Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the great work of the Assyrian Resource Centre in delivering services and conducting a range of programs assisting refugees in my Western Sydney community. This organisation is of particular interest to me, given that my electorate is home to one of the largest numbers of refugees in the country. Given the current political situation in the Middle East, coupled with our special humanitarian intake from Syria of the most persecuted and vulnerable people, we have seen settlement services in Western Sydney under great strain. For instance, we are now seeing a significant increase in Assyrian refugees and those from other Christian minorities from Syria and Iraq. There is a real need to ensure that we develop settlement services that are both efficient and effective.

One of the biggest issues for new migrants is housing. While short-term housing is provided for up to three months, after that many refugees are essentially left to fend for themselves in a very unfamiliar environment. This is further complicated by the lack of affordable housing in areas such as the Fairfield LGA, where the New South Wales government has already indicated most of the refugees from Syria will be settled. Australia's settlement services have already undergone several reviews, including one by the Productivity Commission. In its report Migrant intake into Australia, the commission acknowledged that Australia's settlement services are well regarded, but services are often limited and outcomes are not always positive. It went on to recommend, in the report:

The Australian Government should review the mix, extent and coordination of settlement services … for all permanent immigrants with the aim of improving their labour market and social engagement outcomes.

Carmen Lazar, the manager of the Assyrian Resource Centre, has advised me that while there are many organisations that strive to do their best, the lack of oversight and coordination is not generating the best outcomes. I believe we need to emphasise the role of community building for all migrants, with service providers ideally playing the role of facilitators in community building. This multilayered and integrated approach was proposed by the Assyrian Resource Centre in order to help overcome challenges for migrants in my electorate, and to promote positive developments for settlement services.

We know that Australia has already committed to receiving a large number of refugees from Syria. It is compounding issues in Western Sydney. We do need to pay greater attention to settlement services if we want to see positive outcomes. I very much appreciate the work of Carmen Lazar and her officers at the Assyrian Resource Centre, and I commend them for the great work they do in our community. (Time expired)

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