The Regions of Welcome conference in Toowoomba, QLD was a 2-day multisectoral event for those involved in regional settlement, including refugee communities themselves, to network and discuss the opportunities and challenges of refugee resettlement in regional Australia.
Recent research funded by the Australian Research Council and presented at the conference indicates that refugees settled in regional Queensland over the past couple of years are happy in their new home. These encouraging findings come at a time when regional migration is in the news as the Australian government looks for ways to reduce the impact of uneven population distribution in Australia. It is claimed that metropolitan areas such as inner city Melbourne and Sydney are becoming overcrowded, whilst other states and regional areas need more workers.
The health and well-being section of the conference included presenters from the Townsville Multicultural Support Group and the Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma presenting on their services’ partnership to support trauma recovery in refugees in Townsville through a locally adapted version of the Families in Cultural Transition Workshops. FICT was originally developed by the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors.
There was also a joint presentation from the Refugee Health Network Queensland and Refugee Nurses Australia on the role of networks in supporting health professionals working with refugees in regional areas. This presentation was informed by the responses of RNA members working regionally. The responses will also aid planning for RNA to improve its support for refugee health nurses working in regional Australia.
The health and well-being section of the conference included presenters from the Townsville Multicultural Support Group and the Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma presenting on their services’ partnership to support trauma recovery in refugees in Townsville through a locally adapted version of the Families in Cultural Transition Workshops. FICT was originally developed by the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors.
There was also a joint presentation from the Refugee Health Network Queensland and Refugee Nurses Australia on the role of networks in supporting health professionals working with refugees in regional areas. This presentation was informed by the responses of RNA members working regionally. The responses will also aid planning for RNA to improve its support for refugee health nurses working in regional Australia.
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