2.1.5 Free translating and interpreting services
Objective
- Facilitate full participation of migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds in Australia's social and economic life by providing an effective means of communication.
Description
Free interpreting services are provided to approved individuals and organisations to help them communicate with non-English speaking migrants and humanitarian entrants who are Australian citizens or permanent residents. The services are broadly available to:
- private medical practitioners providing services under Medicare
- non-profit, non-government, community-based health or welfare organisations (subject to their funding arrangements)
- members of parliament for constituency purposes
- local government authorities
- trade unions
- Emergency Management Australia.
Documents eligible for free translation include settlement-related personal documents, identity and relationship documents (for example, birth and marriage certificates), facilitation documents (for example, driver's licences), and education and employment documents.
Free translations are provided to permanent residents and some temporary visa holders within their first two years of arrival or grant of permanent residence. Returning Australian citizens may also be eligible for a free translation service within two years of returning to Australia to settle permanently.
In June 2007 a pilot project to extend access to free telephone interpreting services for pharmacists was initiated in cooperation with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. Participating pharmacies have access to free telephone interpreting services from 13 June to 13 December 2007. The department will evaluate the pilot to determine whether to establish the service on an ongoing basis.
Performance
The number of free interpreting services provided in 2006-07 was slightly higher than that provided in 2005-06 and also higher than estimated demand.