New real estate interpretation service helps people settle in Australia

November 16 2009 by Liam Clifford

Challenges faced by migrants to Australia to be addressed in new real estate program.

A new pilot programme is to be launched in Australia, which will help non-English-speaking people to find accommodation after moving to Australia.

The Australian immigration department is launching a trial of a real estate interpretation programme through its translating and interpreting service (TIS National).

Laurie Ferguson, the parliamentary secretary for multicultural affairs and settlement services, says, “the Australian Government is aware of the particular challenges faced by migrant and humanitarian entrants in securing housing.”

She continued, “a key factor is the limited English skills of many new arrivals. Access to free interpreting services will provide valuable support that will enable real estate agents to communicate more readily with these clients.”

The pilot programme is to take place in areas where a high number of immigrants tend to settle and move to Australia, including the Blacktown area of Sydney and in south-east Melbourne.

The project is also to be linked to 13 housing-related schemes that are being launched under the Settlement Grants Programme. The results of the trial will be evaluated and the scheme is likely to be rolled out to other areas that are deemed to have high migrants moving to Australia or areas where many asylum seekers are housed.

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