The Shoalhaven is blessed to have many people from different cultural backgrounds living in the area, which brings vibrancy to the region.
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However, the Shoalhaven Multicultural Group does not think they get the support they need.
Despite available funding from both the Federal and State Government co-facilitator of the Shoalhaven Multicultural Group, Jan Frikken, said the region has not had help from a support worker for the past three years.
She was interested to know what the Federal Government candidates for the seat of Gilmore had to say when it comes to the issues around immigration.
The South Coast Register made contact with all the candidate to get their take on the issue.
Some candidates sent back answers to questions from Ms Frikken while others sent in a statement.
Here are their replies and comments from most of the candidates.
Grant Schultz
Independent
How could all Gilmore candidates advocate for this community?
"By providing support through community-based events such as multicultural festivals and events. They should proactively encourage and foster multiculturalism through. Grants for funding and promotion of multicultural events and programs are available and should be identified and pursued. As a means to foster, support, promote and encourage community support, participation and promotion of multiculturalism."
Is cutting immigration about delaying the processing time?
"Not that I am aware of. It is about managing the economic impact of migration. Identifying and responding to skilled migration trends, refugee intake and humanitarian responses to migration."
Is cutting immigration about granting more tourist visa and student visa? How could this issue be policed?
"No these are separate issues. A tourist visa is not a migration or refugee visa. There are very clear unique and specific requirements for tourist, student, refugee and migration Visas.
Is it a good idea to send migrants and refugees to the rural in a regional area where they don't have jobs to go to?
"No. Immigration to city centres should be reduced, however, migrants should be allowed to settle in rural areas when certain criteria exist. One, they have jobs available, second, that the migrants have the skills or abilities to perform those jobs and finally, that there and clearly identified skills or labour shortages in those jobs."
Fiona Phillips
Labor
"When it comes to migration levels I welcome any new arrivals to Gilmore, it is a wonderful community with people from all over the world.
"Any increase in population must, of course, be accompanied by greater investment in services and infrastructure to keep pace."
Katrina Hodgkinson
Nationals
"We welcome immigration; it is a very strong part of our history and helps shape the fabric of our wonderful multicultural society. However, when set too high immigration levels run the risk of placing a significant burden on local infrastructure and services. We need to ensure Australia's population growth is set at a sustainable level to ensure that all Australians can continue to enjoy a good quality of life.
"We welcome immigration; it is a very strong part of our history and helps shape the fabric of our wonderful multicultural society. However, when set too high immigration levels run the risk of placing a significant burden on local infrastructure and services. We need to ensure Australia's population growth is set at a sustainable level to ensure that all Australians can continue to enjoy a good quality of life.
"Immigration into Australia's regional centre is one of the ways to grow our communities, but only when the services are there to support the people who are coming into those towns and cities. When those services do not exist, immigrants don't get the support they need and are often left feeling unhappy and dissatisfied. We have seen this play out in small country towns where foreign doctors arrive and leave quite quickly again.
"For regional immigration programs to work effectively, there has to be a strategy and support programs in place to ensure entire families, who sometimes have quite complex needs which include overcoming language and cultural barriers, are welcomed and supported to become a part of the regional community.
"I would be delighted to meet with representatives of the Shoalhaven Multicultural Group to better understand their concerns and work to find a solution."
Milton Leslight
United Australia Party
Is cutting immigration about delaying the processing time? No.
Is cutting immigration about granting more tourist visa and student visa? No How could this issue be policed? Not needed.
Is it a good idea to send migrants and refugees to the rural in a regional area where they don't have jobs to go to? They need to be self-sufficient and self-funded.
Serah Kolukulapally
Christian Democratic Party
Non-local community organisation receives both federal and state funding does not provide services for migrants and refugees in the Shoalhaven for the past 3 years. Should this funding go to the local community organisation instead?
"My first concern from questions raised by Jan Frikken the Co-facilitator of the Shoalhaven Multicultural Group, is that this has been an issue for a few years now, disturbing to say the least.
"My question is, what is the scope of the funding to these non-local communities, and earlier than stated three year period, did these organisations provide these services ? If yes why did this stop and why has it been left for the local communities to fill the services gap, utterly disappointing and all this with no support, very strange, but not surprised at this behaviour, haven't we all gotten comfortable to politicians falling well short of their responsibilities,
"I highly recommend and I provide my commitment to this cause, as it is worth fighting for, truly is, that the funding especially in regional areas like Shoalhaven must go to the local community organisations as they understand the area better then the non-locals and can provide a well targeted and catered service in an expected efficient way which provides value for money spent. Each regional area is unique in Australia. I strongly believe this is one way we can appreciate the local organisations for the work being carried out which can take regional Australia towards independent and self-sustaining. I will advocate in strongest possible terms, along with the regional communities as they are already filling the service gaps, which in itself is an evidence and must be used and highlighted to advocate for the cause. This in fact should be one of the priorities.
"I say this, that I find this astonishing that local community organisation in Shoalhaven is not funded for this purpose, in fact I will have to seek further info from other local organisations in the electorate of Gilmore if this is a widespread practice. Its not good enough to say as stated by major parties that they care for regional Australia, actions speak louder than words, and frankly upon reading the question there seems to be not much action at all, in fact it seems to be a forgotten issue.
How could all Gilmore candidates advocate for this community?
"The very reason I am standing up and I genuinely believe in this cause, that Australians now make a bold statement to career politicians we will take the matters of our areas ourselves to Canberra/Parliament, we don't need your promises, which are broken even before they are made.
"Gilmore is sixth ultra marginal seat in the nation and people of Gilmore can change the course this nation, by voting for me I ask the people of Gilmore send a crystal clear message that voters will vote for those who stand, fight and represent them and not for the two party preferred system based on donations, which is fairly corrupt. The two parties in and out of power is no way representation of a strong democracy. The change in vote will ensure candidates elected will work for the region and earn the right to represent by performance and not promises. It takes a heart of service and not depth of pocket to serve.
"In healthy democracy one way to advocate is to vote for those who mean business and not just on the spot promises, which frankly just tickle ears.
"The other suggestion is that after the elections, all local Gilmore electorate local community service providers form a Gilmore local community forum/committee, which includes local communities, list the matters on hand based on priorities and run a cost effective online survey style signature campaign to further gather support and evidence on top of the change in vote during the current election.
"I will ensure that my involvement in the process from the beginning and a strong representation to the relevant ministry and Federal and State level, until the matter results in favour of Gilmore, local communities. This is just a suggestion and I will certainly take feedback and ideas from those who have spent their life in Gilmore, but this cannot and must not wait one more term in Canberra.
"Let's as Australians send a message which will echo for generations to come, a new era began in Gilmore in 2019 which lead the way and changed Australia for better in a true visible and practical sense, with benefits felt for times to come, now that's what a democracy is capable of achieving
"I have followed and researched the immigration cut issue, enough information is available online, that last year's intake which was capped at 190K fell short by approximately 30K (please note that this is a round figure), so when the current government announced that they will cut intake to 160K a year, that frankly is a sale pitch with not much of facts included, I smell a lemon sold here, with sour taste.
"If cutting immigration is delaying the processing time then that is not right and this must be clarified by the incoming minster as not much time is left before 18th to seek clarification from the incumbent minster, and may not have time, who is fighting for his political career. If it is a delaying tactics then it should not be as then that doesn't reflect the true meaning of immigration intake cut.
"If cutting immigration is about granting more tourist and student visas then I think this a huge policy error. The places in immigration intake are, based on info provided by Home Affairs website, 69.5 per cent for skilled visas including those for regional Australia, family 30.5%, some small number of visas for other reasons. I don't believe Australians can be fooled into believing that the intake is to facilitate more visas in tourist and student streams, fluctuations and increments in this area I presume are independent to those of intake, hence to best of my understanding are separate to the immigration intake cap.
"The only way this can be policed is by government of the day as Australians expect for them to provide a genuine honest picture upfront and at the end of financial year, and may I suggest that this should for the purposes of integrity and accountability must be reported every quarter, which I don't believe is currently in place. The other angle of this is a vigorously updated policy, keeping up the current times and trends surrounding the processing of applications, checking thoroughly for genuine tourists and students even before they arrive into Australia.
Last week's ABC Four Corners shined light on student visa issues, which is direct result of funding cuts to universities, and I am absolutely opposed to these cuts, and universities needing the income from international students, is a clear sign that overhauling the current student policy is extremely urgent, not only to protect our children but also to not provide an easy pathway into Australia when the problems is to close for comfort.
"I strongly believe sending migrants and refugees to the regional and rural areas where they don't have jobs to go to, will place these communities under further pressure and create even higher level of unemployment, which is already a growing concern for these communities, especially for younger generations.
"I will take this opportunity to explain that regional and rural area must have immediate upgrades to hospitals. The hospitals I believe are already struggling and are under immense pressure due to the rising needs to the local communities and are well behind the cities and due to poor road infrastructure it makes it even more difficult to access medical assistance, sometimes driving hundreds of kilometres. In a nation like ours it's a shocking situation that Australian regional and rural areas finds themselves neglected, for far too long, hence I say enough is enough. Only targeted skilled workers specific to the need with commitment to stay in regional areas should be brought in and this only after Australians have been given the chance to be employed first. I am not aware of fine details, but I support the announcement made a few months ago that the regional area of Warrnambool in Victoria, have a specific agreement with the immigration department to fill specific skilled positions in this regional area based on local needs. I strongly encourage this for Gilmore.