Many multicultural grants cancelled
One government promises things and the other one takes it away by making new promises. Along with new programs a whole gamut of new ways of filling in grant applications and new rules apply. Grants are always quite difficult to get and one has to go through a difficult process before the grants are approved. Most of the Indian community organisations find it hard to apply thus for grants which can be a headache. Moreover many do not even know how to apply and write for a grant and hence give up. While the Indian community works hard, is one of the highest earning and tax paying community in Australia yet it claims paltry sum by way of grants.
Liberal Party has cancelled many grants to various ethnic and multicultural organisations and schools of about 130 projects in NSW itself which were not only promised but approved by the Labor government.
The Indian community all over Australia is set to loose many such grants.
NSW Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Communities Guy Zangari has slammed the Liberal Party for cancelling a major program of multicultural community grants to 130 projects across Sydney and NSW ”“ and called on Premier Barry O’Farrell to step up to the plate and make up the funding shortfall.
The Abbott Liberal Government has abolished funding for the Building Multicultural Communities Program ”“ controversially refusing to honour contracts for projects signed off before the last election
In all, a total of 130 projects in NSW worth $5 million have been quietly cancelled including:
· Bankstown Multicultural Youth Service ”“$152,036 cut ”“ depriving it of new desks, chairs, computers and printing facilities;
· Australian Chinese Buddhist Temple in Bonnyrigg ”“ $150,000 cut ”“ depriving it of a new community hall;
· Assyrian Resource Centre in Fairfield – $$150,000 cut ”“ depriving it of a centre upgrade;
· Hindu Society of NSW – $75,600 cut ”“ depriving it of essential temple renovation/restoration works.
In response to the above cuts, Minister for Citizenship and Communities Victor Dominello said, “Guy Zangari’s defence of Rudd-Gillard Government funding, cynically promised to multicultural organisations five minutes before their impending electoral demise, was a reminder of NSW Labor’s 16 years of economic mismanagement and tokenism towards multiculturalism”
“It is reckless and cruel of the Federal Labor Government to make promises to multicultural organisations they knew they would never be asked to deliver,” Mr Dominello said.
“Labor had six years to roll-out a program in an organised and transparent way. Instead they chose to introduce $4.55 million in ”˜one-off’ funding three months before the Federal election.
Community groups were sent letters of offer in August 2013, during the Caretaker period of the Federal Election, for applications made under the Building Multicultural Communities Program.
In light of the current state of the Federal Budget, with Labor’s $144 billion debt legacy, the Commonwealth Department of Social Services has withdrawn offers of funding.
“The NSW Government believes multiculturalism is one of our state’s greatest economic assets and we are genuinely engaging and consulting with multicultural communities.
“We support projects which foster community harmony and social inclusion through the Community Relation Commission’s $1.4 million Multicultural Advantage Grants Program and increased its funding by 2.4 per cent last year.
Indian migrant community has worked hard as migrants and need support e.g. in areas such as: helping settle newly arrived migrants, seniors and much needed support services for healthy ageing and also supporting women to do with domestic violence cases .
Here is a list of grants of Indian subcontinent community that have been cancelled with hundreds more from other multicultural communities:
| Name of Organisation | Electorate | Total Allocated | Project Description |
| BANGLADESHI SENIORS CLUB, CANBERRA INC | Canberra | $4,000 | PA system, a projector and a laptop |
| BENGALI CULTURAL ASSOCIATION CANBERRA INC., THE | Canberra | $10,000 | Increase the number of performances held throughout the year |
| Canberra Tamil Association | Fraser | $3,700 | Office equipment |
| DANTE ALIGHIERI SOCIETY OF CANBERRA INCORPORATED | Fraser | $4,635 | Computer, television, DVD player, projector and white board |
| INDIA AUSTRALIA ASSOCIATION OF CANBERRA | Fraser | $3,765 | Office equipment |
| KARTANAKA ASSOCIATION OF CANBERRA INCORPORATED | Fraser | $9,935 | Office equipment and outdoor furniture |
| PAKISTAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION | Fraser | $10,000 | BBQ and office equipment and outdoor furniture |
| RESOURCEFUL AUSTRALIAN INDIAN NETWORK INC | Banks | $4,000 | Photocopier |
| VEDIC SAMITI NEWCASTLE INC | Charlton | $94,363 | Renovation and additional space at the cultural centre |
| Afghan Community Support Association of NSW INC | Greenway | $29,091 | Library equipment IT equipment |
| AUSTRALIAN ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATION OF NSW INC | Mitchell | $8,262 | Storage shelves, folding tables, stackable chairs, chair trolley, data projector and PA system |
| HINDU SOCIETY OF NSW INC | Parramatta | $75,600 | Renovate and restore temple |
| SIKH YOUTH AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED | Parramatta | $2,308 | Portable projector, a wireless microphone set, a tablet computer and two promotional banners |
| SRI MANDIR INC | Reid | $8,000 | Air conditioner and security systems |
| SYDNEY TAMIL RESOURCE CENTRE INC | Reid | $7,000 | |
| City of Canterbury | Watson | $10,905 | Partitions and IT equipment |
| Rangdhanu Aus Bangla Cultural Society Inc. | Watson | $3,600 | Sound equipment |
| SHREE SANATAN DHARM SABHA OF NSW INC | Werriwa | $150,000 | Install air conditioning, sound and emergency alert systems and AV projector |
| SIKH MISSION CENTRE SYDNEY INC | Werriwa | $10,000 | Computer, photocopier and chair |
| GUJJU LIONS ASSOCIATION OF BRISBANE INC. | Brisbane | $1,500 | Purchase cricket equipment to allow the club to participate in junior and senior cricket competitions |
| BANGLADESH PUJA & CULTURAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC | Makin | $3,000 | Data projector, laptop computer and multi-function printer andcommercial rice cooker |
| INDIAN SENIOR CITIZENS ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA INC | Bruce | $5,645 | Projector, a surround sound system, a projector screen, five iPads, two routers, a one year broadband internet contract and a Blu Ray player |
| INDIAN SENIORS ASSOCIATION WEST INC | Calwell | $3,450 | Wireless microphone and projector |
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