A society which values Australian citizenship, appreciates cultural diversity and enables migrants to participate equitably.
During 2006-07, the department had a lead role in establishing and managing the Interdepartmental Committee on Humanitarian Settlement to review and improve the support for recently arrived humanitarian entrants which culminated in a budget outcome of $209 million over four years to six agencies to implement key initiatives. Improved quality assurance arrangements for the Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy were developed and implemented and an orientation DVD to help humanitarian entrants arriving from Africa to settle in Australia was also produced.
The department finalised several years of work on major reforms to citizenship legislation, which will see the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 replaced by the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 on 1 July 2007.
In 2006-07 a record number of people became Australian citizens since Australian citizenship was introduced in 1949.
The department continued to coordinate the implementation of the National Action Plan to Build on Social Cohesion, Harmony and Security (NAP), in consultation with the community and Commonwealth, state and territory government agencies. Through the NAP, the department played a key role in supporting practical solutions to counter isolation and marginalisation and engaged the Australian community in better understanding issues arising from Australia's cultural and religious diversity.
The department is developing a citizenship test aimed at ensuring that migrants have the capacity to fully participate in the Australian community as citizens and at promoting social cohesion and successful integration into the community. The focus of the test will be on Australia's values, history, traditions and national symbols as well as on the reponsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship. The test questions will be based on the contents of a citizenship test resource book being developed under the supervision of the minister.
Table 58: Outcome 2 - performance information
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Measures |
Results |
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The extent to which settlement planning arrangements and services equip eligible migrants and humanitarian settlers to participate in society |
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Level of participation, and client outcomes from settlement services measured through programme evaluations, client and community feedback and advice from relevant government agencies. |
The department conducts an annual assessment of settlement needs, taking into account feedback from state, territory and local governments, the community and the settlement services sector, to identify the priority needs of new arrivals.
The Settlement Grants Programme (SGP) continues to receive strong sector support, with a record number of applications received for funding in 2007-08. The department continues to monitor the performance of SGP-funded organisations' and has initiated two research projects to assess the effectiveness of the programme. |
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Extent to which settlement needs of eligible refugee and humanitarian settlers are met |
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Level of satisfaction with settlement services among eligible refugees, humanitarian settlers and community groups who work closely with these people measured through client and community feedback. |
In December 2006, the department undertook a quality assurance review of its Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy (IHSS) to assess the effectiveness of contract performance requirements and management controls.
The first reviews, completed in May 2007, included an evaluation of all IHSS service provider systems, process and operations to assess performance against contract specifications. This also included client contact visits to determine the level of satisfaction with the services received.
Initial findings of the reviews have indicated that IHSS service providers are delivering in accordance with the requirements of the contracts. |
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Extent to which Australian citizenship is valued |
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Level of community awareness of the value of Australian citizenship. |
Research conducted among non-citizens and Australian citizens showed a significant increase in public awareness of the value of Australian citizenship during the citizenship promotion campaign period, August 2006 to June 2007. |
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Extent to which the department supports cohesion of Australian socirty, fairness for all and awareness of the economic benefits arising from cultural diversity |
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Level of awareness of the Living in Harmony initiative as measured by the number of events registered for Harmony Day, grant applications received and the level of media reporting of events and projects. |
The department funded 43 new projects from 561 applications, totalling around $1.5 million and made final payments totalling $0.3 million to projects announced in 2005-06.
More than 400 000 people participated in Harmony Day events across the country. The department's website recorded a total of 4004 Harmony Day events and 4226 product requests.
Harmony Day 2007 media coverage totalled 1666 items (1095 press, 416 broadcast and 155 television). The volume of press coverage increased 2.5 per cent compared to the previous year (1068 items). Regional and rural media outlets accounted for 73 per cent of all media coverage.
Living in Harmony funded community projects featured in 44 media reports between 1 December 2006 and 8 April 2007. |
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Positive impact of the Living in Harmony initiative, as measured by the number of grants and partnerships that achieve their project objectives. |
Sixty-nine Living in Harmony-funded community projects were managed in 2006-07.
Twelve Living in Harmony partnerships were funded in 2006-07. The partnerships involved a range of organisations, including iconic sporting groups, in national strategies aimed at engaging all Australians in promoting integration and social cohesion.
The department made six Living in Harmony ad hoc discretionary grants in 2006-07 to address emerging issues. |
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Level of awareness among stakeholders about multicultural policy, particularly regarding the balance between unity and diversity. |
The department raised awareness by hosting a seminar for access and equity contact officers in November 2006 and holding and attending various other forums to discuss cultural diversity issues. |
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Contribution of the Council for Multicultural Australia (CMA) in gaining public support for the goals of cohesion, unity, fairness and economic benefits of cultural diversity. |
The CMA's term expired on 30 June 2006. |
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Extent to which the department supports cohesion of Australian society, fairness for all and awareness of the economic benefits arising from cultural diversity |
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Extent to which the department engages other Australian Government agencies to promote the economic benefits of cultural diversity through their programmes. |
The department encouraged other agencies to promote the economic benefits of cultural diversity through their programmes, for example, through implementation of the Accessible Government Services for All strategy (formerly Access and Equity). |
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Extent to which Australian Government agencies improve the accessibility of their services and programmes, as measured by their performance against the framework for the implementation of the Charter of Public Service in a Culturally Diverse Society and their response to issues raised by their clients under the charter. |
A total of 101 agencies contributed to the 2006 report Accessible Government Services for All (97 agencies in 2005). The report contains a number of examples where agencies have been innovative and resourceful in communicating information to their culturally diverse clients. |
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Extent to which the Australian Government's community relations strategy and coordination of the National Action Plan enhances social cohesion and minimise extremism and intolerance. |
By establishing links with ethnic community leaders and encouraging interaction with broader Australian society, the community relations strategy fostered social cohesion by reducing marginalisation and isolation. Community liaison officers built links with communities and provided advice which helped the government develop appropriate policy responses to events which impacted on communities, such as, the conflict in Lebanon in 2006.
The department coordinated implementation of the NAP and ensured disadvantaged communities were consulted on policies and programmes to promote social cohesion and reduce support for extremism. |
