Reallocating grants and funding during COVID-19

The Queensland Government is committed to supporting all Queenslanders through the COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery.

The Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs is reallocating $900,000 in existing grants and funding to ensure it is channelled into areas of greatest need. The package includes $238,000 in new initiatives and $617,000 to top up existing programs. 

Initiatives include:

• scale up of the I Speak Your Language telephone support program delivered by the Multicultural Communities Council of Gold Coast – this initiative partners with the Australian Red Cross and volunteers to provide telephone calls in languages other than English to participants who are socially isolated. 

• a Community Connector Advisor role located within Australian Red Cross – this role ensures referral pathways are connected and support the specific needs of vulnerable refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. 

• enhanced funding to Communify Queensland to respond to increased demand from vulnerable asylum seekers through the Asylum Seeker and Refugee Assistance program.

• a small injection of funds to Community Action for a Multicultural Society (CAMS) program providers to support technology enhancements necessary for online participatory platforms. 

Alongside the connections support package, contracts with existing providers have been redirected to focus on supporting local communities through COVID-19 response and recovery. This includes redirection of the $2.5 million investment in the CAMS program and $110,000 for the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland, offering localised channels to respond to community needs.