What does becoming a refugee welcome town mean for Lithgow?

Mayor Stephen Lesslie will put pen to paper at 5pm and said he was delighted to sign the declaration on behalf of council and the Lithgow community.

“The declaration reflects a recognition that there are many people across the world, including in our own neighbourhood, who through no fault of their own, are in desperate need of asylum and new opportunities for themselves and their families,” Cr Lesslie said.

So what does signing this declaration mean for Lithgow?​

The short answer is Lithgow Council will not be required to satisfy any formal obligations or financial commitments.

Council made a unanimous decision to make Lithgow a Refugee Welcome Town at October’s council meeting.

The council report referred to an information sheet produced by the Refugee Council of Australia to outline the responsibilities of Refugee Welcome Zone towns.

“The Refugee Welcome Zone Declaration does not confer any formal obligations and Refugee Welcome Zones are not required to uphold any statutory responsibilities or financial commitments,” the report said.

“The signing of the Declaration is a way of demonstrating broad support for the principles it contains. Any actions or activities undertaken by Refugee Welcome Zones to implement the Declaration are entirely voluntary.

“While signatories to the Refugee Welcome Zone Declaration are not required to undertake any specific activities, any initiatives which help to create a welcoming atmosphere and assist the settlement of refugees and their communities are welcomed and encouraged.

“Becoming a Refugee Welcome Zone is a way to formally acknowledge and recognise the work that is currently being delivered by Council and the local service network, and is another step towards growing and diversifying the local community.”

Mayor Lesslie said signing the declaration was a crucial step to for Lithgow to build on its relationship with refugees.

“I think it is vitally important that we send the message to refugees and asylum seekers that we have an appreciation of their dire circumstances and that we extend a welcome to them to our community,” he said.

“I would like to acknowledge the work of the Lithgow Asylum Seeker and Refugee Support Group (LASARS) which brought this matter to council’s attention and which is doing very good work in the community to support refugees and asylum seekers and to raise awareness of their needs.”