There is a small but growing community of Yazidi, Kurdish-speaking people, in Armidale and this week we opened the office for assisting them and other groups resettle in that city.
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The Yazidi had to flee from ISIS who were going to murder the men, murder the women or sell them into prostitution. You probably remember hearing about them trying to hide on Mount Sinjar. They are not Christian, nor Islamic and are probably closest to Zoroastrian as an ancient religion.
This is genuine decentralisation to the country - not decentralisation from Sydney CBD to Parramatta. Decentralisation means from Canberra to Armidale, Sydney to Dubbo, or from Perth to Geraldton. If Sydney wants to solve its housing crisis, it will fix it by moving more people out of Sydney. They have to start living in new places like what we’re seeing at Moore Creek. I heard the new roundabout on Browns lane and Moore Creek Road, which we’ve provided Black Spot funding for, had a role in the process of getting the new aged care facility for that section of the city of Tamworth. Infrastructure in regional towns brings decentralisation. Likewise, if government wants us to help Sydney not have all migrants living there, then it has to invest in the infrastructure and jobs like what we’re doing in Armidale. Other infrastructure like the Malpas Dam to Guyra pipeline would allow expansion of the thriving horticulture industry in that town which employs so many who have come from overseas.
So it can’t be “well thank you New England for helping us out on that one”. It has to be “good on you for doing the right thing taking refugees and pressure off the capitals, now here is some investment so that people not only move to regional Australia but also stay there”.
We live in a great nation and so many of us have forebears who came to Australia because of persecution or immense hardships in other countries. This is our heritage and our responsibility but it comes with a contract that those who come to our nation respect our laws and our customs. We must do our part to make them welcome and offer the prospect of a better future.
The Yazidi couple I met have come to Australia to make a new life in safety and in hope. The husband (pictured left) has completed his PhD in an agricultural-related field and will now be part of keeping our nation at the cutting edge of this industry. It’s an awfully long way from running for your life on Mount Sinjar.
