Recommendation 123

The Australian Government remains committed to implementing national policies to support marginalised and vulnerable people. The Australian Government has a range of policies and programmes for vulnerable social groups, including migrants, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people with a disability.

The Australian Government operates a generous Humanitarian Programme, including providing assisted passage, medical and related services for refugee entrants and ensures, under policy settings, that refugee and humanitarian applicants are not excluded due to a health condition or disability. This includes ensuring that refugees and humanitarian applicants receive appropriate treatment for medical conditions prior to travel, and that arrangements are made for any required medical follow-up and specialist appointments following arrival in Australia.

The Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minor (UHM) Program facilitates care and welfare services to children and young people under 18 years of age who arrived in Australia without a parent or legal guardian, and who have been granted a visa under Australia's offshore Humanitarian Programme, or granted a Protection visa in Australia.
The Immigration (Guardianship of Children) (IGOC) Act 1946 also prescribes that the Minister will be the guardian of certain unaccompanied minors in Australia.
The Australian Government’s national Multicultural Access and Equity Policy aims to ensure that Australian Government programmes and services meet the needs of all persons, regardless of their cultural and linguistic background so that everyone has the opportunity to participate fully in our society.

The Australian Government is supporting the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) in its role as, the peak body representing Australia’s Culturally And Linguistically Diverse (CALD) community organisations, to advocate and promote issues on behalf of its constituency to government, business and the broader community.
In 2018-19, the Australian Government provided up to $5 million for Fostering Integration Grants. This program aims to facilitate the integration of migrants by encouraging social and economic participation of migrants, promoting and encouraging Australian values, addressing issues of low social integration and supporting a greater understanding and tolerance of racial, religious and cultural diversity.
The Australian Government works to improve the lifetime wellbeing of migrants and refugees settling in Australia by responding to their specific needs, encouraging their independence and participation in the community. The Australian Government’s Humanitarian Settlement Program is targeted at addressing the individual needs of new arrivals, including those arriving under the Woman at Risk visa program and humanitarian entrants with complex needs.

The Australian Government has developed a comprehensive system of social security to assist those in need. Social security payments and other benefits are currently made available under a range of legislation. Under this legislation the Australian Government provides a range of payments and services, including to retirees, the unemployed, families, carers, parents, persons with disabilities, students, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Further information is available on the websites of the Australian Government Department of Human Services and the Australian Government Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

The Australian Government continues to promote and strengthen the rights of Indigenous peoples through a range of policies and programmes. Information on policies and programmes can be found on the Indigenous affairs page on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website. Australian governments fund and deliver a range of programmes aimed at addressing the inequalities faced by Indigenous people, including through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy. Information on the strategy and current programmes can be found on the Indigenous Advancement Strategy page on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website.

The National Disability Strategy 2010-2020 (the Strategy) is Australia’s overarching framework for disability reform . The Strategy provides a ten-year national policy framework for all levels of government to improve the lives of people with disability through driving a more inclusive approach to the design of mainstream policies, programmes and infrastructure. Implementation of the Strategy is guided by three separate implementation plans, covering the periods 2011-2014, 2015-2018 and 2019-2020. The Strategy’s second implementation plan, Driving Action 2015-2018, was released on 1 December 2016 and is available on the Department of Social Services website. Driving Action 2015-2018 is supported by the Australian Government Plan to Improve Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People with Disability (released on 16 October 2017) and the Australian Government Action Plan ( released in December 2017 ).
Action taken under the Strategy to improve the accessibility of mainstream services for people with disability will complement specialist disability services and program s provided by the Australian Government, state and territory governments, including those provided through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS supports people with a permanent and significant disability that affects their ability to take part in everyday activities. The NDIS aims to ensure that people with disability will receive supports based on their needs, they will have choice and control over that support and the costs are controlled through an insurance approach. Further information on the NDIS is available on the Department of Social Services website.