refugees through the work of members in their network. In 2021, SCOA, alongside several other peak bodies, received funding from the Department of Health to develop a range of health information activities, which included community consultations, forums and campaigns.