MIGRATION ACTION LIBRARY Volume X Number 1 (1988) BROTHER! !C 3 3FFT. LAURENCE 67 BRUNSWICK STREET FITZROY

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS Migration Action Migration Action is published by the Ecumenical Migration Centre (133 Church Street, Richmond, Victoria, Australia, 3121 — Tel: 428 4948).

Migration Action Volume X Number 1 (1988) ISSN: 0311-3760

E.M.C. is a non-denominational TABLE OF CONTENTS agency which through its welfare, educational, project and The Role of Local Government in Ethnic Affairs community work fosters the by Keith Owen...... 2 development of Australia as a multicultural society. The Centre Resolving the Conflict Between Ethnic Communities and has been working with immigrants Local Government since 1962. Its work is diversified by Tony Pensabene...... 7 with a strong emphasis on developing models of working Melbourne’s Greek Community: Infrastructure and Local Government by Christi Gerondaki 14 with non-English speaking background people, community Designing Relevant Services for the Ethnic Community education and community by Jill Leisegang 20 development. Within a framework of ensuring The Ethnic Worker and Local Government by Ana da Silva...... 26 equal rights for all in Australian society, workers at E.M.C. provide News from OMA 30 information, a welfare and counselling service, and World Scene 32 community development activities to Greek and Turkish immigrants Action 33 and Vietnamese refugees. Support is also given to smaller groups Book Reviews...... 36 such as the Timorese and to many Second National Research Directory into Multiculturalism individuals of diverse and Ethnic Affairs 38 backgrounds.

CHOMI (Clearing House On Migration Issues) is a unique information centre on migrant, refugee and ethnic issues which Editorial Committee: Tony Pensabene, Lidio Bertelli, Mark Deasey and provides a base for the Centre’s Kati Sunner community education programmes. The library holds Design and Layout: Kati Sunner over 40,000 documents and 250 It is not the intention of this journal to reflect the opinion of either the periodicals which are used by staff or the committee of the EMC. In many matters this would be students, teachers, government difficult to ascertain nor do the Editors think it desirable. The aim of departments, community the Journal is to be informative and stimulating through its various organisations and others seeking articles, suggestions and comments. up-to-date information or undertaking research. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (per volume of 3 issues) — $20.00 (individuals) — $25.00 (institutions) — $30.00 (abroad) — Single issue: $7.50

Please issue cheques, money orders, etc to: Ecumenical Migration Centre, 133 Church Street, Richmond, Vic. Australia, 3121. EDITORIAL

In this issue, Migration Action looks at the role of local government in ethnic affairs. Those who have followed the development of migrant programs and services would be tempted to ask, why local government? The key players in the fair and equitable provision of services have traditionally been seen to be the Commonwealth and State Governments, ethnic communities and peak ethnic organisations. Our focus on national issues has made us forget the critical role local government plays in our daily lives. Who provides the infant welfare centres, senior citizen centres, home and community care, local employment, information on local activities, youth services, local streets and garbage services? Local government does all of these to the tune of $4 billion a year, yet for too long residents from non-English speaking backgrounds have paid their rates without questioning the appropriateness and adequacy of the services they receive in return. Local government should be important for two reasons. First, it provides a test to the validity of the so-called policy of ‘mainstreaming’, that is, meeting the needs of Australian residents from non-English speaking backgrounds through the modification and adaptation of generalist services. If local government fails in its responsibilities for ensuring that services are accessible and equitable to ethnic residents, then we must question the validity of current mainstreaming policies. Second, the extent to which local government is recognised as a legitimate sphere of government in its own right will be partly determined by the way it responds to ethnic diversity in a multicultural society. If it fails to be the voice of all its residents, then it will suffer the fate of being regarded by ethnic communities as conservative, parochial and alien to a large section of the Australian community. At a time when the Commonwealth Government is seeking to devolve its services more to local government, State Governments are asking councils to assume greater responsibility for its communities’ needs, and local government associations in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia are looking to develop ethnic affairs policies, Migration Action takes a critical look at recent developments and future prospects. The editors would like to thank Dr Alun Jackson of the Centre for Migrant and Multicultural Studies, Monash University for allowing EMC to publish a selection of papers from its conference of last year. Next issue we examine the Report of the Committee to Advise on Australia’s Immigration Policies.

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 1 The Role of Local Government in Ethnic Affairs

Keith Owen

Introduction — enable local communities to adjust positively to All spheres of government in Australia are economic and social change affecting their currently facing important decisions regarding the region. provision of relevant human services within a The Local Government Development Program shrinking Federal and State financial base. This has provides policy advice, administers programs of particular relevance here in Victoria, for Victorian financial assistance and provides development Local Government Councils generally deliver a support to local authorities as a means of wider range of health and welfare services in strengthening local government’s capacity. comparison to their counterparts in other States. It is anticipated that this program will continue The Commonwealth has recognised the need for during 1987-88 with emphasis on personnel Local Government to become a genuine partner in including Equal-Employment Opportunity initiatives. the Australian Federal system. It has also Federal and State Ministers responsible for Local recognised Local Government’s potential role in Government commissioned a study in 1986 — the community development, and, as is seen in the “ National Review of Local Government Labour Local Government Regional Development Program, Markets”, to report on methods of is committed to assisting Local Government to • improving the adequacy of education and better service the needs of an ethnically diverse training services and community, both in its traditional responsibilities • reducing the rigidities in local government labour and in new areas such as human services. markets; and also In a settlement context, Local Government plays a key role in facilitating citizenship ceremonies. This role cannot be over-estimated given that for an immigrant, and especially a refugee, adopting Australian citizenship represents one of the most important steps in his/her life. The citizenship t MCAW ceremony provides Local Government with an j*of2£ Tto COUNCIL. TH A N opportunity to build on this initial contact with many of its recently-arrived constituents. Local Government and Regional Development The Local Government and Regional Develop­ ment Program is designed to promote responsiveness of Government policies and programs to varying local needs and conditions, so that Local Councils can make their optimum contribution to social and economic development. In particular the program seeks to: — develop the capability of local government to participate as an effective partner with Federal, State and Territory Governments in the design and implementation of policies to meet community needs; and

Page 2 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 f

• to investigate the characteristics of local of human service, particularly in the planning and government employment and the sources and delivery of services. conditions of labour supply. Access and Equity’ requires federal departments The study will assist Local Government to to gather information on the needs of their ethnic address a range of issues which act as clientele, to monitor the effectiveness of their impediments to flexibility and mobility. It also actions, to give more emphasis to the awareness proposes some possible approaches to counter of cultural differences and the use of community these impediments, taking into account factors languages, and to consult with ethnic communities relating to education and training, staff appointment in the planning stages. practices and the changing nature of occupations. Also at the state level, the Victorian Govern­ In 1987-88 Councils are expected to receive ment’s commitment to a Social Justice Strategy untied financial assistance grants of some $640 incorporates elements of the access and equity miliion. The main purpose of the grants is to assist provisions and requires state policies and programs those councils which are most disadvantaged in to reflect the needs of high risk groups. terms of their ability to raise revenue and provide Of course both programs will have an impact and services, subject to the provisions of a minimum influence on services at the local level. grant to all councils. The demographic nature of a Impact of Immigration on Local Government local area, as well as its non-English-speaking The impact of immigration on a local area has component, is taken into account when grants are both short term and long term effects on all aspects made to Local Councils. Whether these monies of Council services. actually go towards providing relevant human Initial short term needs can be described as services to all residents is unfortunately not those required by new arrivals for satisfactory verifiable. This I know is also a concern of the social functioning within a local community and are Municipal Associations of Victoria (MAV). characterised by the demands they generate for This specific financial assistance program, information, English Language classes, health because it is untied, is designed to give Local services, child care and welfare services. With Government the assistance and scope to develop fewer migrants experiencing on arrival services at its own programs. It should also improve the Migrant Centres and entering the community efficiency and effectiveness of local government immediately, more and more of these on arrival activities, and enable Councils to make better use services will have to be met locally or regionally. of Commonwealth assistance and services, by My Department has already developed a range initiating special development projects. of services designed to meet the needs of new In this discussion however I will concentrate on arrivals at a local and regional level. For example, the area of human services; that is, human services classes provided under the Adult Migrant Education within a multicultural society. Program (AMEP) are being delivered across the State at many different locations. Moves are Multiculturalism and Access and Equity currently underway to decentralise all of the At the outset it is important to clarify that the Department’s operations, in line with the Federal concept of multiculturalism encompasses all Government’s Access & Equity policy. Australians. Not only does multiculturalism give Long term post arrival needs on the other hand people the right of access to all government relate to social integration, which may include still services, but it commits us to the removal of some short term demands as well as facilities such barriers that may hinder any Australian from full as community premises for cultural and religious participation as an equal member of the centres, welfare and services for the elderly. community, irrespective of background. Local Government also has a major role to play In human services therefore, multiculturalism in the area of community relations by handling implies that community services must be potentially contentious issues such as provision of responsive to meet the needs of all Australians permits for non-western religious centres, with irrespective of their linguistic, cultural or religious sensitivity. background. The Australian government is committed to a The Role of Local Government policy of multiculturalism. Two key elements of this In 1983 the Victorian Government Human policy involve the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Services Programs Report recommended the the Multicultural Advisory Council in the monitoring transfer of an expanded range of human service of the Government’s Access and Equity policy, and responsibilities to Local Government on “the in the development of an agenda for principle of Local Government’s Primary multiculturalism. Both these initiatives have long responsibility for the planning, co-ordination and term implications for local government in the area delivery of human services at the local level. . . ”

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 3 However, as the report on Local Government and HACC Ethnic Services points out the quality of contact between Local Government and ethnic communities “is determined largely by the personal whims or interests of particular council officers or councillors. Few councils have recognised the need to direct the implementation of overall access and equity policies across the range of their functions and so, at present, access to particular services depends on individual officers.” This lack of structural change in local government to direct services to their non-English- speaking-background residents has also been highlighted in a number of reports including AIMA’s research project on local government in 1986. The report, “Springvale — a study in community relations and service provision”, noted, for example, that while the Council emphasised the universal and non-discriminatory nature of its service provision, it carried out no data collection on client usage of services. Therefore, “there is concern that the general principles and specific objectives established for programs and service provision will remain largely rhetorical until a comprehensive system of evaluation and monitoring is developed”. It must be accepted that all residents in Australia pay taxes and rates, and therefore should have access to the services their taxes provide. This is pertinent to all levels of government including local government. Some councils here in Melbourne have commenced to address this issue by assessing the relevance of their own services through community consultations and involvement. There are many examples of Local Council Again the report on HACC services feels that, initiatives in involving ethnic communities in the “unfortunately the tensions that mark the development of better human services. Often better relationships between local councils and ethnic use of services is guaranteed when local organisations will need to be replaced with a more communities are part of the planning and co-operative approach which has as its focus the implemenation process. Through sharing most equitable methods of meeting the service successful approaches to service delivery, other needs of ethnic communities.” local government areas can greatly benefit from proven innovative programs. It must be recognised that Local Governments face particular complexities due to the diversity of According to the Department of Local ethnic groups in their particular localities. This Government’s submission to ROMAMPAS in 1986; again may be overcome through the sharing of “The salient characteristics of Local Government services, facilities and information between which legitimise its involvement in human councils and across regions, to ensure that services are its locainess, responsiveness, innovative services are used for the benefit of all accountability and its capacity to represent its residents. community.” All levels of government, particularly local I am sure that both the Commonwealth and State government, have a major role to play in facilitating Governments concur with this view. In fact Councils a better quality of settlement for new arrivals. As can often complement Federal and State stated earlier Local Government is the key provider Governments by providing a more responsive of cultural, recreational, family and child care, aged locally based planning function. The implemen­ and home care services, as well as community tation of the HACC program here in Victoria is a amenities and infrastructure facilities to residents. good example of the vital role local government can Local Government also provides local communities play in delivering a relevant community based with access to a wide range of decision-making service on behalf of Commonwealth and State bodies and local political structures. Yet there has Governments. been little systematic attempt to see Page 4 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 multiculturalism and the provision of services to (HACC Local Government Ethnic Services ethnic communities within this context. Documentation Project, September 1986). The Municipal Association of Victoria concludes Obviously Councils cannot do this alone, and if that Local government must share in the the Commonwealth accepts local government as responsibility of ensuring that multiculturalism in a genuine partner in the provision of human the context of service delivery becomes a reality. services then it should be treated as a partner. In the Australian Council of Inter-Governmental ACIR reports also highlighted that an intergovern­ Relations report (no 10) into intergovernmental mental committee should be established to monitor aspects of the provision of post-arrival services to local areas to ensure that: immigrants it was noted that councils’ human — special settlement needs are available and services were little used by ethnic groups. Among readily accessible; and, the reasons noted for this was that ‘in some — the influx of particular groups is not presenting instances particular local governments are not fully economic, social or cultural problems beyond aware of the special needs of immigrants. This is the capacity of local resources. most likely to be the case where there are relatively high proportions of immigrants with a non-English Local Government at present has little speaking background’. In order to remedy this opportunity to provide advice and feedback to the problem, the ACIR recommended that a task group Commonwealth about the impact of immigration be established to improve access and to sensitise policies and programs. Before it can take on an councils to client needs in a multicultural society. advisory role, Local Government must become alert In recent years there has been a slow but to the changing needs of its constituents. Where significant increase in local governments' response appropriate it should adopt its own programs to to the needs of ethnic communities. Joint programs ensure they are responsive to the requirements of such as HACC and the Children Services Programs all its residents, and introduce a suitable range of have stimulated service developments among a community development activities oriented to number of councils. In 1986/87 for instance about serving the needs of all ethnic groups and thereby 40 demonstration projects were being undertaken enriching the cultural life of the total population. It in mainly inner metropolitan councils to develop should also seek to co-ordinate the activities of meal and home help services for the ethnic aged. organisations established in its area so as to Despite this, as a recent MAV analysis has shown provide a better overall service to residents. This ‘most of these initiatives have however been ad hoc would also enable Local Government to effectively and there is an obvious need for more compre­ adopt its role of adviser to other spheres of hensive planning for the needs of the ethnic elderly’. Government.

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 5 This all points to the development of better communication between all levels of government. It is important that all levels of government PRESS VIEWS understand each others circumstances, needs, priorities, procedures and constraints. N o .3 The present consultations being carried out by the Committee to Advise on Australia’s Immigration Policies (CAAIP) is an excellent opportunity for Local Government to have its say on the Federal Govern­ REFUGEES IN AUSTRALIA ment’s immigration program and implications for local services. NON-SOUTH-EAST ASIANS Mr. Jim Hullick, Secretary of the South Australian 1973-1987 Local Government Association, is a member of the Committee. Mr. Hullick’s appointment signifies the importance of Local Government within the compiled by portfolio of the Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs. Kati Sunner Information sharing and liaison between governments and their respective administrations — $5.00 can improve efficience and reduce fragmentation or duplication of effort. The above consideration suggests the need for more interaction between the Commonwealth and Local Government. This relationship must CHOMI 133 Church Street necessarily be developed in co-operation with the Richmond, Vic. States. If sensitively developed, it will be a relationship of mutual advantage. For its part, the Australia 3121 Commonwealth seeks to develop such a (03) 428 4948 relationship which, with due regard to legitimate differences and prerogatives, is characterised by partnership. Seminars such as today’s can provide the both economic and social effects. Therefore the dialogue which may also lead to the development services provided today must cater for today’s of strategies aimed at achieving better levels of community needs. understanding and cooperation between the This represents a challenge for all service different spheres of government. Where providers. We must acknowledge that in some governments work together, there appears to be cases radical changes need to be made in resource growing evidence that services are targeted to the allocation, service planning and service more needy sectors of the community, waste and implementation at all levels of government, if we overlaps are reduced, resources are more are to cater adequately for the needs of all effectively allocated and distributed, services are Australians. more efficiently and effectively delivered, and there This can only be achieved through better co­ is a greater recognition in the community of the role operation and understanding between all levels of of different spheres of government. government, but more importantly in the There is appreciation of the value of allowing involvement of ethnic communities at the local level Local Government scope to integrate community in the planning and delivery of human services. services programs within existing functions. And As stated earlier some Councils have developed there is also willingness to use Local Government innovative programs to achieve this. It is hoped that as a catalyst in developing an increased range of in the near future other Councils, as well as community-based programs. Local Government government departments develop similar programs. involvement in human services is not only welcome, A key element in the development will have to be it is also in many areas essential — the more so the sharing of information, knowledge and as the implications of social and economic changes expertise, not only between the three spheres of are felt and understood at the local level. government, but also between local government Conclusion councils themselves. Australian society in the 1980’s is very different Mr. Keith Owen is the Victorian Regional Director from that of twenty or even ten years ago. There of the Department of Immigration, Local Govern­ is a dynamism in Australia's development which has ment and Ethnic Affairs.

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Resolving the Conflict Between Ethnic Communities and Local Government

Tony Pensabene

I write from a dual perpsective: I have been an advocate of ethnic community interests for the last six years; at the same time as an officer of the MAV, I have prime responsibility for pursuing the financial interest of councils. These two perspectives do not necessarily sit easily together. Indeed, as this paper argues, I believe a re-definition of the roles, responsibilities and approach of local government, and indeed, of federal and state governments, is required if we are to make council programs and services for ethnic communities more effective. The starting point of any analysis of the relationship between local government and ethnic communities must be to debate the role of local government. Such a question may seem superfluous. One would have thought that after the considerable history of major post-war migration to Australia that this question would have been resolved some time ago. Surely, as ratepayers and residents of municipalities, ethnic communities should expect and receive a fair and equitable share of council resources. In fact Victorian councils collect over $2 billion from the community by the way of rates, charges, and contributions from other spheres of government, with rates and charges constituting about 55% of that revenue. Despite this, ethnic communities, who make up about one fifth of the population, see very little returned by way of specific council services and programs aimed at their particular needs. At one level, this is little different from federal and state governments, who have pursued similar expenditure policies but have paid lip service to the rhetoric of a just society based largely on culturally and linguistically responsive generalist programs and services. However, at a more fundamental level, this lack of response reflects long established

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 7 differences in philosophy and approach to premised on expenditure restraint, savings programs and services between local government achieved through greater efficiencies, targeting and and post-arrival programs and services at the state the consideration of access and equity issues. or federal levels. Unlike the Galbally Report, the Evaluation’s 86 More recently, local government has started to recommendations entailed additional expenditure question and re-examine its philosophy and of only $6 million over a three year period. approaches in the face of the failure of council The AIM A report emphasised meeting needs finances to keep pace with community demands through general programs and services, many and expectations. Ethnic communities, who have, recommendations were directed towards the seen the growing involvement of local government objective of increasing access and equity. The in the provision of human services, (particularly in report recognised that progress was to be achieved aged care services) have become resentful and through ensuring that existing resources were even angry at the slow response of local better distributed according to need and ethnic government to their needs. Indeed, although diversity rather than seeking more funds for change is taking place, it is taking place in a climate specialised services. of conflict. AIMA’s philosophy was further refined in its Conflicting Philosophies studies of labour market and aged care programs How has the present situation arisen? It would and services. These reports stressed the need to be easy to fall into the trap of blaming this neglect target services, determine funding priorities and on the dominance of a traditional conservative, provide additional funding only where this could not Anglo-Saxon background among local government be extracted from general programs and services. councillors and officers. However, while this may The more recent Jupp Report (of August 1986) Don’t well have been a factor in the past, the current Settle for Less, further developed this approach in situation has more to do with the complex issues its emphasis upon equal participation, as has the of philosophies, financial constraints and inter­ current Commonwealth and State Government’s governmental relations. pursuit of ‘Access and Equity’ strategies. A critical phase in the development of ethnic All these developments have taken place in marked affairs came with the publication of the Galbally contrast to the development of programs and Report into Migrant Programs and Services in 1978, services in local government. These have been which represented a watershed in relation to the implicitly based on the principle of universality of provision of programs and services to ethnic provision, and assured continuing significant communities. This report, contained a number of growths in funding derived from general and important recommendations. Fundamental to its specific purpose grants. approach was its assertion of the pre-eminent role Local government activity in human services of the Commonwealth Government in ethnic affairs dates back to 1917 with the establishment of baby — both in terms of policies and programs. It health centres, and then the development of established a funding approach that has changed maternal and infant welfare services in 1927 little in the past decade. following a State Government report recommending In particular, it established the guiding principle financial support to councils. This development was that the ‘needs of migrants should, in general, be significant because it established the principle of met by programs and services available to the state-wide provision of human services by councils whole community but special services and (frequently supported by the State Government) on programs are necessary at present to ensure a universal basis and often free of charge to the equality of access and provision’, a principle that user. As Wills states in Local Government and has seen continuing debate, usually in terms of the Community Services, appropriate balance to be maintained between “This non-stigmatizing aspect of infant welfare generalist and ethno-specific programs and was important in helping to establish a services. philosophy of universality for Local Government’s The Report was also significant in expenditure subsequent role in planning and providing a terms, with the Commonwealth committing an range of personal health and welfare services. additional $50 million over a three year However, this development did not gain implementation period. Ethnic communities momentum until the mid 1960s, when societal regarded these as the golden days of ‘Fraserism’, pressures, and the growing professionalization where commitment to progress was marked by of social work, produced demands for a new significant budget gains. approach to welfare.” A very different phase was ushered in by the While this approach was significant, both in release of the Australian Institute of Multicultural recognising the rights of users of services to dignity Affairs report, Evaluation of Post-Arrival Programs and respect, and establishing the acceptance and and Services in May 1982. This report was growth of council services for the benefit of the Page 8 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 whole community, ethnic communities have come to $1,884 million, an increase of 88 per cent over to pay a heavy price for its strict interpretation and a five year period. Expenditure on health and implementation. welfare in that time rose from $70 to $168 million The ‘universalist’ approach has had two (140 per cent) and as a proportion of total revenue, consequences. First, it is in conflict with ethnic from 7.0 to 8.9 per cent. This expansion in human communities’ aspirations for special services to services activity was assisted by major meet their particular needs. For example, although contributions from State and Federal Governments there has been a clear need for Italian and Greek in the form of general purpose grants and specific senior citizens centres in a number of inner program support. Melbourne metropolitan areas, ethnic groups have Today local government is paying the price of its been required to develop such centres themselves. success. No longer can it continue an inflexible While this form of self help has considerable merit policy of universal provision, as its funding base is — in that it recognises that those who require the being eroded by declining support from other services are in the best position to develop them spheres of government, as well as being challenged — it calls into question the capacity of councils to from within by those who would like to see councils respond to special needs within a strictly concentrate on their more traditional roles of roads, universalist framework. rubbish and rates. At the same time, criticism has Second, and more significantly, the philosophy come from outside by those including ethnic groups of universality has too frequently been taken to and the disabled, who feel they have missed out mean that councils should provide the same on the fruits of this progress. On top of all this, local service as it is an equal service to everyone, government is facing further challenges in dealing irrespective of need. Thus, to take our senior citizen with the increasing community responsibilities that centres example further, most centres have catered come from greater autonomy and maturity, as for the needs of English speakers in relation to acknowledged in the provisions in the new Local recreation and contact. Clearly, the same service Government Bill. is not available to non-English speaking Australians because they assume users can speak the Thus, at the very time when ethnic communities language. A similar situation applies to meals-on- are looking to local government to change and wheels, where an emphasis on Anglo-Saxon’ respond, councils have yet to resolve the dilemmas catering is a crucial factor limiting demand for the between the model of universality in service service from those of non-English speaking delivery, and the reality of limited budgets: they backgrounds. The concept of ‘universality’ fails have yet to see the need to target and set priorities. when it attempts to provide 'the same’ service to Ethnic communities’ concerns are regarded as a a far from homogeneous group. further demand an added complexity to be met A further issue has been changes in council from local government’s over-stretched capacity. revenue. Up to the early 1980s councils were This is particularly so for those councils who are insulated somewhat from the priority funding being asked to respond to the needs of considerations necessarily faced by traditional communities where there is a diverse spread of ethnic program developers. Between 1980/1 and ethnic groups rather than a clear concentration of 1985/6, local government revenue rose from $1,004 one or two groups.

IMMIGRATION ADVISORY SERVICE REPORT Mary E. Crock (A report funded by the Law Foundation of Victoria)

— $ 5 . 0 0 —

Ecumenical Migration Centre Inc. 133 Church Street Richmond, Vic. 3121 (03) 428 4948

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 9 The irony of this situation is that the very councils to openly explore strategies for assisting solutions which ethnic policy makers turned to in the ethnic aged rather than labelling them as not the early 1980s are the very policies which councils viable. Ethnic communities have rightly expressed need to emulate now. concerns about the short term nature of the In summary, these are: projects, however (between six to twelve months), 1. critical examination of priorities within human and their marginal location within the system of services programs; human services provisions. The projects have 2. establishing programs, goals and objectives; raised expectations of continuation and 3. establishing criteria for eligibility which target incorporation into mainstream activities, and if the services to those most in need; three spheres of government want to respond to 4. ensuring that existing programs and services are ethnic community needs, then the activities responsive and receptive to changing needs; initiated must be maintained and further developed. 5. developing mechanisms for the involvement of How this can occur in times of greater fiscal user groups in the decision making process; restraint will be a major challenge for the three 6. initiating employment practices that ensure that spheres of government. the composition of service providers mirror the A number of councils such as Northcote, community they serve; and Brunswick, Prahran and the Melbourne City Council 7. ensuring that the new services are only have funded the employment of ethnic development established where needs cannot be satisfactorily officers. These officers are responsible for assisting met within existing service provision. councils to develop and maintain strategies to The need to respond to ethnic community issues ensure greater equity and access to services for emphasizes the critical role local government must ethnic residents. In Northcote, for instance, the play in the future planning and co-ordination of officer is responsible for: human services at the local level. They also 1. developing an Ethnic Services Policy which will illustrate the extent to which local government is guide the development of services and coming into conflict with state and federal practices; governments which have traditionally seen councils 2. ensuring that all overseas-born residents have as service agents rather than recognising them as access to information about council services; a form of government in their own right. 3. acting as a resource person on the development Local Government Developments of culturally and linguistically relevant services Within the current context of conflict and change, across council departments; a number of positive developments are taking 4. resourcing and supporting existing and emerging place, however. ethnic groups in the municipality; 5. liaising with non-council service providers to The first and most obvious change is in the development of aged care services under the improve the cultural relevance and accessibility of these services to overseas born residents; HACC program. Despite the program being presented as a Commonwealth initiative, both the The strategy adopted by Northcote is based on Commonwealth and Victorian Governments each a recognition of the need for ethno-specific contribute to about one quarter of the total services, or at the very least, services which have expenditure, and Local government in Victoria a multi-ethnic structure or emphasis. For those contributes the balance, about half the cost of the councils which have significant proportions of non- HACC program. English-speaking residents, there is obviously Through the injection of major additional funding considerable scope to follow this path. for aged care services, over and above the pre­ In the case of the provision of maternal and child existing provision of councils, there has emerged care nurses, municipal recreation officers, youth considerable research and experimentation in officer and aged care co-ordinators, the State targeted approaches to the ethnic aged. In 1986/7 Government, recognising their importance in about 40 demonstration projects concerned with human services provisions, has contributed to the meal and home help services for the ethnic aged costs. Regrettably, in spite of Victoria’s commitment were being undertaken in mainly inner metropolitan to a Social Justice Strategy, there have been few councils. They ranged from the provision of Italian signs of the State Government’s willingness to food services in the City of Essendon, to the share similarly in supporting ethnic development development of information strategies by the City officers. of Sunshine, the employment of bilingual home help In Springvale there has been another important staff by the City of Keilor, and the introduction of initiative in responding to need. Following the ethnic advocacy projects by the Nunawading City successful study of community relations and Council. service provision for ethnic residents in Springvale These projects reflect a change by many completed by AIMA in 1986, the council has gone Page 10 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 on to develop an ‘Access and Equity’ strategy for rest of local government in Victoria. Tentative steps its municipality. The strategy: are also being taken by a small number of councils, such as Heidelberg, to become more involved in 1. provides input on the needs of non-English- the State Government’s Social Justice Strategy. speaking background communities; 2. establishes standards of service in and for a Finally, recognising the neglect of local multicultural community; and government in serving the needs of ethnic 3. develops appropriate methods for monitoring communities, the MAV (with the support of and evaluating the application of standards. Community 6ervices Victoria) has sought to encourage debate and change through the recent The Springvale initiative demonstrates the release of a two part report on the ethnic aged, positive relationship between research and change entitled Local Government and HACC Ethnic and it is regrettable that support from both the Commonwealth Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) Services. and the Victorian Ethnic Affairs Commission has Part I seeks to identify existing practices and been so limited. Without their strong support and research being undertaken by councils to address encouragement, there is a real danger that a the needs of the ethnic aged. Some of these significant initiative will stall. developments have been referred to in this paper. Part II, prepared by Priscilla Jamieson, documents the experiences of ethnic communities with local government. The underlying conflict between local government and ethnic communities is presented in clear and unambiguous terms. Major findings identified include, 1. that most contact by local government with ethnic communities had been initiated by communities themselves and frequently there was little on-going consultation; 2. that ethnic communities received little information from councils on the roles and functions of local government, including their role in HACC; 3. that many councils remained unaware that members of ethnic communities needed help and there was considerable concern about demands for ‘etho-specific’ services on financial and philosophical grounds; The development of multicultural senior citizens’ 4. that many ethnic communities have difficulties centres by Sunshine and Coburg Councils is in gaining access for regular activities to senior another major departure from traditional citizens’ centres operated out of council approaches. The centres involve the sharing of a facilities; single facility by a number of ethnic groups, and 5. that there was considerable concern about the this development has been accompanied by a more cultural appropriateness of existing HACC liberal interpretation of universality. As a Sunshine services which accounted for their limited use; Council report states, the centre is based on a and ‘commitment to the universality of services, that is, 6. that a number of ethnic communities have flexibility and responsive mainstream services difficulty in having their needs addressed when available to the community as a whole’. Northcote they relate to several municipalities. and Coburg Councils are looking at the possibility The report develops a strategy for implementing of establishing a multi-ethnic, multi-purpose a more equitable approach which includes on-going community centre also. consultation mechanisms; targeting information to Another significant development is the involve­ ethnic communities; enhancing the linguistic ment of seven councils in a pilot equal employment capacities of councils; initiating training and opportunity project. The new Local Government Bill sensitisation programs; and encouraging the requires all councils to adopt EEO principles in their development of more co-operative service employment practices. Councils involved in the pilot provisions. program include Mornington, Springvale, Rodney, While considerably more can be done to address Corio, Brunswick, Keilor- and St Kilda. The seven these problems, the initiative taken by the MAV to councils are developing action plans to implement expose these problems to its councils and the EEO programs which will provide models for the community generally is in itself significant. It

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 11 acknowledges a willingness to openly debate the not be left to local government itself. Today’s issues and to seek solutions. seminar is just one instance of how this can occur. Having said this, I would not want to leave the There is far too little research being undertaken by reader with an impression that rapid or immediate academic bodies on the local needs of ethnic change is on its way. Undoubtedly, ethnic communities. Such research needs to be communities will still find the slowness of change encouraged and ethnic communities have a right a source of tension. to expect the Victorian Ethnic Affairs Commission to play a more active role in this matter. FUTURE DIRECTIONS I would now like to turn to the issue of future directions. Councils This paper has made numerous references to the Ethnic Communities role councils must play in responding to the needs For far too long ethnic communities have looked of ethnic communities. Rather than repeat these to the Commonwealth Government for the provision at the risk of being too prescriptive and inflexible, and funding of relevant and appropriate services. I want to comment on three areas of change which While the Commonwealth must continue to councils need to consider. maintain prime responsibility for the provision of First, in times of fiscal restraint, councils should post-arrival programs and services, it should not be look to those areas where changes initiated involve forgotten that local government in Victoria is the little or no additional expenditure, such as chief funder and provider of local community recruitment practices, community participation, services. structures, data collection systems, and the raising Ethnic organisations need to first and foremost of councillors’ and officers’ sensitivity to issues of put local government on their agenda for reform. cultural and ethnic diversity. These will assist in Rather than rejecting outright local government’s ensuring that councils are sensitive to ethnic slowness to respond to ethnic groups needs, ethnic community needs, although there are no organisations such as the Ethnic Communities’ guarantees that they will be necessarily responsive. Council need to promote a positive climate for While the employment of ethnic development change. This will involve the development of officers will enormously assist in the process, participatory mechanisms whereby ethnic residents councils cannot afford the luxury of delaying action are involved in the planning and development of because funds for additional staff are not available. local services which complement (and not challenge) existing ethno-specific and self-help Secondly, many councils have begun examining provisions. They cannot rely upon the Common­ the ways their information systems can be changed wealth Government to take up the initiative as both to reach ethnic communities. This is particularly the Commonwealth Department of Immigration, evident in a number of HACC demonstration Local Government and Ethnic Affairs (DILGEA) and projects. There is considerable evidence to show the Office of Multicultural Affairs have shown little that the production of multilingual pamphlets is not desire to act as agents for change or to assist in in itself the answer. Tapping into ethnic radio, the the development of local strategies relevant to ethnic press, migrant resource centres and local councils and ethnic residents. ethnic community structures, aided by multilingual One particular strategy which has provided a information, have consistently been shown to be focus for women to reform council policies and more effective strategies. So too the employment programs, and up to now rarely pursued by ethnic of bilingual ethnic counsellors are involved in the leaders, is to participate in the local government development of information provisions as only they election process. Without more ethnic councillors have direct contact with their communities and directing the development of council policies, understand the barriers to effective communication. ethnic communities will continue to face the Thirdly, councils who have to deal with disadvantage of bringing about change from communities which are diverse and small in outside rather than within. The new Local numbers need to consider more flexible Government Bill will for the first time make it approaches to providing local programs and possible for all ethnic residents, including non- services. The service models of councils with high Australian citizens, to participate in the election concentrations of a few ethnic groups will often be process. Ethnic organisations need to ensure that inappropriate to these municipalities. Councils these provisions are enacted and used for the should not be afraid to experiment with a range of betterment of the overall community. pilot programs, multi-ethnic facilities, co-operative Finally, ethnic organisations need to encourage arrangements with surrounding councils, and even wider debate on how local government performs with the contracting out of services to ethnic its planning and service delivery roles. This should organisations. Such an approach will necessitate Page 12 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 a more liberal interpretation of the universalist approach to care and the funding of services. NEW Variety must become the norm rather than CHOMI conformity across councils. REPRINTS Municipal Association of Victoria While the MAV as the peak body representing councils in Victoria has little power to impose change upon councils, it nevertheless can assert influence through providing advice and leadership to its members. R508 50c The recently released Local Government and THE IMPORTANCE OF ETHNIC HACC Ethnic Services (Part II) sets out a range of ORAL HISTORY strategies which the MAV can pursue in time. These Desmond Cahill include: • assisting councils to develop an overall framework for the equitable provision of services R509 $1.50c to ethnic communities; • developing links between councils, the ECC and ASPECTS OF OCCUPATIONAL VEAC to provide a mechanism for communi­ MOBILITY AND ATTAINMENT cation and consultation; AMONG IMMIGRANTS IN AUSTRALIA • assisting councils to develop language services Paul W. Miller programs and services in conjunction with VEAC and DILGEA; • the provision of in-service training programs to R510 $2.20 council officers and councillors; and • the development of program standards for local ANGLO-AUSTRALIANS’ AND government which ensures access and equity IMMIGRANTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD for ethnic communities. LANGUAGE AND ACCENT: A REVIEW Crucial to this approach will be the planning and OF EXPERIMENTAL AND SURVEY co-ordination of local services which complement RESEARCH and support ethnic communities' own support structures. Victor. J. Callan and Cynthia Gallios The MAV has already approached OMA seeking support for the development of an overall policy R511 70c framework for local government and is looking to involve more staff resources in working with AGED WOMEN FROM NON councils and ethnic communities on the ethnic ENGLISH SPEAKING aged. BACKGROUNDS In conclusion, local government recognises that Varoe Legge if it is to be accorded full recognition as a separate sphere of government it needs to accept prime responsibility for meeting the diverse needs of its R512 $1.40 local residents. The role of local government must COMMUNITY, MOSQUE AND be to respond flexibly to its culturally and ethnically diverse population. ETHNIC POLITICS The first steps towards change are taking place. Michael Humphrey We all share a responsibility to ensure that these initiatives are extended and developed across municipalities. Only then will the old cliche that local government is the ‘government of the people’ be true. Available from CHOMI *The views expressed in this paper are those of the 133 Church St. author alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Richmond Municipal Association of Victoria. Vic. 3121 Tony Pensabene is the Economist with the Municipal (03) 428 4948 Association of Victoria.

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 13 Melbourne’s Greek Community: Infrastructure and Local Government

Christi Gerondaki

I’d like to begin by providing a brief profile of the Australia for at least ten years with the largest Greek community and its infrastructures and then proportion having been here for between 15 and 21 move more specifically to the Greek aged. Then I years (38.7%) followed by 21.3% having been here wish to give a brief outline of the work and for 22-28 years. experience of AGWS with the Greek elderly and IN 1971 only 36% of Greek born migrants had with local government in terms of areas of needs been resident in the country for more than ten years and service provision at the local government level. with the largest proportion being in Australia for 5-9 The most complete demographic data to date are years only. available through the 1981 census. The 1986 Comparisons by age groupings with the overall material is still being processed with regards to Australian born community in Victoria in 1981 ethnicity and age, so I have been unable to get indicated a distinct middle aging of the Greek born sufficient information to make a proper analysis and population. The largest percentage of Greek born comparison. Victorians (67.3%) were aged between 30 and 54, In1 1981 the total Greek community was figured figures indicating that almost 80% of all Greek born at 130,526. Of these 55.4% (72,270) were Greek persons are over the age of 30. Projections made born with the remaining 44.6% (58,526) being by the Australian Greek Society for the Care of the second-generation born Greeks with one or both Elderly suggests that by the year 1991 the total parents being Greek born. These figures exclude Greek population aged 65 and over will have more other Greek speaking persons born outside Greece, than doubled and by 2001 more than quadrupled.2 e.g. Egypt, Cyprus etc. and we can keep in mind Furthermore one must also bear in mind that the the popular estimates that place Melbourne as bulk of migration from Greece since 1981 if one having a total Greek speaking population of excludes returning migrants has been in the family approximately 200,000. reunion area of which a large number are parents The vast majority (almost 90% — 57,040) of of Greek Australians who are in the 60+ age Greek born Greeks in 1981 had been resident in bracket. Page 14 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 Occupation Clearly these figures demonstrate a move out of Most Greeks (58% of all persons: 60% of males the city’s inner suburbs with a move out to the (16,696) and 54% of females (9,895)) in Victoria in Inner-East and North-Eastern suburbs. Less 1981 were in trade, process work or labouring jobs. substantiative increases are also evident in the Westernport and Southern regions. 54% of Greek females were employed in manual occupations compared with only 7% of Australian An indication from the 1986 Census appears to females while almost ten times as many Australian indicate that the trend established in those years females were employed in professional andfor has continued. technical jobs as Greek born females. In summary it can be said that the Greek Similar concentrations in occupations existed in community is an aging one. The majority of Greek- 1971 with some variations in proportions. In 1971 born Greeks have been resident in Australia for almost 66% of all Greek born were in the Trades, periods over 20 years, have been mainly employed Production Line workers or labourers (indicating a in process work and labouring jobs and much of drop of 5,971 workers in this area in real numbers the population has moved from the inner city in 1981). Comparisons with 1971 figures also suburbs to the North-Eastern, Inner-Eastern and indicate marked increases in 1981 of Greek born Southern suburbs. in clerical jobs (almost 100% increase 2.3 to 4.7%), The Greek Community today sales jobs (6.8 to 11.7%) and within the services, The past few years has seen a distinct trend sports and recreation field (6.5 to 9.3%). towards the organisation of Greeks within their local areas of residence as well as a strengthening of Participation in Employment organisations along Greek regional ties (i.e. Australia-wide figures indicate that the Greek- Brotherhoods). born population has experienced consistently higher unemployment rates than Australian-born In the case of the first development (locality- based communities) as is evidenced in such over the period 1982-1985 peaking for males in February 1984 at 13.8% compared to 9% for examples as the Springvale, Clayton and Thomas- Australian-born and in May 1983 for females at 19% town Greek communities, we see the evolution of nearly double the Australian-born rate of 10%. groups of first-generation Greeks organising themselves around issues of concern to them such At the same time in the period 1980-85 the Greek- as the maintenance of the mother-tongue (resulting born male labour force participation rate declined in establishment of afternoon schools), religion by 7.5% as compared to 2.3% for the Australian- (establishment and maintenance of churches), the born for that period while for Greek-born females care of their elderly (establishment of Greek Elderly the rate declined by 9.2% while the Australian-born Clubs) and protection of their youth (hence rate increased by 1.3%. evolution of associated youth clubs). In July 1982 the participation rate of Greek-born These groups offer a forum in which the lay persons was 67.2%. In July 1985 it was 51.8%. Greek can contribute, identify with, reap reward and Areas of Residence in Melbourne be proud of tangible achievements which are When looking at and comparing 1971 and 1981 recognised by his own peers. Census figures the following shifts in areas of These groups appear to vary in their capacity to residence can be observed. make inroads into mainstream structures in their

Region 1971 1981 Inner Urban 31.3% of all Greek Greek-born (22,655) 16% (11,362) Western Suburbs 13.7% (9,934) 14% (9,412) North-Western suburbs 12.3% (8,923) 11% (7,882) North-Eastern 17% (12,285) 22% (15,348) Inner-Eastern 7.7% (5,567) 12% (8,589) Outer-Eastern 1.2% (883) 3% (2,292) Southern Suburbs 14.3% (10,328) 16.5% (11,509) Westernport 2.4% (1,709) 4.6% (3,325) 72,284 69,694

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 15 local areas (i.e. local government, health centres, residential qualifications, on pensions or on etc.) depending on their interests, capacities and Special Benefit. access to bilingual resource people. What they all have in common is their inability Broadly speaking the second group referred to to communicate their needs in the English langu­ earlier (regional brotherhoods) share similar age, their general lack of knowledge of services that characteristics with the previous group however are available to assist them, their generally low their interests are more focused on issues of socio-economic status and finally their general cultural and family maintenance around Greek social isolation from the mainstream of community regional interests and loyalties. These groups are life. The middle group i.e. 55-65 also have specific becoming conspicuously significant in recent times chronic health problems and permanent disabilities. with regard to their increased property holdings as Within the 60+ age group there is a growing is evidenced by for example the Cretan Brotherhood number of frail and disabled. — To Kritiko Horio,’ the Panmacedonian Brotherhood The range of needs that these three groups in Clifton Hill, and the Panpontian Brotherhood in present is not dissimilar to that of the aged and Fitzroy. disabled in the general community. However More recently, the Greek church as represented barriers of language, culture and attitudes and by the Archdiocese, has also entered into the field approaches of service providers, planners and of Government subsidised human services through decision makers has meant that these groups suffer the granting of funds by DIEA (through the GIA further disadvantages in using services to meet scheme) to provide welfare services. these needs. What these organisations share in common, are Ethnic community organisations, such as the the solid community bases of support which Australian Greek Welfare Society have with varying provide ready on-hand human and in some cases degrees of success developed a range of services financial resources. At this stage these resources in an attempt to meet some of these needs. The are primarily used in work aimed at maintenance AGWS has initiated over the years a number of of ‘Greek’ cultural, linguistic, family and religious services that are either wholly or partly targeted to values. These groups play an extremely important the aged in the Greek community. These include: role in undertaking such 'cultural regeneration’; (1) a direct counselling, informal and referral and however due to their very nature they do not directly advocacy service, which although not deal with or act upon the broader environment in specifically targeted to the aged in fact services which Greeks live, the problems that they may face a substantial number of persons in the over 55 in the workplace, in unemployment, in lack of year age group and deals with issues and access to information and lack of equal opportunity problems that reflect the needs of this group within mainstream Australian institutions on which (i.e. pensions/income maintenance, health the realisation of so many of their other life dreams problems, isolation, accommodation and and expectations are also based. intergenerational conflict); Finally a development which is not an institution (2) the establishment of the Australian Greek in itself but a significant consideration is the Society for the Care of the Elderly. The increasing number of bilingual (bicultural) organisation has in turn developed a hostel for professionals within the human services field who the frail Greek aged and is in the process of have as either their specific client group (or as part building a nursing home; of it) Greek-speaking Victorians. (3) the provision of a limited volunteer visiting service to isolated Greek persons in the The Greek Elderly community and in institutions; (4) the establishment and maintenance of a As mentioned earlier the Greek community is aging. Within this group of Greek aged I would number of Greek elderly groups in Melbourne identify three distinct but inter-related target groups: and the resourcing of other Greek elderly groups not directly linked to AGWS. (1) those who are traditionally labelled as the aged I would like to develop in a little more detail the i.e. those who are 60 or 65+ and retired from question of the establishment of Greek Senior the workforce and are usually in receipt of aged Citizens’ groups as a clear example of how the pensions; Greek community itself has tried to tackle the (2) those who have been forced to retire prior to problems of the isolated aged and disabled in the 60 due to either work injuries or disability and community. It is a clear example also of how Local who are usually in the 50-65 aged group and and State governments have attempted to deal with are in receipt of the Invalid pension; this issue and groups such as these also feature (3) those who have arrived in Australia after service developments in other areas such as meals retirement under the family reunion scheme services, day centres, transport and information. and may be either receiving no income due to This year AGWS undertook a study of Greek Page 16 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 /

senior citizens’ groups, particularly in their provision of the facility itself, only one received any relationship to local government, in order to identify significant support from Council. In discussing their Greek elderly groups which had to any degree relationship with council few groups had little successfully accessed local government services knowledge of what services council did or could andfor resources, and to identify the factors which provide to the group as a whole or to the had facilitated such access. Conversely the study membership individually. Of those who had some also tried to identify the factors currently inhibiting knowledge, much of it was confused and indicated access of Greek elderly groups to adequate a degree of misunderstanding. All groups identified services and facilities. Some 14 Greek senior as priority the need for a person, who in their citizens’ groups were surveyed. Interviews were language could provide them with information also conducted among service providers within about resources, and services provided by council, local government as well as those in services which who help them develop their programs and who deal with Greek aged on a local or at least regional could act as their advocate in securing services level e.g. Community Health Centres, Migrant and resources. Another priority was their concern Resource Centres. that they were unable to reach the more frail and homebound as none of the groups had any The study found that there was a strong degree transport service to the group meetings. Finally, of of similarity among Greek elderly groups in terms of the groups studied not one had been initiated or their general functions and aims, i.e. they were established with any assistance from the local established to provide opportunities for social and Council. The groups which had successfully recreational activities and to support and share secured some resources from councils were those common issues and information among the which had secured the services of a bilingual membership. Membership was also very similar, advocate who had acted as the link between the with the majority of members falling into the 55-85 Council and the group. In all cases this person was year old age group. Members, by and large were not a member of the group itself but either a the more ambulant aged. . bilingual professional in a community agency; in the Of the groups surveyed only 2 met at senior case of one Council, the political make-up of the citizens’ Centres, 5 met at facilities provided by Council itself providing the opportunity for stronger Greek community organisations, 2 met at Council direct representation from the Greek community’s owned facilities which were not built for the use of ranks. In the discussion with Council service senior citizens’ and 2 met at facilities provided by providers a number of points were made. A Migrant Resource Centres. Of the 7 that met in significant barrier to effective delivery of services community facilities, only one received any and resources to the groups and to individual Greek substantial financial support from council. This was aged was the problem of language. Without a toward the costs of conducting a meal program and common language between provider and recipient, paying a small rental for the use of the facility. Of it was felt that it was difficult to establish what those using Council facilities, other than the services were needed and also to whom and how

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Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 17 they were to be delivered appropriately. Another the use of interpreters, appropriate training of staff area of frustration was that council staff who on cross-cultural issues, and access to council recognised that there were unmet needs in the facilities such as Senior Citizens Centres, transport Greek community felt that there was little or no services. recognition with the council itself of these needs These policies must be developed in consultation and so they were not a priority area of development. with and with the participation of the ethnic Other staff were either unaware, indifferent or, in communities themselves. There must be a a couple of instances openly hostile to the needs recognition and a positive engagement of those of these groups. More specifically in the case of organisations within the ethnic welfare the use of senior citizens’ centres, it was felt that organisations or more localised structures such as centres were either fully utilised and thus making those I have outlined earlier in my presentation. specific times available for a Greek group to meet was difficult, there was a general lack of willingness Finally there must be readiness to be flexible and (to put it mildly) of the Anglo-Australian users to innovative in the way in which services may be allow the centres to be used for specific Greek modified or changed and in the establishment of group activities, or a general lack of “political will” new services. For example it may be necessary for on the part of the Councils to ‘force the issue’ on greater co-operation among councils in a particular the Management Committee of the Centres. region to be able to tackle the issue of dealing with The above example of the development of Greek widely dispersed and numerically small ethnic Senior Citizens groups has implications for the communities. Despite the differences that exist development of accessible and appropriate within municipalities, councils can learn from each services not only in this area but more generally other and from each other’s experiences. in services to the Greek speaking aged in the The experience of the Australian Greek Welfare community and indeed to the aged in other ethnic Society indicates that slowly some of these communities. initiatives are taking place today within local Local government itself must start to take the government. There is also a growing recognition of initiative in the development of services that meet the needs of the aged in ethnic communities at the the needs of the aged in ethnic communities in their State and Commonwealth levels of government. It municipalities. They must develop policies which is my firm hope that these initiatives will form the not only recognise the needs of the non-English basis for future developments in improved services speaking aged and which recognise linguistic and to the aged in all ethnic communities. cultural differences, but policies which also actively Source Documents redress the current disadvantages these groups Unpublished Paper, AGWS: Future Directions, Niki Dollis, face and address issues of equal access and June 1986. participation in decision making. Unpublished Survey, AGWS: “ Greek Elderly and Local Policies need to be developed regarding the Government,” Lia Zaparas & Christi Gerondaki, March employment of staff who reflect the cultural and 1987. linguistic mix of the community they service. MSS C. Gerondaki works at the Australian Greek Welfare Policies also need to be developed with regard to Society.

Projection of Melbourne Greeks AGSCE

Age Groups 1981 Census 1991 Projection 2001 Projection 20-29 9,313 4,402 547 30-39 18,666 9,313 442 40-49 21,572 18,666 9,313 50-54 6,710 21,572 18,666 55-64 4,962 6,710 21,572 65 + 3,482 8,444 15,154 Source: AGSCE A Case for a Greek Nursing Home, 1985.

'The following sections up to and including the titled "The Greek Community Today” are from an unpublished paper, AGWS: Future Directions, Niki Dollis, June 1986.

Ho formulate projections of the future age distribution patterns of the Greek-born population of Melbourne is easy. Many variables offset the outcome. A static model which merely moves as group forward follows:

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Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page Designing Relevant Services for the Ethnic Community

Jill Leisegang

Prahran is a multicultural community with 20% In 1982 Council commissioned a consultant to of its population, or more than 10,000 residents, undertake an evaluation of its Community Services from non-English speaking backgrounds. and to develop a Forward Plan for its Community Highlighting this complexity is the fact that over 26 Services Department. This resulted in the different countries are represented, many of these development of three specific programme areas; are only small groups scattered across the Community Development, Service Delivery and municipality. Over 23 different languages are Community Planning. One of the objectives of the spoken within Prahran and there are also many Community Development Programme was dialects. Available information points to 25% of “to ensure that the residents and ratepayers those from non-English speaking background not of all nationalities within Prahran had equal speaking English well enough to comprehend either access to all community services and, if complex issues or simple instructions; many are appropriate, specific cultural language based also unable to read even in their own language. This services or facilities are developed.” communication problem is compounded by the The implementation of this objective took the unfamiliarity of ethnic groups with the provision of form of an Ethnic Population Study in 1985, followed community services as found in Australia. by the development of a Resource Profile by the Prahran has a population of 43,000 in an area Migrant Workers Group in 1986 and finally, the of 31/2 square miles. It covers the suburbs of realisation that a full scale study was needed not Toorak, South Yarra, Armadale, Prahran and only to clearly identify the resources available in Windsor. It has the highest percentage of public the community and the needs of the various ethnic housing in the inner urban region — much higher communities, but also to determine how well these than the State average. It also has a high resources are meeting their needs. percentage of private rental properties and a Council commissioned its Community Services comparatively low percentage of home ownership. Planning Advisory Committee to undertake an Its population is among the wealthiest in the Ethnic Consultation based on a three stage process country (that’s if you can consider Robert Holmes- of, first, the development of a detailed resources a-Court still our most affluent citizen), as well as profile based on interviews with representative having a significant proportion of families on service providers in the community. pensions and benefits. This was followed by Stage 2 — a series of group How then does Prahran meet the needs of its consultations with those ethnic groups having diverse population? significant representation within the community and The only way to do this is through the rational finally, Stage 3 — which has just been completed planning, co-ordination and delivery of services. but not analysed — a series of individual interviews Prahran has a long history of attempting to with some 270 residents from different ethnic identify and meet the needs of its residents of non- backgrounds. We had aimed at 400 but time and English speaking background. Why then did we financial constraints prevented this number being decide to undertake an Ethnic Consultation and attained. what makes this consultation different from similar The issues highlighted from the consultation to studies undertaken in other municipalities? date do not appear to relate entirely to the

Page 20 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 /

relevance of services to the ethnic community, but Aims rather to their ability to access the services, their The major aims of this stage were: knowledge of the services and the structure of the — to measure the accessibility of services to NESB services. residents; In order to clarify the processes involved in the — to encourage service providers to raise issues consultation let me describe the three stages and that they considered important in regard to their findings in more detail. For this information I servicing the NESB population and to provide am grateful to our former Community Planner, Bill them with a forum to discuss their difficulties Forrest and our Ethnic Community Worker, Diana and experiences. Orlando. Acessiblity was measured on the basis of: The first stage of the Ethnic Consultation was a — the level of awareness of services amongst consultation with service providers, and the first residents of NESB; part of the second phase, with community groups — cultural acceptance of services; with participants of non-English speaking — efforts of agencies to facilitate communication background (NESB). when there are language difficulties and Background different cultural interpretations; In May, 1986, Council invited the Advisory — attitudes of staff towards NESB people and tasks Committee to undertake consultation with residents that may be necessary in order to ensure their of NESB. access to services. Council is committed to the Community Services The consultation attempted to concentrate on the Department consulting with ethnic communities as more basic, practical issues involved in the the most appropriate mechanism for: accessibility of services to NESB people. The assumptions of the Ethnic Consultation were that, 1. identifying areas of need for specific ethnic ■in order for NESB residents to have equal access communities and gaps in existing services; to services, they must: 2. identifying program and resources required to — know about them; meet these needs; — have assistance with communication if required; 3. considering priorities in the implementation of — feel comfortable about using them. any programs; 4. assisting in the development of an ethnic affairs policy for Council. STAGE ONE Basis for Selection of Agencies PROFILE OF RESOURCES The Resource Profile attempted to gain insight The information in this stage was compiled by into the range of services rather than to include consulting with local service providers. every single service. The limited time period and A total of twenty-five agencies (twenty-one resources made the inclusion of every service mainstream agencies and four specialist migrant impossible, particularly since the process involved agencies) were invited to participate. in-depth interviews, follow-up and consultation. Major Issues Raised in the Consultation approach does not recognise the NESB person’s 1. Few of the agencies that participated recorded equal right to quality services but assumes a whether their service users were of NESB. The lack benevolent attitude towards them. of information regarding ethnicity, period of 8. The issues raised by participants indicated residence in Australia, level of competency in that they did experience some added ‘difficulty’ in English and preferred language meant that it was servicing NESB people. The difficulties described difficult to assess the level of usage amongst NESB by participants included: residents, particularly the more disadvantaged — the time it takes working through an interpreter; groups, such as newly arrived residents and — necessity for an awareness and understanding residents of NESB with limited competency in of a diverse range of cultural backgrounds and English. acceptance of the ways of other cultures; 2. The information that was provided by agencies — frustration with communication difficulties; did, however, indicate that the majority of service — lack of contact with the NESB community; users who were of NESB had fair to fluent — sharing resources and ensuring equitable part­ competency in English and lived in Australia longer icipation for all. than two years. There was acknowledgment that even when 3. There is not equitable provision of information aware of these differences, participants were not to NESB residents in the area. Provision of always able or even willing to take these into information in community languages was limited to account. 61% of mainstream agencies included in this 9. There was limited participation in in-service survey. Methods such as the use of posters, audio­ training in cross-cultural awareness and in the use visual materials and ethnic radio were of interpreters. The training options available were underutilised. found to be of limited usefulness because of their Participants often assumed that NESB residents focus on more intangible qualities that cannot be were aware of services, despite the lack of effort learnt. to publicise them in an appropriate way. 10. The majority of participants were, by their 4. Disappointment in the lack of response to the own admission, unprepared for managing a methods that were used was expressed. The situation where an NESB client spoke limited or no written form has been found to be of limited English. “ It’s hit and miss” or “we muddle through” success. Talks, visits, personal introductions to were used to describe how participants dealt with agencies, ethnic media and door-knocking were this situation. identified as more successful methods. Participants reported using sign language, 5. Participants felt that they did not have speaking loudly or slowly or both. Often a person adequate contact with the NESB community. A with limited English was automatically referred to significant number of participants were not aware the Migrant Resource Centre without trying to of any disadvantaged or under-serviced groups in ascertain what the enquiry was. the area. The need for greater contact with NESB The majority of agencies surveyed have never, residents was strongly identified. or rarely, used the Telephone Interpreter Service 6. The majority of participants believed that there (T.I.S.), or booked the personal attendance of an was a need for bilingual staff in order to increase interpreter. The most often cited reason for this was access to services. At the same time bi-lingual skills that 'most people who come here speak English’, in workers have not been actively sought and, in or that ‘people that don’t speak English don’t come’. some cases, were not regarded as particularly 11. There were few resources that were useful. specifically targetted to people of NESB. The need Bilingual workers (including cooks and cleaners) for increased culturally relevant and language have been used as interpreters and this, at times, specific programs and activities was expressed. has been inappropriate in terms of the pressure There was general agreement that these could not placed on the worker and the quality of the service be developed with current resources and that delivered to the NESB client. additional funding was required to be targetted at The employment of bilingual staff was identified the Ethnic Community. as one of the best strategies to increase access This is a difficult issue in this current economic of services to people of NESB. climate. Increases in funding are unlikely. 7. Skills that participants considered necessary Participants seem to imply that services can only for working with NESB people are personal be accessible to NESB people in ideal qualities, such as patience, empathy and circumstances. They did not believe that solutions awareness of cultural differences. Practical skills could be found with current resources. (for example, knowing how to use an interpreter) 12. Responsibility to service NESB residents as were not mentioned. It has been argued that this a part of the community was often not recognised

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by participants. The Migrant Resource Centre reported receiving referrals that could have been — development of process ongoing better handled by the referring agency simply consultation with NESB residents regarding because the client did not speak English. It was the needs of their communities; argued that because agencies were ‘generalist’ in — development of both in formal and formal their orientation, they could not be expected to processes to encourage the participation of cater for the specific needs of NESB people. NESB people in the planning and delivery of The results of this survey indicate that there are services and the development of culturally barriers to access that are structural. That is, the relevant programs; systems of belief and practices in administration — a policy promoting employment of bilingual of services lead to the failure or refusal to adapt staff in areas and roles where this would be services to make them appropriate to a most beneficial. This would involve multicultural community. consultation with bilingual workers; — exploring the possibility of creating specifically designated bilingual positions; — clarifying the role and responsibilities of the Migrant Resource Centre in Prahran to other local service providers; — consulting relevant ethno-specific agencies to determine what services they provide to NESB residents of Prahran; — examining the training needs of local workers and developing an appropriate programme for working with a multicultural community; — developing communication strategies for managing situations with people with limited competency in English. A further report will be presented to Council outlining the implementation process for the above strategies prior to the 1987/88 budget process. STAGE TWO CONSULTATIONS WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS During April, May and June, 1987, the Community Services Planning Advisory Committee consulted Future Directions with seven community groups with participants of Many important issues were raised by non-English speaking background (NESB). They participants during this consultation. The results of were:- the study indicate that specific strategies need to Chile Lindo Folkloric Group (Spanishing speaking). be developed in order to achieve equal access to Russian-Jewish Elderly. services for people of non-English speaking Parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church in background. Based on the findings of the study the South Yarra. following strategies could be developed almost Polish Elderly. immediately with limited additional resources. St. Dimitrios Greek Elderly Club. Asklipios — Greek Women’s Group. — A data base of users of NESB (to include Prahran Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association. ethnicity, period of stay, level of competency in English and preferred language), to be established Basis for Selection of Groups on a municipal level and used collectively by The Advisory Committee is well aware that there agencies in determining the needs of NESB are other community groups that were not included residents. in this consultation. — Appropriate information strategies in community The Spanish speaking, Polish, Greek and Indo- languages could be developed with all services Chinese communities comprise at least five publicised in community languages, and percent of the NESB population in the municipality. agencies to consider a co-ordinated community The Advisory Committee was concerned that education program and the sharing of resources. smaller ethnic groups not be overlooked, — Community Development initiatives could be particularly the newly-arrived. For this reason developed including ' further consultants are planned with Turkish and — locating and supporting groups with NESB Cambodian community groups. participants; The Russian elderly were included as they

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 23 comprise the fifth largest population of the NESB — complex information may also need to be elderly population and were believed to be provided in community languages, particularly particularly isolated. when it concerns emotional issues or when there Purpose of Community Discussions — are misconceptions, fears and cultural barriers; Community Languages — it cannot be assumed that people of NESB have The following purposes were formulated: family support and for this reason do not have a need for services. Many of the elderly 1. to introduce Council to the groups included in participants in the consultations live alone. When this survey; participants did live with their families, they often 2. to establish links between the group and the stressed a strong wish to maintain their Community Services Department; independence and the need for access to 3. to publicise the consultation. information and the support of services in order Methodology to do so; Bilingual facilitators were engaged for an — the assumption that there are cultural objections average period of twenty hours. Their tasks to certain services needs to be discussed further included familiarisation with the groups, assisting with NESB residents. The response from in the planning of discussion guidelines, to lead a participants indicate that their reservations discussion and, finally, to prepare a report on their regarding services are concerned with how consultations. The discussion was based around services are structured. They feel that their the assumptions of the service providers, who cultural beliefs and practices are not taken into participated in stage one of the consultation. account. There was also mention of discrimination and the feeling of being rejected Facilitators met with the groups once in order to by Anglo-Australians. familiarise themselves with the group, introduce the project and to assess which issues members were The results also suggest that people of NESB most interested in responding to. Their input was have many needs in common with the broader particularly valuable here as their understanding of community. the communities helped to ensure the discussions Residents’ Survey remained relevant and interesting to participants. The final part of the consultation is a residents’ It was therefore hoped that this selection would survey, which will comprise a large number of provide a mix of established, newly-arrived interviews in community languages, with residents residents, larger ethnic groups and smaller isolated of NESB who will be selected as randomly as ones. possible. Planning for the residents’ survey will Major Issues Arising from Community begin in the near future. The design of an interview Consultations schedule is the next major task and will be based As the consultations were held with groups, on the outcomes of the earlier consultations. Councillors will be invited to these planning many of the needs identified concerned support and assistance in the practical needs of the groups. meetings. This included venue, financial assistance and We believe that our consultation was the first organisational support. The facilitators discovered survey undertaken which placed emphasis on the a great deal of ignorance about what facilities viewpoint of the members of the various ethnic Council offered and that the participants did not groups — rather than on their representatives or know how to approach Council about what is on ethno-specific agencies speaking on their available to them. behalf. All the groups require more information about This form of consultation was decided upon after community services in their own language. the Migrant Workers Group had completed their Participants were particularly interested in more report on the Resources Profile which identified information about the Department of Social perceived needs within the migrant community. It Security, Ministry of Plousing and were confused was as a result of this study we realised that many about the responsibilities of different Council of the needs were only perceived and that there Departments. Appropriate community education was no data or input from the ethnic groups to strategies will be presented for consideration in a support or refute these perceptions. future report to Council. The difference between the needs of the various The most significant aspect of the consultation ethnic communities as perceived by the service is the challenges raised to the assumptions of the providers, and as perceived by the members service providers: themselves, has been testified to in the results of -—proficiency in English does not necessarily our group consultations. indicate that one does not require the assistance The questions addressed in the group of an interpreter in certain situations; consultations were based on the assumptions of

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the service providers who participated in Stage 1 identification of needs does, and always has, taken of the consultation. place at the local level. It is our experience that by The results of this consultation have clearly the time a locally identified need becomes a indicated to us as a Council that perhaps for many nationally funded programme, it has usually been years we have only been catering to perceived met, in an ad hoc way, at the local level out of local needs of the ethnic groups within our community. resources, or through misappropriation of funds They have also indicated that we have not been from one or other programme or through tailoring able to reach the ethnic groups because of our lack a submission to meet the funding requirements of understanding of the mechanisms through which rather than seeking funding to meet the ends. they receive and absorb their information. Whilst There are many examples of this, but perhaps we have had contact in various ways and through the Home Maintenance Programme is the most various mechanisms with most of the larger ethnic obvious one, where for many years local groups within our community, we consider that the government has been “misappropriating” home contact that we have made over the past six months help funds to provide the service of alternatively of the consultation has been more significant, more received C.E.P. funding to provide the service. rewarding and has created greater understanding Local Government has been hampered in its task between Council and the various ethnic groups. in planning for the Ethnic community and making I wonder why, when we have placed so much services accessible by the lack of resources from emphasis over the years on consultation with our the Federal Government. Local Government is the communities on every issue from road widening to only service provider/agency which is not eligible the provision of childrens’ services or even to apply for funding from the Department of domiciliary services, yet, when it comes to Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. This I might add is consulting with the ethnic groups we do it through due, in the main, to the opposition from the various their representatives or the ethno specific agencies ethnic groups to this money being made available who purport to understand and be aware of the to Local Government — out of fear that politics needs of the different ethnic groups. might influence the allocation of resources in favour of one ethnic group or the other. As a result, we I suggest that most community representatives have scarce resources being divided up amongst or workers in ethno-specific agencies are one step a variety of ethnic groups, more often than not to removed from the actual consumers, both in terms meet the same need in the same community of their knowledge of the English language, their resulting in duplication, lack of co-ordination and understanding of the system and the problems they a waste of resources. face as NESB’s. Many workers have lost the feeling, I am not suggesting that ethno-specific agencies if they ever had it, of what it was like to be new to should not be funded, however funding should be a country, not to be able to speak the language and co-ordinated through local government as should not be able either to express their needs or access funding for ail human services programmes given the resources to meet their needs. Most the role of local government in planning and co­ representatives of the various ethnic groups are ordination at the local and regional level. either first generation Australians, or even second However, given the resources, Local Government generation Australians, or have been here so long is in an ideal situation to understand and cater for that they are not only familiar with the English the diverse needs of diverse groups. Local language but they are also part of the Anglo- Government is expert at doing this as evidenced Australian culture and system. by the range of services (particularly in the It is for these reasons that we have seen the childrens’ services area) that it provides, the need to consult directly with the consumers or flexibility it attempts to build into domiciliary potential consumers of our services amongst the services e.g. Prahran Council caters for the first generation ethnic groups within our separate needs of two Greek Elderly Citizens’ community. In doing so we believe we have gained groups and two different Chinese Senior Citizens’ a greater understanding of how to make our groups. In the same way they deal separately and services more accessible, and therefore more differently with each school and kindergarten. relevant, to the ethnic community. Obviously when the target group is not heavily Before I finish, I would like to comment briefly represented in one local area, co-operation is on how we see the role of the Federal Government needed between Councils, or services should be in the relation to planning of services at the regional provided by a regional organisation. The resources or local level. We do not believe that the Federal for planning should be made available by the Government has any role in planning for any Federal Government and planning should be specific group or setting priorities for any group regional or local. under the Flome and Community Care Programme Jill Leisegang is Community Services Officer with the — other than providing the financial resources. The City of Prahran.

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 25 The Ethnic Worker in Local Government

Ana da Silva

bi-lingual workers in that their task relates exclusively to an ethnic group rather than to a job which can be performed in another language as well as in English. In Victoria, there is a small number of Ethnic Services Workers, whose role is to work on ethnic issues in general rather than with a particular ethnic group. These workers usually lack an individual case work component to their role, concentrating mainly on community development or advocacy or both. They may be associated with a specific service such as housing, or an issue such as the ethnic aged, or an agency such as local government. This paper deals with the latter type of “ Ethnic Worker”, which would be more appropriately referred to as “Ethnic Services”, “Ethnic Advisory”, or “Ethnic Services Development Officers” (ESDO) as they are commonly called. Moreover, this paper is confined to the role of such workers within Local Definition Government. The term ‘Ethnic Worker’ is often used to apply Rationale for an Ethnic Services Development to workers who have widely differing roles Officer throughout a variety of agencies. Many use it to refer to bi-lingual case workers employed through In this paper some definitions are used which do such schemes as the Commonwealth Employment not always correspond to the way the same words Project (CEP), who see clients of a specific ethnic are used in the welfare and related fields. In fact, group. They are also called “ethnic aides” or “ethnic there are quite a few words commonly used in this access” workers. The same term is also used in field, to which a number of conflicting, confused reference to project workers, often involved in if not downright obscure meanings are ascribed. research, or to community development workers Local Governments as we all know, are employed by a variety of government and non­ generalist agencies. They deliver and administer a government agencies. wide variety of services to a community defined by For the most part, “ethnic workers” are geographical boundaries. associated with one ethnic group and have a These services may be “ universal”, that is, specific task, for example, an Italian ethnic delivered to all properties or available to residents children’s services worker may work in a children’s within the municipality, for example: rubbish service area in a local government, developing the collection, parks and gardens, roads and footpaths, service for the Italian community. They differ from and so on.

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Alternatively, services may be targeted to b) to work with a variety of ethnic organisations, specific sections of the community, within a broad both locally and regionally, providing information service area. For instance, football grounds are and assistance, as well as researching their needs, traditionally targeted to and designed for the use so that those can be brought back to the agency. of young males of Anglo-Celtic background, as part The success of the ESDO depends on the of recreation services. In fact, it could be argued commitment of the agency to improving its that most services in Local Government, services. That commitment is shown primarily by particularly in the Human Services area, are of this the willingness of the agency to allocate funds and type. resources in order to bring about change, and also This type of service provision is often referred by the status given to the ESDO within the to as “ mainstream”, meaning they are delivered to organisation. the “mainstream” sections of the community. The In Local Government, ESDOs are mostly located term “ mainstream”, however, is obscure and in community services departments. Some report difficult to define when applied in this context. Can directly to the Community Services Manager others young males of Anglo-Celtic background who wish to an in-between supervisor. to play football be described as the “mainstream” Because of the community development or would they be more accurately described as a component of their role, Community Services seem target group. to be an appropriate place for these officers. For this reason, it is somewhat confusing and However, they also have a broad organisational misleading to talk about “mainstream” or “ethno- role, which would comfortably place them in specific” services, as these are terms often used administration, reporting to an executive officer or only in contrast to one another and have little Town Clerk. descriptive or conceptual value. Rather, it seems clearer and more productive to talk about target Functions of the Ethnic Services Development groups andfor targeted services which are delivered Officer by organisations of a general or of a specific nature. It is very common to find that when Councils first Local Councils, then, are generalist agencies employ an ESDO, all enquiries or problems brought delivering a variety of services to the whole or to forward by a person of NESB, are viewed as the various sections of the community. Local Councils responsibility of the ESDO and are directed have a responsibility to all residents and must accordingly. design services and allocate resources in a fair and It is important for those workers not to take on equitable way. Given the limited resources such enquiries and to make it clear to other staff available, they must prioritise according to needs that the role of an ESDO is to assist staff in dealing and rights of all residents. with people of NESB, rather than to deal with them To illustrate: if a Council allocates a himself. An ESDO is not meant to provide a parallel disproportionate amount of their recreational service to migrants; such a goal would be far too budget to football grounds, (as they so often do) ambitious, even for the most capable of ESDOs. then others in the community are bound to miss out. Different Councils have different needs and They include women, children, the elderly of all therefore require the ESDO to perform varying ethnic backgrounds including Anglo-Celtic, tasks, but there are a number of general areas migrants of a non-English-speaking background which all ESDOs usually address in one way or (NESB), and so on. another, as described below. The primary role of the Ethnic Services Officer Community Development is therefore to encourage Council to share its resources fairly, so that a maximum number of The ESDO has the responsibility to resource local ethnic community organisations. They should people may benefit. Moreover, as residents of NESB have more difficulty in lobbying, for a variety provide information on what sorts of services are available and on ways of using them. They must of reasons, the Officer must lobby on their behalf, both to correct current injustice and to advise on build links with a variety of ethnic groups andfor appropriate strategies during the planning stages gain access to organisations. This usually involves of a service. developing good working relationships with “activists”, that is, people from various ethnic groups who are The Role of the Ethnic Services Development actively involved in issues of interest to their Officer community. Through those contacts and relation­ The role of an ESDO is twofold: ships, the ESDO can find out the needs and priorities a) to be an “Agent of Change” within the for the different local communities. organisation by providing advice and generating Grass roots involvement is recommended but creative ideas about the way services can be limited by the extent to which English is spoken. adapted; Activists are usually bi-lingual and have many

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 27 contacts, providing a valuable source of informa­ tion to the ESDO. Though the ESDO may be bi­ lingual, this is usually confined to one or two languages other than English. Ethnic organisations are also a valuable resource, which should not be neglected. The ESDO uses community development as a way of assessing the needs and how they should be addressed. Equal Opportunity An increasingly important part of an ESDO’s job is to promote equal opportunity issues. There are three distinct areas which are relevant: a) service delivery — issues of access and equity for people of NESB; b) staff issues — promotions and opportunities for staff of NESB; c) employment — policies regarding the employment of people of NESB. This area is developing rapidly and much of the work being done now concerning women, is equally understand the difficulties involved in changing. applicable to people of NESB. In Councils with Proposed changes are best worked out in consul­ ESDOs and Equal Opportunity Officers these tation with the relevant staff. The ESDO in this officers would normally work together addressing context must be both an educator — educating the staff on the necessity for change, and a diplomat relevant issues. — making sure that staff do not feel threatened by Training the ESDO. Many organisations are becoming aware of the importance of training in service delivery. There are Information Services a number of training courses now available on One of the most important aspects of the ESDO’s “skills in a multicultural society”. Those courses job is to make sure that information about Council’s address attitude and behavioural trends and services and operations is adequate. This is no suggest new approaches to staff involved in service simple task. The ESDO must investigate ways in delivery, planning or policy development. which information about different aspects of The role of the ESDO varies. They may be Council is delivered and propose improvements. At confined to advising of the availability and the same time, the ESDO must investigate the advantages of such courses or may be expected information needs of the local ethnic communities, to carry out training themselves. To my knowledge both in regards to content and format. Once again all current ESDOs are expected to do both. The it is a question of finding out what as well as how. Victorian Ethnic Affairs Commission has recently Program Development offered a “training for trainers” course which was The ESDO may be responsible for delivering a attended by all the ESDOs currently employed by specific program targeted to an ethnic group or Local Government (unfortunately there are only four groups. The most common of these are general of us so far!). information and recreation oriented programs. For Service Advisor instance, Brunswick and Coburg Councils have a The ESDO works with individul service areas, for migrant women’s program. These programs offer example aged services, by suggesting ways the recreational and educational activities, to Arabic, services can be adapted to the needs of people of Turkish and Italian speaking women in those NESB. This also involves lobbying Council for such municipalities. They are funded by the Councils, in changes. The ESDO must work closely with the conjunction with a number of other agencies. staff in direct service delivery and must rely to a There is no reason why such programs should large extent on their commitment. If staff are not be delivered as part of the normal recreation unwilling to co-operate, the work of the ESDO will process, apart from the lack of funding or lack of be much more difficult and its success doubtful. expertise in servicing the non-English speaking The ESDO must listen to the experience and community. expertise of workers in specific areas and engage Such programs are often seen as “ethno- their co-operation and enthusiasm. specific” and tend to cause a degree of resentment ESDOs do not necessarily have an intimate which does not seem to occur when exactly the knowledge of individual service areas and may not same sorts of programs are delivered through the

Page 28 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 appropriate (i.e.; normal) channels. In reality, most of Councils to expect the ESDO to implement ideas areas target and design programs in exactly the and strategies which Council may approve. So, if same way, i.e. by assessing needs and designing training courses are agreed to, they may well have an appropriate service to fit the needs, for example, to implement them. If some change is necessary if the migrant women’s program was delivered as in a particular service they may have to organise part of the normal recreation program its label it. This limits the speed of change that can take would be somewhat different e.g. sewing program place. More often than not this is a result of lack for Arabic-speaking women. There are sewing of resources and/or an inability or unwillingness of programs for English-speaking women available! Councils to redistribute or allocate further A multi-lingual service is likely to be more resources, so that if the ESDO cannot do it, it will acceptable than an ‘ethno-specific’ one. However, probably remain undone. many migrants require different types of services Conclusion within all service areas which are as legitimate as any of the traditional services e.g. if football grounds This paper takes a practical look at the newly and lawn bowls are legitimate services, then Bocce developed position of Ethnic Services Development and soccer should be just as acceptable. Officers in Local Government, and gives a brief overview of the political and ideological trends Difficulties associated with the role of ESDO which have influenced its development and One of the difficult aspects of the ESDO’s job in practice. a Local Government context is the politically The positions are currently valuable and sensitive nature of lobbying he or she must necessary, not only in Local Government, but in undertake. An ESDO is invariably unpopular with many other government and non-government some Councillors. Whereas in State and Common­ agencies. Local councils should be encouraged to wealth government levels there is a certain employ such workers. This would be made easier distance between staff and politicians, this is not if State and Commonwealth subsidies, commonly the case in Local Government. The ESDO may available in other areas, were to become available therefore come under a lot of pressure from to employ ESDOs. different councillors, either to perform or not The needs of tax-payers and citizens of non- perform certain tasks. English speaking backgrounds are many and At the same time the ESDO has a somewhat urgent. The ESDO can assist in facilitating and delicate role regarding community development speeding up the process of change necessary to duties. The ESDO has divided loyalties, more so fulfil those needs. than similar positions. The commitment of the ESDO to ethnic affairs is usually emotional and Ana da Silva is Co-ordinator of Preston-Reservoir Migrant deeply felt (most are first or second generation Resource Centre. migrants of NESB). However their loyalty to their employers is also strong, for whatever reason, making the dual hats weigh heavily at times. They may frustrate the communities and irritate the Council somewhere in the lobbying process. All this, however is inherent in this role and must M A P 6 2 be recognised by potential ESDOs. It is important INEQUALITY AND EDUCATION: therefore to form strong supportive relationships in the course of their work both within and outside A NEW AGENDA FOR Council. REFORM FROM NACCME? The second difficulty is the broad nature of the duties which the ESDO is expected to perform. Michael Garbutcheon Singh They are by necessity Jacks or Jills of all trades. They intrude in just about every area of Council’s — $ 4 . 0 0 operations and services. They must possess or acquire a variety of skills ranging from public CHOM speaking to lay-out artist. An ESDO is by nature a generalist! They might as well enjoy learning about 133 Church St. a whole lot of things and not be too fond of routines. Richmond, Vic. The difficulty lies in the reality that not many people Australia 3121 could possibly perform all the tasks with the same (03) 428 4948 degree of competency. - Again some emotional stress is invariably experienced. The third difficulty encountered, is the tendency

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 29 News from OMA

Immigration and Multiculturalism OMA’s Submission to the Fitzgerald Committee The FitzGerald Committee’s (CAAIP) review of maximise the contribution of those people who Australia’s immigration policy will soon be tabled have already immigrated to Australia, as well as in Parliament. The Committee spent some six to provide opportunities for Aboriginal Australians. months examining the state of Australia’s Immigration policy, particularly since the Second immigration policy. During this time it received World War has given Australia a cosmopolitan and close to 1,000 written submissions from individuals culturally pluralistic society that will continue into and organisations throughout Australia. the future even without a continuing inflow of One of the terms of reference of the CAAIP immigrants from a wide diversity of countries. Review is to address the relationship between What is multiculturalism? immigration and Australia’s social and cultural Multiculturalism is a policy for all Australians. It development as a multicultural society. The Office addresses the relationships between them, their of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) presented a relationship to the country’s available resources, submission to CAAIP to assist the Review to fulfil and their rights and obligations as residents of this requirement. Australia. Why multiculturalism? The OMA submission goes on to explain that the In its submission, the Office points out that since development of the philosophy of multiculturalism 1947 some 400,000 Italians, 238,000 Greeks, has seen a number of changes of emphasis since 200,000 people from Eastern Europe, 193,000 the concept was first introduced in the early 1970’s. people from Yugoslavia, 174,000 Dutch, 148,000 As the provision of government programs and Germans and 90,000 Indo-Chinese and many services to immigrants and their children has others have settled in Australia. Fewer than half improved and helped to reduce areas of relative of Australia’s population are of pure Anglo-Celtic disadvantage, so has the focus of multicultural descent. philosophy extended beyond identification of The Government’s guiding philosophy towards immediate needs to broader and more far-sighted this diversity of immigrants has undergone a goals. A corporate plan for managing our multi­ fundamental change since the post-war mass cultural society could be said to be emerging. migration began. “ Assimilation” and “ integration” are now unacceptable features of the past, a The Prime Minister summarised current thinking corollary to restrictive immigration. Multiculturalism on multiculturalism in October 1987 as follows: is a response to a non-discriminatory immigration “ Multiculturalism is based on three elements — policy and to the type of society that results from respect for cultural difference, promotion of social such a policy. It is not a basis for the policy. justice and economic efficiency. In Australia’s current situation, we cannot afford to ignore Although multiculturalism can be viewed as a the potential contribution of any of our human complementary policy, it now has an existence resources” . independent of immigration. These three elements of multiculturalism Our need to pursue multicultural policies will not identified by the Prime Minister can be explained change if we recruit more or fewer English as follows: speakers, more or fewer people from Asia or more or fewer refugees. Indeed, no matter how one 1 The cultural dimension of multiculturalism might seek to alter the composition of our Multicultural policies reinforce social harmony immigration program, a return to any assimilationist by encouraging all Australians to recognise and or “ melting pot” philosophy is both inappropriate accept the cultural and linguistic diversity that and unworkable. Even if our immigration program is a product of our non-discriminatory immi­ were to be cut to zero, we would still need to pursue gration policy. This diversity is seen as a positive multicultural policies to meet the needs and benefit to Australia now and the future.

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2. The social justice dimension of the opportunity to preserve what they believe to be multiculturalism valuable elements of their cultural heritage without Multiculturalism and social justice are closely being made to feel ‘un-Australian’. linked. The Government is determined to ensure Nor does multiculturalism imply positive that all Australians have full and equitable discrimination. The Access and Equity policy, for access to programs and services, and that they example, recognises that there may be a need to do not suffer because of their ethnic, linguistic provide Australians from a non-English speaking or religious backgrounds. background with the special services such as 3. The economic dimension of multiculturalism interpreting, but only in order to equalise access Multicultural policies have a crucial role to play to the resources which the Government manages in our economic restructuring by ensuring that on behalf of all Australians. Multicultural policies Australia makes full use of all of its human provide a fair go to all, not unfair benefit to anyone. resources. Multiculturalism and immigration While the cultural maintenance and social OMA concludes its submission to the FitzGerald justice dimensions of multiculturalism have been Committee’s review of Australia’s immigration seen to be the predominant concern of Govern­ policy by noting that it is impractical and counter­ ment in the past, the change in our economic productive to pursue a non-discriminatory circumstances, and the need to ensure that all of immigration program without a domestic policy of Australia’s human resources are fully utilised in the multiculturalism. process of recovery, has meant that the Government has given priority to developing the Multicultural policies allow Australia to maximise economic dimensions of multiculturalism. the benefits of a non-discriminatory immigration policy by: These include improved access to education and training, which will allow Australians born overseas (a) making Australia an attractive place for to make optimum use of their skills and talents; immigrants to come to because they know they improving the recognition and utilisation of are settling in a society where diversity is overseas qualifications; and breaking down the accepted and where cultural, social and barriers which have prevented us from making full religious differences are respected; use of the diversity of languages and cultural skills (b) helping to minimise the chance of dissatisfied available in this country to develop our export and immigrants returning home by reducing the tourist potential. The other side of this aspect of trauma and psychological costs of resettlement in a new country; multiculturalism is the identification and removal of labour market and other forms of economic (c) reinforcing social harmony in our diverse disadvantage suffered by immigrants. society by encouraging all Australians to recognise, accept and value the fact that cultural heterogeneity is a product of our non- Criticism of multiculturalism discriminatory immigration policy; The OMA submission to CAAIP tackles head-on (d) allowing us to make the best possible use of some of the criticisms made by those opposing the resources and skills brought to Australia by multiculturalism. It points out, however, that those immigrants by maximising the opportunity for who question multiculturalism are not necessarily them to participate in the economic, social and ignorant or mischievous. It is possible to question political life of the country. multicultural policies openly and constructively — Multiculturalism as a guiding philosophy allows and this should be recognised by supporters of our us to receive and accommodate whatever mix of multicultural policies. immigrants is determined by the Government to The submission of the Office answers two be desirable for Australia’s benefit. Multiculturalism popular criticisms levelled at multicultural policies: has allowed Australia to grow towards a socially • that multiculturalism is a policy which harmonious society, free of ethnic conflict, while champions and entrenches difference in our it has pursued an immigration policy based upon society; and economic, demographic and humanitarian • that multiculturalism means positively favouring considerations. “ migrants” or “ ethnics” at the expense of other Australians. Multiculturalism does not promote difference, This article is one of a series of inserts to Migration but rather promotes acceptance of difference, and Action by the office of Multicultural Affairs. recognition that difference is not the same as division. Multiculturalism does not seek to persuade immigrants to retain the ethnic identity of their homeland. Rather, it provides all Australians with

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 31 World Scene

a group were not persecuted in Sri Lanka Repatriation Tamil asylum and that the six applicants had not been persecuted as individuals (G u a rd ia n fears in Camden plea rejected 17.12.87) . The Director of the British Refugee Despite the assurances of Camden The government won its battle to deport Council, Martin Barber, said that decisions council that they "cannot and will not send six Tamil asylum-seekers in December on whether there was a well-founded fear Bangladeshi families back to Bangladesh" when the House of Lords ruled unani­ of persecution could go either way. What following their alleged “ repatriation" of mously that the Home Office could reject was needed was an opportunity for such Irish families, there are still widespread their asylum applications on the ground decisions to be tested by an independent fears in the Bangladeshi community in that there was no evidence of persecution body. Unless there was such an appeal Camden. of Tamils in Sri Lanka. The ruling is likely body, individuals would continue to take to effect about 6,500 asylum seekers their cases to the courts (G u a rd ia n Housing workers are concerned that whose applications had been suspended Camden will eventually follow in Tower 17.12.87) . pending the outcome of the case. Hamlets’ footsteps and use section 60 of the 1985 Housing Act to declare The six Tamils came to Britain between Press response Bangladeshis with a house in Bangladesh February and May last year. They told Commenting on the decision, the “ intentionally homeless" and so refuse to immigration officers that they wanted to G u a rd ia n said that it was hard to see how house them. They feel that they have set apply for asylum because of alleged Britain could any longer remain a signa­ a dangerous precedent by sending Irish persecution of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Their tory to the UN Convention on the Status families back to Ireland. applications were rejected and they were of Refugees. The idea that the British ordered to be deported. In October, Home Secretary was the arbiter of The new immigration bill will put however, the Court of Appeal quashed the whether refugee applicants faced ‘a well Bangladeshi men in a further trap as their deportation orders on the ground that the grounded fear of persecution' flew in the families will not be able to enter Britain Home Office had been wrong in its inter­ face of the convention. unless they have a home, and as a single pretation of 'well founded fear of persecu- man a Bangladeshi cannot apply for a The British government’s own readings tionj the criteria for determining asylum family home. of events abroad would always, in status. The Court of Appeal said that the As the cases of two homeless practice, override other evidence. While Home Office had applied a test which was the Foreign Office did not want to offend Bangladeshi families hang in the balance, purely objective whereas the test had both it is thought that Camden is unlikely to give foreign governments such as Sri Lanka by objective and subjective elements. These suggesting that Tamils had a well-founded them air tickets to Bangladesh. Instead it were an actual fear and good reason for might try to show that the families have fear of persecution, the Home Office did this fear, looking at the situation from the not want to allow any more ‘non-white’ no “ local connection” in terms of jobs or point of view of a 'person of reasonable close family in Camden and so transfer people into this country than it had to. courage’ (see B u lle tin 209). Governments were ‘the enemies of them to another authority. Black com­ The House of Lords rejected the Court munity workers are asking: If one council refugees’ and only the public conscience of Appeal ruling. It said that in order to and international agreements could now — an otherwise progressive council — show a 'well-founded fear of persecution’ deems that a family has no local con­ protect refugees from governments and a claimant for refugee status had to now from the Law Lords too (17.12.87). nection, why should any other council add demonstrate a reasonable degree of like­ to its housing burden? lihood that he or she would be persecuted The D a ily M a il said that it was right that Alomgir Raman of the Bengali Workers if returned to the country in question. The the Home Secretary should decide who Action Group in Camden commented: "It's necessary degree of likelihood could be should be treated as refugees and who due to racism that they are doing this to described as 'a reasonable chance’, 'sad as it may be, should be sent packing black people and it is completely out of ‘substantial grounds for thinking1 or 'a . . . he who carries the immigration can order.” serious possibility’. This, Lord Keith said, should also keep the front door key’. had to be demonstrated on an objective (17.12.87). Iqbal Wahhab ■ basis. He added that the Home Secretary New Society 4.12.87 appeared to have decided that Tamils as Race and Immigration 2.88.

Page 32 — M igration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 tion Victims of Apartheid, the Reverend Seven months Enoch Mabuza. Hostile ethnic The Daily News's political reporter later only 20 noted that Australia’s African refugee report silenced program was set up to provide sanctuary refugees for victims of apartheid; that is, those who By Peter White had suffered or had a well-founded reason By John Jesser to fear state-motivated persecution or The Department of Community discrimination. Services and Health is refusing to publish Seven months after a statement by the A spokesman for the organisation was or distribute a report which claims to have Minister for Immigration, Mr Young, that quoted as saying that although 200 was uncovered widespread racism and dis­ 200 places would be provided in Aus­ a "miniscule” figure compared with the crimination against immigrants by officers tralia’s refugee resettlement program for number of refugees in Africa, one had to of the department. Africans in the 1987-88 year, only 20 visas be “grateful for small mercies”. The study was commissioned by the have been issued to Africans. The spokesman for the Department of department at a cost of $40,000 to find A spokesman for the Department of Immigration agreed that the 200 places whether its programs were meeting the Immigration said last week that 13 of on offer were not publicised by the needs of immigrant communities. It was those issued visas had arrived in Australian Government in Africa. done by Dr Andrew Jakubowicz, formerly Australia. He could not provide details of He said they would be used when a lecturer in sociology at the University the countries of origin of those issued people approached Australian embassies of Wollongong and now a lecturer in visas and he was unable to say how many seeking sanctuary as refugees. media studies at the NSW University of Technology, and Ms Helen Meekosha, a applications for entry to Australia under He also said that it was probably not the refugee program had been received lecturer in social work at the University fair to compare the total of 20 visas issued at the various Australian embassies in of NSW. to date with the number of places avail­ Africa. able this year because the situation in The researchers said they found: The spokesman said also that it might Africa was volatile and there could be a • Many instances of racist and not be possible to provide profiles of the heavy demand on the scheme at any time. prejudiced views about immigrants and 20 Africans accepted by Australia, but he refugees among senior departmental Canberra Times 1.2.88 would see what was available. officers. (Mr Young said in a statement issued • Virtually no concern within the last October that there could be dangers department for immigrants in need of in the media publicising details that clearly disability services — the department's identified refugees because it was Office of Disability had no policy on possible that their friends and families in immigrants. their country of origin "could be placed • Serious underestimation of the number in a difficult or even dangerous situation”. of nursing home and hostel beds needed He said his department treated all infor­ for people of non-English speaking mation pertaining to refugee applications background. as confidential.) • Problems for immigrant parents It would seem that the Federal seeking child-care because of cost-cutting Government is not anxious to publicise in and buck-passing between the Common­ Africa the fact that it has opened wealth and the States. Australia's doors to African refugees. • Cynical disregard by the department In fact the Durban D a ily N e w s reported, for the views of the ethnic communities. with apparent surprise, only two weeks ago that Australia would accept 200 According to a letter from Dr African refugees. Jakubowicz and Ms Meekosha to ethnic groups involved in the research, the This was said to have been confirmed department wanted a number of passages in a recent letter from Mr Young to the removed before the report could be chairman of the South African organisa­ released.

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 33 Among these were a chapter on The Minister of Immigration’s dis­ immigrant women and community ser­ Govt releases cretionary powers are widened in the Bill. vices which revealed widespread At present, the Minister could set aside discrimination, quotes from the former draft of new entry criteria in only five circumstances, Minister, Senator Grimes, about problems Mr Taggart said. with the department and immigrants, and immigration law The draft Bill widened this to a general evidence that the department treated provision allowing such a decision in community consultation as a waste of SYDNEY — The first draft of a new “exceptional circumstances”. immigration law has been published by a time and money. The provisions for the protection of Federal Government committee which refugees were based on international The two researchers have been banned says current legislation is out of date and conventions which had always been from discussing their findings in public or deficient. from providing the report to other applied by Australia but never included in The draft Bill proposes for the first time researchers or ethnic organisations internal law, he said. an independent review of immigration involved in the study. The A d v o c a te , B u rn ie Tas. 15.2.88 decisions, introduces bail tor people s “ It raises serious questions about charged with immigration offences and whether the department ever wanted to widens the Minister’s discretionary do anything effective to meet the needs powers to grant entry to people who do Ban on school of migrants," the letter states. not meet the set criteria. In the area of the disabled the study It also enshrines in legislation long­ for foreign found: “A crisis exists for people with standing measures for the protection of disabilities from non-English speaking refugees, provides for grants to voluntary students backgrounds. Their very existence is organisations assisting migrants, and unknown, they are sometimes not even allows for the establishment of centres for By Carmel McCauley, Canberra considered to have 'genuine' disabilities. the reception, accommodation and train­ "Most departmental staff appear ing of migrants. extremely uncomfortable with the issue of The Federal Government has sus­ In an introduction to the draft, the pended a private school in Mooroolbark immigrants, and cannot interpret the Committee to Advise on Australian hostility often directed towards them by from enrolling overseas students after Immigration Policies says: “The present complaints about standards at the school. ethnic organisation activists frustrated migration legislation (is) out of date and The unprecedented action against MDA with the long history of inactivity and deficient in many respects. broken promises." Grammar School, in Melbourne's eastern "There is a need for substantial suburbs, was taken after a departmental According to the study: “Officers of the changes.” department recognised that very little report confirmed many of the complaints The C.A.A.I.P., established in work had been done in youth refuges on made by 60 of the school's students from September last year and headed by encouraging access for non-English Hong Kong. Stephen FitzGerald, has been asked to speaking youth." The Minister for Employment, make its final report to the Government Education and Training, Mr Dawkins, said It noted that inter-departmental by the end of March. confusion between the Department of yesterday he had told his department to The committee made its draft Bill Community Services and Immigration and help the students transfer to other available for discussion yesterday at an Ethnic Affairs often resulted in the failure schools. immigration seminar organised by the to provide services. He described the matter as a “one-off Department of Business Law at the New incident” and a “teething problem" of the Immigrant women who were victims of South Wales Institute of Technology. domestic violence were also being badly rapidly growing overseas students Immigration law specialist John Taggart served by the department, the study program, but emphasised the Government yesterday said the present Act did not would not allow it to happen again. found. spell out who would be allowed to enter "The Government is determined to “At the senior level in the department Australia, and why. there does not appear to be much ensure that this incident will not be “ It has been possible to have a sensitivity or understanding of the allowed to tarnish the high reputation that 180-degree turn in policy without changing situation of the immigrant women caught Australia has developed for its education the Act at all," he said. in a violent domestic situation.” system, particularly in Hong Kong, from Mr Taggart is a lecturer with the where the greatest number of students A spokeswoman for the department Department of Business Law and a former originate,” he said. denied that the report was being vice-chairman of the International Bar The issue arose last month after ‘The suppressed. She said two copies had Association immigration law division. been placed in the National Library in Age’ reported that many overseas students had complained to Government Canberra, and were available to the He said one of the main changes authorities about poor accommodation public. proposed was an independent review of immigration decisions by the Adminis­ and facilities at the school. However, the report was marred by a trative Appeals Tribunal. Mr Dawkins confirmed yesterday that number of serious factual errors, she said, and for this reason it had been decided There was no right of appeal at present, there had been a number of complaints, including concern about the marketing not to publish or distribute it. he said, but the Department of Immigra­ tion and Ethnic Affairs had voluntarily practices of the school and its agents in Sydney Morning Herald 4.2.88 established an internal review procedure. Hong Kong. The draft also recommended that There had been claims of misrep­ people charged with immigration offences resentations on fees and facilities and be allowed bail. criticisms of the intensive English “At the moment there is no right to bail, language program, he said. and I know personally of some cases “ Other matters relating to the welfare where people have been held in detention and treatment of students are also of centres for up to six months,” Mr Taggart concern to the people making the said. complaints,” he said.

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Mr Dawkins said the welfare of the students had been immediately ad­ dressed. Members of the community in Melbourne had assisted by offering alternative accommodation, help in transferring to new schools and counselling on legal rights, he said. The minister did not mention a second institution, the International College of English in South Melbourne, that has also been criticised by students from China and Taiwan. His spokesman said he did not want to add to what the minister had said in Parliament. The Government's swift action reflects its concern that the incident could damage the prospects of the highly successful overseas students program, which is expected to reap $120 million from 27,000 students this year. Government sources said yesterday that while the controversy was not on the scale of the beef contamination scare, it did endanger a fast-growing program that was recognised as an important export earner. The source said a number of institut­ ions had indicated to the Government that perhaps it was time for some kind of regulation of standards to be introduced. The question of how to monitor standards is expected to be canvassed at a meeting of the Australian Education Council this Friday, which includes the federal and state education ministers. The standards issue was raised in general terms at a meeting before Christ­ mas, but the MDA controversy is likely to prompt further discussion.

The A g e 18.2.88

He foreshadowed no basic changes me as a new minister to start pre-empting Holding defends and said he hoped the bipartisan any of those submissions or, indeed, approach to immigration policy would not making any comment on submissions Asian migration break down, as suggested by weekend which have gone before the inquiry.” reports. Opposition sources later said that He was more forthcom ing on by Ross Peake, Canberra the bipartisan support extended to the opponents of Asian migration. “ I think non-discriminatory selection procedures; many of those calls are fairly ill-informed. The Immigration Minister, Mr Holding, the Opposition had always disagreed on I don't think they are based on either yesterday said critics of Asian immigration other aspects such as the balance adequate social or political assessment.” were uninformed. However, he appeared between the number of refugees and Asked about Mr Campbell's comments, to exempt from fault his ALP colleague, skilled workers being allowed into Mr Holding said the Labor Party could the Western Australian backbencher, Mr Australia. accommodate differing views. Graeme Campbell, who only last week Mr Holding indicated that he would He said he felt “very much at home" called for a halt to Asians coming to continue the Government's long-standing in his Melbourne Ports electorate. He is Australia. policy of not granting an amnesty to illegal of Irish ancestry and had seen several Mr Holding is no stranger to the immigrants, and described them as waves of migrants come into his portfolio, having assisted the former "queue jumpers". neighbourhood: Greeks and Turks after Immigration Minister, Mr Young, for Most of the submissions to the the Second World War and, more recently, several months last year. Yesterday, Fitzgerald inquiry into immigration had Vietnamese. He said the same arguments shortly after he was sworn in, he fielded supported an increase in migrants. Mr had been aimed against each wave of questions from behind his new desk, on Young favoured a gradual increase but his migrants, and these criticisms faded as which were piled photographs of his family predecessor, Mr Hurford, believed the the next wave arrived. and which was surrounded by boxes and intake should increase steeply. Mr Holding files from his former, smaller office. said: “ I don't think it would be proper for The A g e 16.2.88

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 35 Book Reviews

But while the focus of this book is on originally in Greek and intended for an Greek Voices in literature, it has a powerful socio-cultural audience of fellow-Greek immigrants, or dimension which makes it a most valuable even just as a personal record of feelings Australia: A addition to the field of ethnic and migration and events, and so they present Greek studies. values, attitudes and goals from the purely Tradition of Greek point of view, without any fear of Firstly, the long introductory study gives misunderstanding or reaction by the Prose, Poetry a well-balanced and knowledgeable reader, and certainly not toned down to account of the growth and change of the be more palatable to a less sympathetic and Drama structure and composition of the Greek audience. Moreover, quite a lot of the community in Australia, from its first works are autobiographical or are records arrivals — seven sailors from Hydra who by George Kanarakis of contemporary events and attitudes, were transported to Sydney in 1829 — thus the accumulative outcome of the A.N.U. Press, Canberra 1987 until the 1980s. It traces the different rural works is a self-portrayed account of the RRP $29.00 and urban settlement patterns and out­ internal and external world of the Greek lines the development of Greek socio­ immigrant. Attitudes to the family, The last few years have seen a cultural institutions in this country (the immigration, Australia and Australian welcome growth in “ethnic" writing in coffee-house, the proliferation of associa­ social value, as well as the role of religion Australia, with more works of immigrant tions and brotherhoods, the Orthodox and the church in everyday life, and an writers being translated into English to Church, the press, etc.), at the same time ethnocentric pride appear clearly and reach a wider Australian audience. But showing their significance in Greek without apology. What arises from these nothing like the book Greek Voices in community life. works are the isolation, social dislocation A u stra lia has appeared before in this area, Following this study, the biographies and the alienation which are experienced either from the breadth and scope of the and selected works of the writers give us by so many Greek immigrants, all literary work which it covers, or the an inside picture of Greek immigration and compounded by the foreign language. We admirable scholarly research which has Greek life in the “ new country”. The also see the conflicting values and goals gone into it. biographies are a graphic illustration of of two groups — the immigrant minority This book, which is the outcome of the statistical information we have; they and the host majority — and the cultural many years’ research, is the gathering show not only the almost pre-determined conflict which stems from misunderstand­ together of Greek immigrant writers in occupations of new arrivals — from oyster ing, lack of communication and misinter­ Australia from the early years of this openers and kitchen hands in the years pretation on both sides. Certainly, more century until this decade — 82 writers in of chain migration to factory workers in light is shed on the cultural and structural all. Some of the names may be familiar, recent decades — but are also evidence forces behind ethnic enclaves and social but the majority were silent voices for of the changing composition of the Greek exclusiveness! most of us, their works untranslated and community. We see the pre-war p e tite - This book opens a curtain on Greek life hidden away in old issues of Greek bourgeoisie, the largely unskilled and in Australia. It can only bring more newspapers or even lying unpublished semi-skilled element of the 1950s and understanding not only of the Greeks but and forgotten in family papers. And what 1960s, and the growing number of up- also of other immigrants who have all a shame it would have been if the works wardly-mobile, tertiary-educated younger shared at least some of the difficulties and had remained this way, for this book is a and second-generation immigrants of sentiments it reveals. Its value from both treasure trove! In it we find (in skilful and today. the socio-cultural and the literary aspects sensitive translation) prose pieces, poems is certain — let’s hope it both inspires and and plays not only in a variety of styles and But it is through the writings sets the standard for similar work with themes, but taking us through all moods themselves that we see the real picture other immigrant groups in Australia. — nostalgia, lyricism, philosophy, social of Greek life in Australia. The significant Kay Crompton commentary and gentle, warm humour. factor is that most of them were written

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Standard Australian English, non-English The National speaking background immigrants are to have access to proper English as a Policy on Second Language teaching, and speakers of Aboriginal languages to English as a Languages Foreign Language instruction. The special position of Aboriginal and by Joseph Lo Bianco Torres Strait Islander languages is given For the Commonwealth Department due attention. The details given on of Education bilingual programs currently operating in A.G.P.S. 1987. Northern Territory and South Australian schools is fascinating, especially the case That the Federal Government should study of the Yipirinya school, a successful have allotted $15 m. over the next 3 years bicultural operation in the fringe camps for the implementation of its new policy of Alice Springs. With Aboriginal seems strangely incongruous in the midst languages currently disappearing at the of the myriad cutbacks in public spending, rate of one per year, and erosion being and especially in the area of accelerated by satellite television, the multiculturalism. The rather meagre pork- report's recommendations cannot be barrel beneath the glossy cover of the implemented too soon. These are centred Government’s ethnic affairs policy on the funding of a 3-year National statement did not make good the damage Aboriginal Languages Project (NALP), to previously done to Child Migrant the tune of $6m., to in turn fund initiatives Education. So it was with some wariness in Aboriginal language education by that I approached the 270 page State/Territory Governments and NGO's. © SLC 401 - 1978 document, fruit of 5 months work by Joe Currently, barely 12% of year 12 Lo Bianco, presented to the Minister for secondary students study a language Education last November and tabled in other than English (LOTE). This is an Parliament in May 1987. indicator of both an erosion of the mother Readers who are at all familiar with the tongues of some 20% of Australian field of language teaching will find little One of the most concrete proposals is school children, and the neglect of skills or nothing drastically new in the for the establishment of an Advisory urgently needed for Australia to retain and observations and tabulated data. What Council on Australia’s Languages Policy increase its competitiveness on world has been common knowledge for some (ACALP) with broadly based markets. The policy recommends years is reiterated, though with data and representation, meeting quarterly to increased teaching of community oversee policy implementation and to case studies to back it up: children learn languages to both native speakers and a second language more effectively when identify further gaps in services. Quite a English-speaking background students, they have a proper grounding in their first; generous budget allocation is indicated. and teaching both within the school the primary years are the most fruitful The sceptical might suggest that this system and outside of the languages of stage at which to begin second language; could end up as an expensive placator of Australia's major trading partners. It is a good beginning in a second language community groups, and an ornament to recognised that in several cases these facilitates the learning of further Federal bureaucracy. At the same time, two overlap, as with Arabic, Chinese and languages later in life. no concrete indications of any increased Spanish. funding for ESL are given, and the clearly The basic assessment of the language Language services are reviewed from formulated directions for planning in this situation in Australia likewise holds few a sound access and equity perspective, area seem likely to remain a dead letter surprises: current ESL provisions are and better facilities and co-ordination in the current funding climate. This is inadequate, Aboriginal and Torres Strait urged for interpreting and translating, possibly the greatest risk for the policy; Island languages are under severe threat; public library holdings, and services for that its market-oriented sections will be the level of foreign language learning in the communication disabled; e.g. the seized upon and the social justice Australian schools is at a far lower level hearing-impaired and print handicapped elements left to gather dust. than in most countries in the world, and (Australian Sign Language is recognised this could have dangerous long-term In the meantime, the document makes throughout as a valid and complete consequences for the country’s interesting reading, though it is inclined means of communication). There are international relations and trade. to repetition. Several areas are explored timely recommendations for the Languages of Australia’s major trading in some detail under ‘Rationale’, further centralisation, review, and upgrading of partners are particularly neglected. expanded on under ‘Policy’, and not too language testing facilities, which until now briefly recapitulated under ‘Summary and In proposing remedies to this situation, have been a needless stumbling block for Recommendations'. I also hope that the the document puts forward an interesting so many overseas-trained professionals term ‘oracy’ — presumably meaning, combination of social justice philosophy and tradespeople. Returning to the spoken fluency — is never accepted as and market economics, stressing both the marketplace emphasis, Australia is Standard Australian English. The many linguistic rights of all Australians and the portrayed as the obvious ‘provider’ of case studies given to illustrate various financial benefits which could accrue English to neighbouring countries in Asia points of innovative and successful from better language planning. and the Pacific, a potential source of language teaching and services, leaven “ English for all" is one of the key planks revenue through paid instruction both here the text considerably, as do the maps of in the policy; ‘Standard Australian English’ and offshore. Aboriginal languages, photographs, and is put forward as the model, although Mr. In all, the recommendations given occasionally perplexing diagrams. The Lo Bianco is at pains to stress the validity seem soundly based and well thought out. policy is a timely one; whether this will be of other dialectal forms co-existing as full However, the actual weight carried by a recognised by a government which has and effective means of communication policy document such as this seems just gained itself considerable breathing within certain social groups or questionable. There are a lot of ‘ought to’s’ space before it next faces the electorate, geographical areas. Native speakers are and 'should's', and very few ‘must’s’ or remains to be seen. to be educated in effective use of ‘shall’s’. Mark Deasey

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 37 photographic material previously of Irish rural poverty, the land question, Croppies, Celts unpublished. The book has important and the Church’s role in politics. limitations, the most serious perhaps McConville's tracing of the development and Catholics being a heavy bias towards Victoria, and of Irish Australian attachment to Irish to a lesser extent New South Wales at the political questions, through the gradual — expense of other States. McConville's and sometimes surprising — The Irish in Australia overwhelming emphasis is on the Catholic transformations to a clearly Australian- Irish; the Anglo-Irish are acknowledged, based identity, is a valuable case study Chris McConville the Ulster Protestants have a largely which will no doubt find parallel elements Edward Arnold, 1987. RRP: divergent history which would require its in the histories of other settler groups. 140 pp. own chroniclers, but there is virtually no There are a few inaccuracies through mention of the significant number of Celtic the text, particularly with regard to Civil The role of the Irish and their Protestants from the twenty-six counties War dates. The text is repetitious in descendants, as Australia’s largest who migrated here and played an places, and some odd assertions are immigrant minority, and as a key element important role both within the Irish made, in the formation of a pluralistic society, is community and Australian society as a e.g. “ multiculturalism disallows any Irish very frequently commented on in whole. claim to a distinct tradition” discussions of multiculturalism. Until Otherwise, the book follows a clear or “The successful immigrants may well recently, however, there has been a progression from early convict days, have been Irish women, as both brides relative dearth of material describing their including an examination of the persistent and servants filled powerful roles in history in Australia as a group; in its place rebel myth, through the Gold Rush and the colonial life". there has been a proliferation of myth land question, and their respective Occasionally the imagery used appears around the transportee rebels of 1798, influences on attracting Irish settlers and laboured. Ned Kelly, John O’Hara Burke et. al. on their social standing, to the role of the These are essentially minor points, Catholic Church in Irish Australian society Croppies, Celts and Catholics is a however. While Patrick Farrell's The Iris h and politics, the early 20th century useful ground-breaker, in that the author in Australia holds its place as the standard resurgence of Hibernianism amongst the has set out to give a clear, brief picture and thoroughgoing work in the field, Australian born, to a final overview of the of the factors which brought various Croppies, Celts and Catholics is a very role of the Irish in Australian history. groups of Irish to Australia, and of how accessible, readable and enlightening they fared collectively thereafter, both The book's greatest strength is probably introduction to a hitherto neglected area. shaping and being shaped by Anglo- its avoidance of the 'great man' view of Australian society. history which has beset so many ‘ethnic’ There are obvious limits to how well this histories to date. Ned Kelly, Charles Gavan can be done in 140 pages, especially Duffy, and Daniel Mannix are all duly when those pages include a wealth of mentioned, but in the respective contexts Mark Deasey

SECOND NATIONAL RESEARCH DIRECTORY INTO MULTICULTURALISM AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS

The Ecumenical Migration Centre is compiling a directory of research into multicultural and ethnic affairs. In 1986 the now defunct Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs published the first National Research Directory. The Directory proved to be extremely popular among policy makers and researchers. EMC has a major role to play in informing the community on developments in research relating to multiculturalism and ethnic affairs. Consequently, it has decided to publish its own directory in late 1988. We need your co-operation if the directory is to be completed successfully. Could you support this project either by,

1. Providing contributions on research completed since January 1987, or in progress 2. Passing on the form to appropriate individuals and organisations who may wish to contribute to the directory.

All entries for the directory must be forwarded to EMC no later than 10 July 1988. Contributors should consult the AIMA Directory for guidance on how to prepare entries. Overleaf is a form to be torn out and completed. The EMC Directory will be expanded to include a section on social class and local government, which have seen significant research completed in recent times. If you require further information on the directory, you should contact Ms Kati Sunner on (03) 428 4948.

Page 38 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 SECOND NATIONAL RESEARCH DIRECTORY INTO MULTICULTURALISM AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS

(Information for 1988 edition)

THE DIRECTORY WILL COLLATE INFORMATION ON EACH RESEARCHER AND THEIR RESEARCH INTERESTS AS WELL AS SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON ACTUAL RESEARCH PROJECTS IN PROGRESS OR COMPLETED SINCE JANUARY 1987.

RESEARCHER INFORMATION

NAME Prof/D r/Ms/M rs/M iss/M r

POSITION (for example, Project Officer or Lecturer)

INSTITUTIONAL ADDRESS*

STATE POSTCODE

TELEPHONE (0 )

RESEARCH (Please list main interests using key works like elderly INTERESTS migrants, refugees etc.)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5..

DATE

Please return to: Clearing House on Migration Issues 133 Church Street, Richmond. Vic. 3121 (03) 428-4948 by 10th July, 1988

Use home address if not based at an institution.

Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 — Page 39 DETAILS OF SPECIFIC PROJECTS IN PROGRESS OR COMPLETED SINCE JANUARY 1987 (USE SEPARATE SHEET FOR EACH PROJECT)

SHORT

TITLE

FUNDING AGENCY*

DESCRIPTION (Maximum of 100 words per project)

PROJECT In progress/Completed

STATUS If in progress, expected completion date is:

PROJECT (include details of author, date of publication, title, REPORTS publisher, location, pages and price for example: PUBLISHED Szabo, A.B. Immigrant housing issues Adelaide, Dimension Press, SINCE 1988. 170 p. $5.95. or Drake, J.J. “ Disabled migrant youth JANUARY in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne” Social Issues Journal 1987 Vol. 4 no.1 (February, 1988) pp.7-25.)

Please return to: Clearing House on Migration Issues 133 Church Street, Richmond Vic. 3121 (03) 428 4948 by 10th July, 1988.

* Specify only when source of funds for project is external.

Page 40 — Migration Action Vol.X No.1 1988 /

NEW FROM CHOMI

CHOMI REPRINTS

R508 THE IMPORTANCE OF ETHNIC ORAL HISTORY Desmond Cahill — 50c — R509 ASPECTS OR OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY AND ATTAINMENT AMONG IMMIGRANTS IN AUSTRALIA Paul W. Miller — 1.50 — R510 ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN'S AND IMMIGRANTS ATTITUDES TOWARD LANGUAGE AND ACCENT: A REVIEW OF EXPERIMENTAL AND SURVEY RESEARCH

Victor J. Callan and Cynthia Gallios — $ 2.20 — R511 AGED WOMEN FROM NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING BACKGROUNDS Varoe Legge — 70c — R512 COMMUNITY, MOSQUE AND ETHNIC POLITICS Michael Humphrey — $1.40 — MULTICULTURAL AUSTRALIA PAPERS MAP 62 INEQUALITY AND EDUCATION: A NEW AGENDA FOR REFORM FROM NACCME Michael Garbutcheon Singh — $4.00 — PRESS VIEWS PV3 REFUGEES IN AUSTRALIA: NON-SOUTH EAST ASIANS 1973-1987 Kati Sunner — $5.00 — CHOMI BIBLIOGRAPHIES BB17 COMBATING PREJUDICE IN SCHOOLS PROJECT No.4: AN ANNOTATED RESOURCE LIST

Gillian Kerr — $ 10.00 —

CHOMI 133 C H UR C H ST., R IC H M O N D VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA 3121 (03) 428-4948 CLEARING HOUSE ON MIGRATION _ ISSUES

COMBATING PREJUDICE IN SCHOOLS PROJECT AN ANNOTATED RESOURCE LIST

Compiled by Gillian Kerr

— $ 10.00 —

Clearing house on migration issues

133 Church St., Richmond, Victoria Australia 3121. Tel. (03) 428-4948