We get the feeling that the so-called ‘president’ of Australia First, Diane Teasdale, will be terribly pleased with this news. Shepparton is her turf after all.

From the Shepparton News:

Settlement a model of success
Bianca Hall

Shepparton’s Congolese refugee settlement program has been so successful it will be used as an Australia-wide model.

Ten Congolese families, comprising 60 people, settled in Shepparton between October 2005 and August last year.

Most had no English skills and few belongins, and all were traumatised from their experiences in their war-torn homeland and years spent in African refugee camps.

But one year on, all have recieved English language lessons, and are continuing to rebuild their lives.

From education to health, local government and agriculture, many new Shepparton residents are working and others volunteer and raise young children.

Organisations involved in the pilot program, which brought humanitarian refugees directly to regional, rather than metropolitan areas, were yesterday honoured for their work.

The recipients include Shepparton and District Ethnic Council, Greater Shepparton City Council, Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, Goulburn Valley Health and Catholic Education Office, Sandhurst Diocese.

The pilot was developed and managed by the Department of Immigration and Multicultual Affairs, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.