Vic: Bracks pledges one off grant to ethnic welfare agencies

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2000
Vic: Bracks pledges one off grant to ethnic welfare agencies

Victorian Premier STEVE BRACKS says the federal government is playing divide and rule
politics by cutting grants to three peak ethnic welfare agencies.

Mr BRACKS made an unscheduled appearance at a community rally in Brunswick to announce
his government would put up $120,000 in interim funding for the agencies.

Last week, the federal Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs advised
the Italian Assistance Association, known as CoAsIt, and Australian Greek Welfare Society
that their annual grants would be roughly halved.

The Italian agency's Community Settlement Services Scheme grant is down from $200,000
last year to just over $105,000 this year, while the Greek agency's went from $212,000
last year to just over $107,000 this year.

In addition, the Australian Turkish Society's $49,000 grant has been abolished completely.

The department says the agencies don't meet all the criteria for the money, which is
needed to help settle other, more recently-arrived migrant communities.

The decision was slammed last week by the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria.

AAP RTV pjb/jd/wz/jn

KEYWORD: ETHNIC (MELBOURNE)

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