Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania and Burnie City Council team up

Published on 27 July 2023

Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania and Burnie City Council team up to expand support and services for culturally diverse communities

Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania (MRC Tas) and the Burnie City Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 27, 2023 to improve access to services for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds in North West Tasmania.

MRC Tasmania’s presence in Burnie and surrounding areas will help cater for the North West of Tasmania’s increasingly diverse community.

MRC Tas Chief Executive Officer Dr Gillian Long said that location should not be a barrier to migrants accessing the support they need.

“People from migrant backgrounds need to be able to access culturally appropriate support regardless of where they are located in Tasmania,” said Dr Long.

“With an increase in migrants on the North West Coast, the demand for MRC Tas services has grown substantially. The demand comes not only from migrants themselves, but also a broad range of community service providers and employees in the area who keen to increase their capacity to support migrants,” Dr Long added.

The partnership between MRC Tas and Burnie City Council will enable increased support and access to programs for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community members in areas including mental health, family violence prevention, youth, settlement, aged care and community development. It will also see the delivery of activities that help build a sense of belonging in Tasmania.

Under the agreement, the Burnie City Council will provide MRC Tas with an office space at the Council and support MRC Tas to establish a presence in Burnie and surrounding areas.

“Burnie City Council’s partnership with MRC Tas is a welcomed and much needed additional resource for our community,” said Burnie Mayor Teeny Brumby. “We know from our census information that people in Burnie speak 57 different languages at home, and we are only becoming more diverse.”

Mayor Brumby said the presence of MRC Tas will help the Council to better serve the area’s refugee and migrant communities.

“We are conscious of the increasing numbers of migrants settling and living in Burnie and surrounds who are currently not well serviced and with who the Council is not strongly connected. We therefore see the presence of MRC Tas in Burnie as beneficial to both the individuals who will benefit from this service and for our Council in better serving and connecting with these communities. In fact, this service will be of regional benefit, strengthening support and education for our culturally rich communities across the North West Coast,” Mayor Brumby said.

MRC Tas Board Chair, the Hon Peter Gutwein, added: “MRC Tas is very pleased to be extending our services to support migrants here in Tasmania in partnership with the Burnie City Council. The Council has been tremendous to work with and we are thankful for their support and their desire to support migrants in their community here in the North West.”

MRC Tas will also provide Burnie City Council with free access to trainings on working with people from refugee backgrounds, cultural awareness, working with interpreters and working with CALD youth.

“The partnership with the Burnie City Council will enable us to have a regular presence in this location and provide cultural awareness training, suicide prevention and other health and wellbeing support, and youth and employment programs, amongst many others,” Dr Long said.

Mayor Teeny Brumby and the Hon. Peter Gutwein, MRC Tas Board Chair : Signing the MOU