The Wire

In 1981 the Australian Government established Migrant Resource Centres (MRC’s) to work with migrants and refugees at the local level. They provide a range of services to the community from migration and settlement, to language and other support services, that more generalist organisations are unable to provide. There are twelve Migrant Resource Centres throughout NSW, most within the Sydney area, while the only two regional ones are in Illawarra and Newcastle. Migrant Resource Centres are responsive to the needs of the particular community they service, they have to adapt and be flexible according to new and emerging communities and exisiting communities in their areas. Following the release of the Department of Immigration and Multiculural Affair’s 2003 Review of Settlement Services for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants, the government announced it’s intention to phase out core funding to all MRC’s from June 2004. Organisations such as NCOSS, the Australian Services Union, the Greens, the ALP and local government representatives have sent messages of support and an Action group has been formed to create awareness about the issue. Cinnamon Nippard spoke to Kerrie McGrath, filmmaker and spokesperson for ActionNow, and Carmen Lawrence Member for Fremantle and President of the Australian Labor Party.