Innovation funding supports exploration of new settlement pathways for Nepalese community in Auburn

Cultural perspectives on gambling offered by Nepalese community members in a November focus group will inform an Advance Diversity Services project that aims to reduce gambling harm in the community.

Funding through the NSP — a consortium of community organisations, led by SSI, delivering settlement services in NSW — will allow Advance Diversity Services (ADS) and Auburn Diversity Services Inc. (ADSi) to explore new ways to provide migrant and refugee settlement services to Nepalese communities in the Auburn (Cumberland Council) catchment area.

A $50,000 grant announced in November activated the collaboration to test a new service delivery model that builds on the local connections of each partner to maximise reach and impact.

ADS Community Services Officer Rishi Acharya has a strong history of working with the Nepalese community. He has been appointed to drive the project, which aims to extend into the Auburn area core settlement support now offered to the newly arrived Nepalese community residing in the St George area.

He said the Nepali-speaking population in Australia had increased significantly, with 62,002 members counted in the 2016 Census compared to 27,155 in the 2011 census. There had also been a huge upsurge in Nepali students in recent years.

“Auburn now has the largest population of Nepali-speakers in Australia, followed by Rockdale,” he said. “Hurstville is currently in third place. Hurstville and Rockdale are in the St George area where I’ve spent the last eight years building strong and supportive pathways for new Nepali-speaking arrivals.

“I’m excited to be using my knowledge and collaborative skills to ensure Nepalese communities in the Auburn area will be well supported by the Australian Government’s Settlement Engagement and Transition Support Grants (SETS) program.”

SETS supports humanitarian entrants and other eligible permanent migrants in their first five years of life in Australia. The program focuses on social participation, economic wellbeing, independence, personal wellbeing and community connectedness.

Mr Acharya will collaborate with ADSi and the Nepalese Australian Association to tap into the needs of recently arrived Nepalese migrants and refugees, identify gaps in service provision, and offer practical face-to-face support to community members.

“We were awarded the grant from the NSP’s Settlement Innovation Fund because our project clearly promotes service experimentation and improvement across its network of partners,” he said.

“Our goal now is to be innovative with purpose!”