Bid to attract, help migrants

Welcome pack: Cr Eddie Kontelj, at rear, with migrants Robin Arthur, formerly of Singapore, Chagai Gum, Sudan, Elnee Jehn and Say Reh, both from Burma, and Sophia Shen, China.

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Geelong has a new plan to attract more migrants to the city, according to a councillor.
Eddy Kontelj said council’s multicultural action plan would act like an immigration policy with an induction process for new arrivals.
Councillors adopted the $50,000 plan at a meeting on Tuesday night.
“Without a plan like this we could drive people away,” Cr Kontelj said.
“The best cities are doing this but it’s a first for Geelong.”
Cr Kontelj said the plan aimed to maximise the economic, social and cultural contributions of migrants.
“Some of our great success stories were written by migrants – think of the Costas, Siketas and Malishevs.
“This plan will help us learn how to best work with the next wave of arrivals so they can make new success stories.”
One of the plan’s 35 action items included promotion of Geelong as a destination of choice for migrants.
The plan would highlight Geelong’s cultural diversity, benefits for skilled migrants and study and investment opportunities in partnership with key businesses and service agencies.
“We want to take away barriers that may have been there (to migrants) in the past,” Cr Kontelj said.
“This plan also helps us deal with attitudes such as those expressed over the issue of the all-women’s swim program. We can all learn new things and hopefully this will help us realise some of the comments made were uneducated.”
Other action items in the plan included production of a new arrivals kit, upgrading council’s website for non-English-speaking arrivals and educating council staff on their needs.
“It starts with us as the council,” Cr Kontelj said.
“We can find ways of better-assisting our new arrivals by using our bi-lingual staff, showing respect and understanding and being responsive to their needs.”
Chinese migrant Sophia Shen said she had felt isolated during most of her 12 years in Geelong.
“I feel I now have more of a chance to contribute economically, socially and culturally,” she said.
“Connection is important because it gives us a sense of belonging. Often we work within our own cultural group but really we want to be part of the wider community.”
Singaporean migrant Robin Arthur said that even after 22 years in Geelong he still could bring new ideas to the community.
“I think this plan will bring a new identity to Geelong as more people realise they will be welcome here,” he said.