The following listing provides links to state government, Commonwealth and key community service organisations with responsibilities for multicultural affairs and services that support our diverse communities. It is not a comprehensive list of all multicultural community and support services available.
South Australian Government
Department of Human Services
Department of Human Services (DHS) brings together a range of services, funding and policy responsibilities which together support fairness, opportunity and choice for all South Australians. It has lead responsibility on behalf of the South Australian Government in the areas of disability; early intervention to support health, safety and wellbeing of children; youth justice; domestic violence; problem gambling; screening services and disaster recovery. DHS also provides a wide range of grants to community organisations and concessions. DHS has lead policy responsibility in relation to women, youth and volunteers.
DHS also includes the Interpreting and Translating Centre (ITC) employing qualified translators and interpreters experienced in most of the community and commercial languages of South Australia.
Interpreting and Translating Centre (ITC)
Skilled and Business Migration
Skilled & Business Migration is an agency within the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and is responsible for skilled and business migration to South Australia. It also works with the Department of Home Affairs to attract eligible skilled and business migrants through state-nominated visa programs. State nomination is a pathway to permanent residency in South Australia.
Skilled & Business Migration’s activities include:
- Nomination of skilled migrants to meet critical skills shortages in the local labour market.
- Nomination of migrants with a proven record of business expertise and entrepreneurship who can inject significant new money into the South Australian economy and create new jobs.
- Advice to the Department of Home Affairs on South Australian employers seeking skilled workers from overseas when positions cannot be filled from the local labour pool.
Migrants are nominated by regional employers, state and territory governments or family members and receive priority processing. Factors which decide where migrants settle include:
- Location of family members.
- Availability of employment.
- Business opportunities.
Skilled & Business Migration also provides a variety services and resources to help migrants, local businesses and migration agents navigate the migration process. These include:
- Fact sheets and publications
- Settlement and employment support resources
- Recognition of overseas qualifications
- Business migrant appointments.
Skilled and Business Migration
Migration Museum
The Migration Museum works towards the preservation, understanding and enjoyment of South Australia’s diverse cultures. It is a place to discover the many identities of the people of South Australia through the stories of individuals and communities. The Migration Museum is operated by the History Trust of South Australia.
Commonwealth Government
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) helps make Australia stronger, safer and more prosperous by promoting and protecting our interests internationally and contributing to global stability and economic growth. It provides foreign, trade and development policy advice to the government and works with other government agencies to ensure that Australia’s pursuit of its global, regional and bilateral interests is coordinated effectively.
DFAT also provides a list of Consuls in or that have responsibility for South Australia and a list of foreign embassies and consulates in Australia.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Home Affairs
Department of Home Affairs brings together Australia's federal law enforcement, national and transport security, criminal justice, emergency management, multicultural affairs and immigration and border-related functions, working together to keep Australia safe.
It also includes the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) an interpreting service for people who do not speak English and for agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients.
Translating and Interpreting Service
Services Australia
Services Australia delivers social and health related services and payments through its Centerlink, Medicare and Child Support programmes and plays an active role in developing new approaches to social health related policy and service delivery.
It can help with information, services and payments about raising kids, living arrangements (including moving to Australia), ageing, work and unemployment, education, and health and disability, along with natural disaster, family and domestic violence, and scams and identity theft support.
Multicultural Service Officers are specialists who are available to help migrant and refugee communities connect with their services, and there are options to read, listen to or watch information in languages other than English about payments and services available.
Multicultural Service Officers
Department of Social Services
Department of Social Services' mission is to improve the well-being of individuals and families in Australian communities.
Community services
AMES Australia
AMES Australia provides practical support to refugees in their first 18 months in Australia. Services include on-arrival settlement support, placement in short term accommodation and help with finding long term accommodation, linking to essential services such as Centrelink, Medicare, banking, schools and health care services, referral to English language and literacy training and vocational education and training.
Australian Migrant Resource Centre
Australian Migrant Resource Centre (AMRC) is an independent, non-government, leading settlement agency that supports the effective settlement and participation of people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
Australian Migrant Resource Centre
Australian Refugee Association
Australian Refugee Association (ARA) provides advice, assistance, advocacy and practical support to people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds including settlement, migration, employment and youth services, and public education, policy and advocacy.
Australian Refugee Association
Community Language Schools of SA
This organisation supports ethnic schools in South Australia with accreditation and funding.
Community Language Schools of SA
HOST International
HOST International delivers capacity building services that aim to empower new and emerging community groups and organisations to support their specific communities towards collectively increasing the social participation, economic and personal wellbeing of community members. The overall objective is to sustain positive settlement outcomes in the long term.
Legal Services Commission
In South Australia, just as everyone is required to live and obey the law, they are also entitled to have the law protect their rights and interests. The Legal Services Commission was established for people who are unable to afford to pay for private legal representation.
Lutheran Community Care Community Hubs in South Australia
Lutheran Community Care Community Hubs are safe and welcoming places for all members of the community to connect, share and learn with each other. While Community Hubs are for everyone, specific programs and support services will be tailored for migrant women and children as the primary client group.
The hubs provide services to connect families with each other and their school, engage families with existing services, support English language skills and pathways to employment, and support parents engaging with their children in early years learning and development.
Lutheran Community Care Community Hubs in South Australia
Multicultural Aged Care
Multicultural Aged Care (MAC) aims to strengthen and support groups in their operations and delivery of aged care services. MAC provides resources and training focusing on the aged care sector; delivers aged care services through several social support group programs; and advocates for and informs the community, government and businesses about culturally appropriate aged care.
Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia
Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia (MCCSA) supports and advocates for all people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to help them realise their full potential as active contributors economically, socially and culturally within the wider the South Australian community.
Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia
Multicultural Youth SA
Multicultural Youth SA (MYSA) works towards a community where all young people are equipped with the resources and opportunities to participate in social, cultural, economic and political life.
PEACE Multicultural Services
PEACE Multicultural Services (Personal Education And Community Empowerment) supports and assists individuals, families and communities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to lead balanced and healthy lives.
Relationships Australia
Relationships Australia is a provider of relationship support services for individuals, families and communities to achieve positive and respectful relationships and offer services around the country that include counselling, family dispute resolution (mediation) and a range of family and community support and education programs.
Welcoming Australia
Welcoming Australia is a non-partisan movement and organisation committed to cultivating a culture of welcome and advancing an Australia where people of all backgrounds have equal opportunity to belong, contribute and thrive.
The organisation focuses on:
- migration and social cohesion (including regional population and economic growth)
- sports inclusion for recently arrived migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum (including young people living with a disability)
- intercultural mentoring and youth leadership
- support and pathways for refugee families, people seeking asylum, and recently arrived migrants to access essential services and to build community connections
- campaigns and events that advance welcoming and inclusion work.