MEDIA INVITE: Settlement support delivers lasting dividends for Australia
Settlement Council of Australia
With increased public scrutiny of Australia’s humanitarian intake in recent weeks, a new report reveals a critical but often overlooked question: it’s one thing to invite people in, but what happens after they arrive?
Launched by the Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) and developed by Deloitte Access Economics, Accelerating Settlement Outcomes draws on 10 years of data and finds humanitarian entrants who receive settlement support in their first year achieve significantly stronger outcomes across employment, education, English language proficiency, independence and community participation.
The report estimates early support generates an additional $135 million in wages from a single humanitarian cohort, making the case that settlement services are essential social infrastructure that underpin the success of Australia's migration system.
Event details
What: Launch of Accelerating Settlement Outcomes
When: Tuesday 8 September 2026, 5:00pm to 7:30pm
Where: Theatrette, Australian Parliament House, Canberra
Speakers include:
- Maria Dimopoulos AM, CEO, Settlement Council of Australia
- Rachel Power, Associate Director, Deloitte Access Economics
- Violet Roumeliotis, CEO, SSI
- Melinda Collinson, CEO, AMES Australia
- Michael Go, former CEO, Sydney Stock Exchange
- Sharan Burrow, former President, ACTU
- Samah Shda, CEO and Founder, Unbound Stories
- Hangama Obaidullah, Poet, Writer and Visual Artist
- Leia Trinh, Head of RB&M Planning, Governance & Execution, Australia Post
- Laura Barroso, Sustainability Lead, L’Oréal Australia & New Zealand
Copies of the report are available under embargo.
Contact details:
Hannah Gartrell
0423 965 956