Settlement Grants Program gains additional government support

Details

Created on Tuesday, 20 December 2011 15:29

Written by Editorial staff

Organisations involved in resettling new arrivals to Australia may be interested in the details released by the Australian government on the new changes to the Settlement Grants Program (SGP).

Aimed at assisting the efforts of eligible organisations to ensure that their clients can become self-reliant as soon as practicable, the SGP supplies funding based on a number of official criteria.

The new iteration of the program will be free to focus on a wider range of recipients, including youth settlement services, community development projects and ethno-specific organisations - in addition to the sections previously covered.

Under the old system, the SGP was only able to provide support to non-profit and community organisations, local government initiatives and regional service delivery agencies - usually with the assistance of registered migration agents.

In addition the previous version of the scheme tended to focus more on once-off funding for ad-hoc projects - a scope which has subsequently been reviewed.

Speaking on the changes, the minister for immigration and citizenship Chris Bowen said that the program would be "strengthened" to support the organisations that deliver new migrants with the assistance they need to contribute to Australian society "as soon as possible".

Bowen asserted: "In recognition of the ongoing nature of settlement services, SGP grants in 2012–13 will primarily focus on the delivery of refugee and migrant settlement services, and providing support for ethno-specific communities."

Parliamentary secretary for immigration and multicultural affairs Kate Lundy said that the new program would grow the capacity of these organisations by refocusing on "core community services".

"Australia has a proud history of investing in settlement services and these changes will ensure the outcomes of settlement services are aligned with social participation and connection to the Australian community," said Lundy.

"The changes announced today (December 15) reflect a decision by the government to reinvest in long term programs that will help new Australians adapt to life in Australia."

Funding offered by the SGP will become available on July 1 2012 for periods of one to three years - with applications closing on February 1 2012.

In an effort to give organisation leaders more information on the recent changes to the SGP, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) will be hosting a number of information sessions over the following months.

 Australian migration agents will also be able to supply applicants with the information they require in order to make an informed decision.