DIMA Annual Report 1996-97

Discretionary grants

The Department managed the following discretionary grant programs:

Grants-in-Aid are made available to subsidise the employment of qualified workers to provide assistance to migrants and humanitarian entrants, and are generally awarded each year for periods of up to three years. Grants ranged from about $22 000 to $62 000 in 1996-97.

Migrant Access Projects Scheme grants are made available for projects to improve the design, planning and delivery of settlement services for migrants to migrants and humanitarian entrants, and are generally awarded each year for periods of up to two years. Grants ranged from $500 to $25 000 in 1996-97.

Community Relations Agenda grants were made available to promote community understanding through funding projects in the area of youth, local government, law/police, the media, arts, culture and sport. The grants were announced in March 1995 and no further awards are expected. Grants ranged from about $20 000 to $80 000 in 1996-97.

Funding is provided to Migrant Resource Centres to initiate and manage services to individuals and communities to help with settlement. Funding levels are determined each year and in 1996-97 ranged from about $75 000 to $456 000.

The Immigration Advisory Services Scheme (IASS) provided grant funds totalling $310 000 to five community agencies, to provide free immigration advice and assistance to disadvantaged and vulnerable clients in the community.

The Application Assistance Scheme (AAS) is funded by the Australian Government to assist eligible asylum seekers, whether in detention or in the community, to present their claims to protection. Assistance is available for the lodgement and presentation of applications for a Protection Visa and, if required, for the review of that application.

Note: During 1996-97 the IASS was reviewed and, as a result, it was decided to combine it with AAS. The new streamlined scheme will incorporate the range of services currently provided by the two separate schemes, and service providers will in future be selected on the basis of an open competitive tendering process.

The Community Refugee Settlement Scheme (CRSS) provides community groups with an opportunity to be directly involved in assisting the settlement of Humanitarian Program entrants who require accommodation on arrival in Australia.

CRSS groups are responsible for meeting the new arrivals at the airport, providing accommodation and helping them to settle during their first six months in Australia. CRSS groups receive a grant to offset part of the costs they incur in assisting the humanitarian arrivals. Currently, CRSS groups may be provided with grants at the following levels:

Note: An additional $200 may be claimed for each additional family member beyond four people. CRSS groups may also apply for an additional establishment grant of $100 per family settled to recover costs of incidental expenses such as petrol, parking and telephone calls.

The Government provided funding to the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia Inc. (FECCA) and the Association of Non-English Speaking Background Women of Australia (ANESBWA).

FECCA, the umbrella body for the various State, Territory and regional ethnic communities councils and national ethnic organisations, received a $350 000 grant.

ANESBWA, the umbrella body for State and Territory ethnic women's organisations and individuals, received a grant of $40 000.

A list of grant recipients is provided in the supplementary information to this Annual Report (see Introduction for details on accessing this information).

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