Four bilingual community workers will be employed by Griffith City Council to assist the Afghan, Indian, Turkish and Pacific communities in and around Griffith.
The council has been allocated more than $64,000 through the 2009/10 Community Development Grants Local Partnerships program, which is administered by the Community Relations Commission of NSW.
Migrant Settlement Services Officer Margaret King said this is a huge boost to the area and will mean an increase in the services offered for refugees or migrant residents.
“The Griffith City Council is already providing services to various language communities so we will now be able to expand on those services to meet increasing needs,” she said.
“This new funding ensures that the linguistically-diverse communities in Griffith have access to the practical support they need.”
Country Labor MLC for Murrumbidgee Tony Catanzariti said the grant means language will no longer be a barrier for migrants who need to find about the services available to them.
“It also means new communities in the Griffith area can feel more comfortable taking part in the life of the region,” he said.
“From the early days of the Italian community in Griffith, this part of NSW has been a multicultural success story.
“These new community workers will help us continue to build on that legacy by ensuring that all residents of the region can fully participate in our community life, and everybody can benefit from the interest and diversity of the area.”
