Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Across Indi, hundreds of people are putting their values into action as volunteers for Rural Australians for Refugees. They raise funds to support people fleeing places like Afghanistan and Palestine. They sponsor visas and offer settlement assistance when families get to Australia by finding housing, jobs, English lessons and much more. Branches of RAR across Indi have sponsored families—particularly women and children from Afghanistan—who are now settled in towns like Mansfield, working in and contributing to the town. A recent Afghan 'fest for freedom' raised $4,000 to continue this important work. Regularly, on a Friday afternoon, my staff and I will hear the beeping horns outside our Wangaratta electorate office as RAR volunteers hold 'honk for refugees' signs on the major intersection in town.

This activism is repeated across the many chapters of Rural Australians for Refugees working across Indi and across regional Australia. Through music trivia nights, house concerts, film nights and more, these groups are having a real impact. As refugee numbers rise across the world, these volunteers are working locally while thinking globally. I'm so proud to represent the volunteers from Rural Australians for Refugees and the groups in Albury-Wodonga, Alexandra, Mansfield, Benalla, Strathbogie Shire, Wangaratta and Yackandandah. Through their words and—most importantly, through their actions they show unequivocally that refugees are welcome here.