Humanitarian Settlement Services
Regional profile #14
Toowoomba, Queensland
Contents
About Toowoomba
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Service provider
4
Accommodation
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Education
4
Health services
5
Employment opportunities
5
A welcoming community
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DIAC wishes to express its thanks to Multicultural Development Association (MDA) for compiling this
material.
While every care has been taken, DIAC makes no guarantees that the information provided is up to
date.
For further information on the Humanitarian Settlement Services program see:
http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/delivering-assistance/government-programs/settlementprograms/hss.htm
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About Toowoomba
Toowoomba is a city in south-east Queensland, located on the crest of the Great Dividing Range,
about 127 km west of Brisbane. It is the largest inland regional city in Queensland, and its reputation
as The Garden City comes from its 150 public parks and tree-lined streets. Its temperate climate is
warm in summer and cool in winter, with four distinct seasons. Its high elevation of 700m means it can
be cool in winter with temperatures ranging from 5-16° C. Summer temperatures range from 17-27° C.
The census in 2006 showed 14 per cent of the population were born overseas. This number has risen
steadily since then with the arrival of skilled migrants and humanitarian entrants.
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Service providers
Humanitarian Settlement Service (HSS) services provided in the region focus on helping refugees to
gain access to mainstream services such as Centrelink, Medicare, banks, general and specialist
health and medical services, English language tuition, training and employment, in addition to links to
the community and community organisations.
The Multicultural Development Association (MDA) is the service provider in Toowoomba and the
region on behalf of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). MDA is a specialist
settlement agency in Queensland who works with all three tiers of government to provide a broad
range of services to assist in the settlement, employment and welfare of refugees and migrants.
Accommodation
Toowoomba offers a range of housing for refugees. The majority of HSS clients in Toowoomba are
large families of between six and nine people with MDA sourcing large houses to accommodate them.
Most HSS families will live in a house with a garage and a back and front yard, which is very valuable
for families with young children.
Typical rents (as at September 2012) are:
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four bedroom houses: $360 per week
three bedroom townhouses/houses: $275-$280 per week
two bedroom houses: $245 per week
three bedroom units: $290 per week
two bedroom units: $210 per week
one bedroom units: $160 per week.
MDA helps HSS clients in the transition from short-term to long-term accommodation.
Education
Toowoomba is a regional educational centre and has a large number of educational facilities, including
state primary and high schools, private schools (mostly faith-based and predominantly Catholic), a
College of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and the University of Southern Queensland. The
Smith Family has programs to help refugee youth to engage with their schooling and education.
Catholic Education has been supportive of the settlement of African communities in Toowoomba and
has accepted 80 per cent of the students from refugee backgrounds. In addition, state primary and
high schools have developed programs to support the settlement of refugee children within their
school communities.
The Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE provides daytime Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)
day and evening classes to students. Students who are not able to attend classes can access the
home tutor scheme, or the Distance Provider. Most MDA HSS clients live near TAFE and can attend
classes within walking distance or by using public transport.
TAFE is actively involved in welcoming refugees to Toowoomba and in community events. It offers
career guidance and counselling, supports students in their career aspirations, and works with the
University of Southern Queensland to identify students who might be suitable to continue on to higher
education.
The university runs regular English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) and
these are offered to HSS clients. After completing the ELICOS course, EAP I and then EAP II (English
for Academic Purposes), students are eligible to enter undergraduate studies at the university.
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Health Services
Queensland Health has multicultural policies and plans that apply to all public hospitals. Toowoomba
Hospital provides interpreters for patients who require language assistance, and MDA supports
hospital staff in delivering health care to HSS clients.
Kobi House at Toowoomba Hospital is the office for Refugee Health Queensland and where all new
arrivals receive their first medical checks and immunisation. A dental clinic attached to the hospital
also provides interpreters and has free dental services for concession card holders.
A Multicultural Mental Health Liaison Officer and the Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors
of Torture and Trauma are both located close to MDA.
Kobi House
Employment Opportunities
Traditionally, farming and rural production have provided the main work opportunities for HSS clients
in Toowoomba and the region, but the largest employers today are in retail, health and community
services, light engineering and education. The demand for workers in the resource industry has meant
an increase in job opportunities for HSS clients, particularly women and youth in service industries
such as food and retail. The abattoir is a significant employer of men on the production line, and
women in the packaging area.
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A number of employment services assist HSS clients to find work:
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The African Communities Inclusion Project helps not only Africans to enter the workforce, but
also clients and young people from other nationalities.
Lifeline provides programs to support job seekers from diverse cultural backgrounds and
humanitarian job seekers.
Personnel West employs an African youth employment worker.
East Creek Neighbourhood Centre Inc. assists job seekers by offering literacy and numeracy
programs.
Three organisations, Resolutions, Employment Services Queensland and Max Employment,
meet bi-monthly under a Lifeline project to support employment for the culturally and
linguistically diverse (CALD) population in Toowoomba.
In 2012, MDA will start its own employment service.
There are several child-care services, day-care facilities and support, and new arrivals are helped to
access these. Transport from residential areas into the city is good, but there are some challenges in
getting to industrial areas, especially for out-of-hours shift work. Some employers provide transport for
their staff.
A welcoming community
Service providers in Toowoomba work with MDA, as the Refugee and Migrant Service Interagency
network, to support HSS and other CALD clients. Among the services actively involved in HSS service
delivery:
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Lifeline has various programs to support newly arrived refugees and migrants
Mercy Family Services provides a link with HSS arrivals and offers support through workshops
such as:
o Raising teenagers in Australia
o Working in Australia: what are the rules and laws?
o Parenting your children in Australia
o Children at school in Australia.
Catholic Education welcomes families and children when they start school
TAFE, through the AMEP, organises events every semester to welcome students and their
families.
Toowoomba Refugee and Migrant Services have a pool of active volunteers who support
newly arrived families and individuals
Toowoomba Regional Council has a well-established multicultural program and delivers
community projects
Catholic Social Justice supports new arrivals and fosters a positive community response
Education Queensland is involved in network meetings and actively responds to any issues
that arise.
Among other groups actively involved in multicultural work are:
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Toowoomba Islamic Society
Toowoomba Baha’i Society
University of Southern Queensland (USQ)
Sisters of Charity
Toowoomba International Multicultural Society.
MDA uses its network in Brisbane to link communities and provide support. A local Eritrean group in
Toowoomba, for example, attended a function in Brisbane and was able to link with the Eritrean
community there and share their settlement experience.
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Social and community engagement
Sporting and recreational facilities in Toowoomba include:
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Queensland Police-Citizens Youth Clubs (PCYC) gymnasium
USQ basketball/tennis/volleyball sporting clinic for 13-25 year olds
amateur soccer competition, open to everyone for a small fee
Sunday Soccer League run by a Christian church and free
cricket every Sunday at Ernest Peak Park.
Library
Council libraries have free membership and Toowoomba Regional Libraries provide materials in many
community languages. Further resources can be ordered.
Food
Toowoomba food retailers have responded to the changing demographics of the community and
several food outlets source and sell foods from many countries. Halal meat is available in some
butcheries.
Every Sunday, from 7am-2pm, PCYC holds markets on James Street which sell low-priced fresh fruit
and vegetables.
Cultural festival
Toowoomba holds the Languages & Cultures Festival in August, when the whole community
celebrates Toowoomba’s diversity.
Queens Park
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