By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
GREATER Dandenong’s push for more federal resources for asylum seekers living in the community was given a ringing endorsement at an inter-council forum last Wednesday.
Nineteen Victorian councils, as well as state government representatives, refugee advocates and welfare agencies, got behind the bulk of a pro-asylum seeker joint statement at the meeting at Dandenong Civic Centre.
After the meeting, Greater Dandenong councillor Roz Blades – the statement’s initiator – was confident of strong support for a solution to the “humanitarian crisis”.
“It’s been the most collaborative thing by different councils on one issue I’ve seen in 23 years,” she said.
“Several rural councils, such as Colac-Otway, Hepburn as well as Greater Geelong, travelled for the forum.
“It showed people were interested in the broad thrust of the resourcing issue.”
Under the statement, the councils will call for the federal government to provide more effective resourcing for settlement, housing, emergency relief and material aid.
It will also push for the government to provide councils with timely information on asylum seeker arrivals to ensure they have adequate support, and to grant work rights to asylum seekers.
Glen Eira Mayor Neil Pilling, though “personally in favour”, told the forum he doubted his council and other “conservative middle-metropolitan” councils would support abolishing work bans because they acted as a deterrent.
Cr Blades said work rights would take the pressure off stretched agencies and volunteers.
“There’s less strenuous work for the volunteers. It’s pivotal in that sense. I hope we can work around that issue.”
She praised the Journal’s special edition last week for setting the meeting’s “positive tone”.
“You set the tone for conciliation and working together.
“As a local paper, you’ve picked up on a community view and it impressed people from other councils.
“It’s been a team effort – the Journal, Greater Dandenong Council, its staff and local government agencies.”
The final joint statement will include suggested tweaks from the floor of the forum, and be sent to all Victorian councils to individually endorse it.
Cr Blades expects a delegation of mayors and Municipal Association of Victoria representatives will visit Canberra to present the statement later this year.
