Immigrant Communities Project
Monash Regional Australia Project (MRAP) was engaged during 2002-03 in the Immigrant Communities Project, which was concerned with the participation in natural resource management of farmers and horticulturalists of non-English speaking background. This research was commissioned by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) - now divided into the Department of Primary Industries and Department of Sustainability and Environment.
This project arose from a concern within NRE that a significant proportion of non-English speaking background (NESB) agriculturalists and horticulturalists were failing to access NRE services or participate in extension programs. The uptake of improved practices, designed to ensure the productivity and sustainability of Victorian agriculture and horticulture, depends on the ability of extension services and other programs to reach and involve all of Victoria's agricultural population. The increasingly diverse cultural backgrounds of this population thus create a particular challenge for the DPI, DSE and other agents of change. On the one hand, specific experiences of immigration and settlement, specific cultural practices, language backgrounds and English competencies, and the specific needs and aspirations of immigrant communities shape their perceptions of government and their relationships with government agencies, and constrain their access to services, resources and improved technologies. On the other hand, the extent to which DPI, DSE and other agencies recognise and respond appropriately to cultural diversity and the socio-economic conditions of immigrant communities, also determines the effectiveness of extension programs and cross-cultural communication.
The goal of the Immigrant Communities Project was to enhance the capability of immigrant-background rural communities in Victoria to manage change in agricultural and horticultural practices. The project assessed the impact of DPI and DSE (NRE) extension programs on immigrant communities, and developed strategies to facilitate and strengthen the capacity of NESB communities to access relevant DPI and DSE programs and projects. The role of immigrant-background women in managing the farm business and natural resources management (NRM) was an important issue.
The Northern Irrigation Region (NIR) was selected as the focus for a study to establish these understandings. The agricultural and horticultural sectors in the Northern Irrigation Region, among the most culturally diverse in Victoria, epitomize the complexity of issues faced by NRE in interactions with migrant communities. The project researched the patterns of settlement of the Albanian, Greek, Italian, Turkish and Punjabi communities within the Northern Irrigation Region, their community structures and social organisation, involvement in agriculture and horticulture, and their relationships with the DPI. These five groups constitute the key immigrant-background communities involved in agriculture (predominantly horticulture) with the NIR.
The question of what works and what does not work in regard to DPI's (NRE's) communication and extension with NESB farmers was a key issue. To what degree have members of the various immigrant communities become involved in NRE extension programs? To what extent are the programs seen as meeting their expressed needs and aspirations? How accessible are NRE extension programs to members of immigrant communities? How accessible are extension programs to women in those communities?
The findings of the research were reported in Immigrant Communities Project: Enhancing extension and sustainable natural resource management in culturally diverse communities in rural Victoria.