Ms Ellis asked the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, upon notice, on 1 June 1998:

(1) What levels of Commonwealth funding were provided to Tuggeranong Link for the provision of migrant welfare workers in (a) 1993-94, (b) 1994-95, (c) 1995-96, (d) 1996-97 and (e) 1997-98.

(2) Does the Commonwealth require non-profit community organisations to contribute to the funding of migrant welfare workers.

(3) How many migrant welfare workers are employed with Commonwealth funding in the electoral divisions of (a) Namadgi, (b) Canberra, (c) Fraser, (d) Bennelong and (e) Berowra.

(4) What is the tenure of migrant welfare workers employed in the electoral divisions of (a) Namadgi, (b) Canberra, (c) Fraser, (d) Bennelong and (e) Berowra.

Mr Ruddock (Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) The levels of funding provided to Tuggeranong Link, previously known as Tuggeranong Link of Community Houses and Centres Inc, for the provision of migrant welfare workers are as follows:

(a) 1993-94

None.

(b) 1994-95

The Tuggeranong Link of Community Houses and Centres Inc was awarded funding for a 3-year period for a Grant-in-Aid (GIA) worker. Funding for the first year was $44,352.

(c) 1995-96

GIA funding allocated for the second year was $44,973.

(d) 1996-97

GIA funding allocated for the third year was $47,596.

(e) 1997-98

Tuggeranong Link did not lodge an application for worker-based funding under the Community Settlement Services (CSS) Scheme.

(2) Funded organisations are required to sign a Service or Funding Agreement with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs before the commencement of funding. The Agreement is a legal document, which sets out the conditions for funding and imposes formal obligations upon both parties. This Agreement, signed by the organisation and authorised Departmental officers, stipulates that the organisation is required to contribute from its own resources to the facilities and services necessary to conduct the function of the worker.

(3) A migrant welfare worker is a person who is employed to perform duties which may include service delivery on an individual, group or community basis, case responsibility for clients, co-ordination of a service, supervision and counselling. The number of such workers employed with my Department's funding in the specified electoral divisions are as follows:

(a) Namadgi

A full-time generalist worker located at Woden Community Services Inc services the areas of Woden, Tuggeranong and southern ACT, which includes the electoral division of Namadgi.

(b) Canberra

There are 5 full-time equivalent worker positions distributed as follows:

. 1 generalist worker position at Woden Community Service Inc (job shared by two people);

. 0.5 Croatian community welfare worker based at the Croatian Community Welfare Centre in Civic;

. 1 humanitarian/early intervention settlement worker based at the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in Civic;

. 1 humanitarian settlement worker based at the MRC, Civic, servicing the division of Canberra and the Queanbeyan district;

. 1 community project officer based at the at the MRC, Civic; and

. 0.5 generalist worker based at the MRC in Civic.

(c) Fraser

There are 1.5 full-time equivalent worker positions at the Belconnen Community Service Inc: 1 generalist and 0.5 Vietnamese community welfare worker.

(d) Bennelong

There are 2 full-time equivalent worker positions distributed as follows:

. 1 generalist welfare worker based at the Christian Community Aid Service Inc, Eastwood, servicing the Ryde Local Government Area.

. 1 Armenian community welfare worker based at the Dioceses of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand Ltd, Chatswood, servicing Northern Sydney and the Fairfield Local Government Areas.

(e) Berowra

There are 1.5 full-time equivalent worker positions distributed as follows:

. a part-time Chinese community welfare worker based at the Cherrybrook Chinese Community Association Inc, Cherrybrook, servicing the Hornsby Local Government Area.

. 1 generalist welfare worker based at North Sydney Community Service Ltd, Crows Nest, servicing the Hornsby and Kuring-gai areas.

(4) Organisations were awarded funding in 1997-98 for 12 months for worker-based positions under the CSS Scheme. They have now been offered an extension of funding for a further 12 months to 30 September 1999.

Tenure of workers is a matter between the organisation and the worker. As a condition of funding under the current CSS Scheme Service Agreement, the Department requires that the funded organisation is the legal employer and, as such, is responsible for negotiating conditions of service with the worker, taking account of any relevant industrial conditions. This requirement is included in the Service Agreement in Section 3.3 (e):

`only employ the Worker in accordance with the appropriate award applying to the position for which he or she has been employed to fill.'