Inquiry Into Migrant Settlement Outcomes

CASEY.VIC.GOV.AU

Joint Standing Committee on Migration - Inquiry into Migrant Settlement Outcomes

City of Casey submission (23 March 2017)

The City of Casey is located around 35 kilometres to the south east of Melbourne, on the urban fringe between the City of Greater Dandenong and the Shire of Cardinia to the west and east, and the City of Frankston and Shire of Mornington Peninsula to the south.

Casey has the highest population of any Local Government Area in Victoria and is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Australia. Approximately 311,000 residents from more than 150 different cultural backgrounds and 120 religious faiths currently reside in Casey. The population is growing by an average of 7,600 people per year. By 2041, the number of residents is expected to increase to 514,000. This population growth is driven largely by young families.

Some facts about our diverse community include:1

 Over one third of Casey’s residents were born overseas, with the majority aged 40-64 years and migrating from Great Britain, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Afghanistan.  Almost 30 per cent of Casey residents were born in non-English speaking countries and 31 per cent speak languages other than English at home, with Sinhalese being most commonly spoken.  Around 16 per cent of residents do not use English as a main language and 3.4 per cent experience limited English fluency.  Casey has the fourth highest number of residents in Victoria from a refugee or asylum-seeker background (9.5%).  Among asylum-seekers living in Casey, 43.5 per cent reside in the suburb of Doveton/ Eumemmerring.  In 2015/16, 1,472 immigrants settled in Casey from over 70 countries, largely from Afghanistan, India, Sri Lanka and China.  Casey is home to the largest number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents in Melbourne (1,402).

In relation to Casey’s young people:2

 Casey has a young population. Thirty eight per cent of Casey’s population is aged between 0-24 years (compared with only 32.2% for Greater Melbourne).

1 Derived from the ABS Census of Population and Housing (comprising of the Indigenous Profile, 2011; Time Series Profile, 2011; TableBuilder; Basic Community Profile), Statistical Data for Victorian Communities, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, covering the time period of 1951 to 2015/16. 2 Department of Justice (December 2016), Demographic data set for Casey and postcode 3977. State Government of Victoria 1

 Casey has a high youth disengagement rate (i.e. 15-24 year olds not engaged in education or employment) - 9.6 per cent compared with 7.4 per cent for Greater Melbourne.  Pockets of Casey have especially high youth disengagement (Doveton/ Eumemmerring at 16.2%; and Cranbourne West at 17.7%).  A disproportionately high number of children in parts of Casey (Doveton/ Eumemmerring, Cranbourne and Cranbourne West) are vulnerable on two or more domains (16-19% compared with 11.9% in Casey as a whole; and 9.9% across Victoria).

Socio-economic status:3

 While the median household income in Casey is similar to that of Greater Melbourne, pockets of Casey experience disadvantage. In particular, Doveton/ Eumemmerring, which is also a popular place of settlement for a range of diverse communities, has almost half the median household income of Casey and Greater Melbourne. The disadvantage experienced in this area has been identified in the Dropping off the Edge series of reports4, which investigate place-based disadvantage across the nation. In the 2015 report, Doveton continues to be in the top banding of disadvantaged suburbs in Australia.

Involvement of Youth Migrants in Anti-social Behaviour

Crime Statistics

Following is a summary of available crime data in Casey for 2015-16:5

 There were 7,591 offences per 100,000 population in Casey. This increased from 5,343 in 2011-12.  There was a 14.6 per cent increase in the offence rate per 100,000 population between 2014-15 and 2015- 16.  Of the total offenders in Casey (3,262), 422 were aged 10-17 years and 931 were aged 18-24 years.  10-24 year olds made up 41.5 per cent of all offenders.  Casey had the highest number of high frequency offenders (i.e. processed for six or more incidents in a year) in Victoria.  Between April 2015 and March 2016, there were 119 high frequency offenders aged between 10-24 years.  The majority were male (113 compared with 16 females) and aged between 18-24 years (59 compared with 44 males aged 10-17 years).  Of the 119 high frequency offenders, 34 per cent resided in the postcode 3977 (which includes the suburbs Cranbourne, Cranbourne North/East/South/West, Botanic Ridge, Cannons Creek, Devon Meadows and Junction Village).  The majority (54%) of the 3,159 offences of the high frequency offenders were recorded under the property and deception category.  Magistrates Court data shows that, of the principal proven offence (the most serious offence an offender is convicted of at each court appearance), the majority were related to traffic and transit issues, with a slight increase in this category between 2014-15 and 2015-16.  Children’s Court data shows that, of the principal proven offence, the majority of offences were for property and deception, with a slight decline in this category between 2014-15 and 2015-16.

The above data demonstrates that there has been an increase in crime perpetrated by young people in Casey, with certain pockets of Casey housing the greatest number of offenders. The data suggests there may be some link between socio economic status and the number of offenders.

3 Department of Justice, op cit 4 Jesuit Social Services and Catholic Social Services Australia (2007, 2015), https://dote.org.au/ 5 Department of Justice, op cit 2

Detailed statistics that highlight the involvement of youth migrants in anti-social behaviour are not available publicly or to Council.

Risk Factors

A number of risk factors lead to disengaged young people participating in anti-social behaviour. These include lack of sense of belonging, escaping family violence, poverty, boredom and poor education outcomes. These factors can be exacerbated for youth migrants who are also experiencing living in a new community with potentially different cultures and societal norms. There may also be unaddressed issues relating to trauma, behaviours and family functioning, including parents experiencing social isolation in their new communities.

The impact of social media must also be acknowledged, with many young people’s behaviour being influenced by digital platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.

Social Engagement of Youth Migrants

Council facilitates the provision of a range of programs and services that aim to minimise the risk of youth in the municipality becoming disengaged, including migrants. Support is provided through direct program or service provision, funding to external organisations and partnerships.

The Importance of Sport

Sport can be an important means by which to engage with migrant young people. They often prefer semi- structured and less formal activities and competitions. Council officers work with sporting organisations to support them to be inclusive of different groups and assist them in finding space to bring people together. Work is currently underway to map programs in Casey to get a better understanding of where gaps exist.

Council Services and Programs

A number of roles exist within Council to support migrant residents. These include:

 A Multicultural Youth Development Officer (MYDO) who works with multicultural youth and a range of service providers. Recent activities include:

o The MYDO worked in partnership with a number of local services to oversee personal development programs focused on increasing young people’s sense of belonging and community engagement.

o The MYDO provided support for young people to participate in ongoing sport programs including soccer and Australian Rules Football.

o Girls Soccer Program - Goalden Girls: The MYDO and Casey Youth Services staff developed the program to assist in relieving the barriers many local young women face when participating in community sport. It also provides a unique opportunity to bring together young women from diverse backgrounds to increase cross-cultural awareness, and create new friendships and understanding via sport. The soccer tournaments have been held during the school holidays in response to the needs of the community. The activity provides a healthy environment for young women to form an improved sense of self and belonging.

o Multicultural Camp: This is an annual camp held at Lord Somers Camp where young people are encouraged to develop their leadership potential. This year, two past participants of the Power House leadership program returned in the capacity of camp leader.

 Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Multicultural Caseworkers that specialise in working with culturally diverse mothers of young children who need extra support. This role is currently fully State Government funded. The growing culturally diverse community led Council to employ an initial Multicultural Case Worker approximately nine years ago and then another worker five years ago. There is also an additional bi-lingual worker within the Enhanced Maternal and Child Health program. Staff conduct a comprehensive assessment with the family, engaging them in joint planning and goal setting and work with them to achieve these goals. The officers have a great understanding of cultural practices and can direct their supports in an appropriate manner. They undertake significant advocacy work with organisations such as Centrelink and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. They also link families with multicultural resources, language programs (e.g. English) and cultural support groups, and may be used for translating assistance.

 Supported Playgroup program provides playgroups and home visits to support parenting. The majority of families currently utilising this State-funded program are from diverse cultural backgrounds. The program has specific eligibility criteria that targets families on entry visas, refugee and asylum seeker families and Aboriginal families. Current participants include Arabic, Korean, Punjabi, Dari, Persian and Singhalese speaking families.

External Programs Funded by Council

Through the City of Casey Community Service Contributions program, Council funds a number of community service organisations for youth-specific prevention and early intervention programs, many with a migrant emphasis. For the 2015-2017 funding stream these include:

 Angel Light Link: Early intervention support and recovery groups for adolescent females with mental health issues. The program includes individual counselling and support for young women and their families; and liaison with school welfare staff and Victorian Child Protection Service, with counselling provided at offices in Hallam and outreach counselling at schools in Casey.

 South East Community Links - healthy connections for newly arrived youth and their families: A program of culturally relevant educational life skills workshops and recreational/sporting activities held during class time, lunchtime, after school and school holidays. This includes weekly activities at the Noble Park English Language Centre; a parenting program; referrals to specialist and mainstream support services; assistance for young people in transition to Hampton Park Secondary College; and a homework program and career guidance.

 TRY Australia - Mentoring in the Hood: A mentoring program matching young people with adult volunteers for regular participation in a range of social and recreational activities.

 Wellsprings for Women - Pathway Forward: A mentoring program that provides one to one support through a volunteer mentor to isolated culturally diverse women in the City of Casey for the prevention of mental health issues. The program targets women aged 20-40 years.

Council Safety and Crime Prevention Programs

Council has been the recipient of funding for a number of safety and crime prevention programs in recent years:

 Public Safety Infrastructure grants (Victorian State Government Department of Justice and Regulation): o Cranbourne Place Park - $249,000 (2012) o Autumn Place, Doveton - $200,000 (2014) o Webb Street, Narre Warren - $250,000 (commenced in February 2017)

 Community Safety grants – Crime Prevention (Victorian State Government Department of Justice and Regulation): o Gone in a Moment - $10,000 (2011-12) o Additional lighting in Doveton Shopping Centre - $10,000 (2015)

 Federal Government – Attorney General’s department: o Berwick Township – Safer Streets program - $200,000 (2011-12) o Hampton Park Town Centre - $250,000 (commenced December 2016)

 National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council: o Operation Bounce Back – car theft prevention and reduction in number of stolen cars being driven recklessly on our roads - $10,000 (March-May 2017)

 L2P Program: o The Learner Driver Mentor Program (L2P) provides disadvantaged young people between the ages of 16 to 21 years living within the City of Casey assistance to develop the skills necessary to accrue their 120 hours of driving time prior to undertaking Probationary Licence testing. The proportion of culturally diverse young people participating in Casey is approximately 90 per cent and the majority have limited English skills. The program is funded by the Transport Accident Commission ($57,000 per year), administered by VicRoads and delivered by Council, with additional in-kind support from Council and a local business. External funding for the program has not increased in the past two years and there is a substantial impost on Council to continue to run the program.

Partnerships

Council participates in a number of partnerships with the aim of supporting young people from a range of cultural backgrounds. These include:

 Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY): Increased involvement and advocacy for support of Pasifika youth, including support for newly arrived youth.  Youthworks Victoria: Increased program delivery to Pasifika youth. This includes a partnership between Casey, Greater Dandenong, Cardinia, Brimbank and Wyndham Councils.  Community Leaders: Work closely with various community leaders of local communities including the Aboriginal, Pasifika and newly arrived communities.  Homework support: Collaboration between Casey, The Smith Family, Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre and CMY.  Police: Engage with the Pasifika community and develop strategies on anti-radicalisation with newly arrived youth.  Foundation House: Work with schools within Casey to support them in engaging and working with newly arrived students.

 Jesuit Support Services and Brosnan Youth Services: Work in partnership to deliver education re- engagement programs with a focus on Pasifika Youth.  Southern Ethnic Advocacy and Advice Council (SEAAC): Work in partnership to deliver recreational and personal development programs for newly arrived youth.

Funding and Service Gaps

Lack of Recurrent Funding

A key issue for Council and other local services in supporting migrant young people is the lack of ongoing funding for new initiatives. A recent example is the CHALLENGE Family Violence project implemented over three years in the City of Casey and funded by the Victorian State Government through the Department of Justice and Regulation.

The City of Casey has the highest number of reports of family violence within Victoria. The CHALLENGE Family Violence project, one of eight across the State, was funded to address the high rates of gendered violence. The project was a partnership between the City of Casey (lead agency), Shire of Cardinia, City of Greater Dandenong and Monash Health and concluded in November 2015.

The project model was based on the hypothesis that men can positively influence other men for social change. The project was extremely successful in harnessing and equipping a large number of committed community leaders, including those from culturally diverse communities, to advocate for social change in the prevention of violence against women. However, due to the lack of recurrent funding to resource such activities, the momentum gained was lost following project completion.

Long term investment is required in order to bring about systemic change. A 20 to 30 year approach is required for effective prevention programs. It is also difficult for funding recipients to demonstrate sustainability after a short funding cycle. The risk for councils is that they may be required to take on responsibility for funding a program after the short-term funding period concludes. This can be a deterrent to applying for funding in the first instance.

Limited Funding Opportunities

Federal crime prevention grants predominantly target regional and rural communities. This makes it difficult for municipalities such as Casey (on the urban fringe) to access funding.

The impacts of trauma are seen in many young people through their interactions with Council services. There is a lack of funding support for trauma training for Early Childhood Educators to assist with understanding and managing trauma-related challenging behaviours.

There is also a lack of funding to support socially isolated migrant parents.

Location of Settlement Services

The majority of settlement services available to Casey residents are located in the City of Greater Dandenong. This is commonly an initial location of settlement; however, many families then move to the adjoining municipalities of Casey and Cardinia where there is greater access to land to raise their growing families. Accessing these services in Dandenong can be challenging for many migrants due to limited public transport options. Additionally, unaccompanied minors may have difficulty in accessing some services.

Concern with New NDIS Funding Model

A proposed change under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will limit access to early intervention services for some children and young people who require additional support due to disability and challenging behaviours. Under the new scheme, families on non-residency visas will be ineligible to be funded for their required support. This may be an issue for a number of migrant families in Casey.

Future Community Safety Initiatives in Casey

New Community Safety Committee

A City of Casey Community Safety Committee has been established to advise Council on new and emerging community safety issues within the community. The Committee provides an important forum for identifying municipal-wide issues and opportunities, and advising Council about effective policy and service provision regarding community safety issues. The Committee commenced in August 2016 and meets quarterly. Current membership includes Police, Country Fire Authority, Ambulance Service, Department of Justice and Regulation, Councillors, Council officers, Monash Health and local residents.

Youth Specific Activities

Council recently formed a partnership with the Centre for Multicultural Youth whereby a Cultural Liaison Officer is working out of a Council Youth Centre to support Pacifika youth. This is a model Casey is keen to replicate for other cultural groups as the Cultural Liaison Officer provides an important bridge between the community and Council.

Council will continue to work with partners to develop and implement a range of programs and services to support migrant young people in the Casey municipality.

Recommendations

 Long term Federal and State funding to enable the ongoing provision of services and programs that support migrant young people in the City of Casey.

 In particular, ongoing investment in preventative strategies and support (eg mental health, family violence, trauma counselling and training) to mitigate the risk factors of youth disengagement.

 The provision of specific funding for migrant services located within the City of Casey.

 Broaden the eligibility of Federal crime prevention grants to make them available to municipalities (such as Casey) on the urban fringe.

Steve Coldham Strategic Director Community Life City of Casey 23 March 2017