A survey conducted on behalf of the Joint Commonwealth State and Territory Research Advisory Committee (JCSTRAC) examined how well the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) had performed against a number of indicators. These included the proportion of migrants who stay in regional areas and continue to contribute to the local economy, the reasons why some...

In January 2004, the Australian Government announced its intention to increase immigrant and humanitarian settlement in regional Australia. The announcement followed a recommendation of the May 2003 'Report of the Review of Settlement Services for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants' to seek further opportunities to settle humanitarian entrants in regional locations where employment opportunities, housing, health...

This first comprehensive external review of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), the principal policy adviser to government on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs, has found that the organisation is in urgent need of structural change. The report recommends 67 reforms which give greater control of ATSIC to Aboriginal and Torres Strait...