Community Engagement Newsletter – 21 August 2026 [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Dear community representatives,
Thank you for your ongoing support and contributions to the community. The Community Engagement Network has collated this newsletter of important information from across the Australian Government that may be of interest to yourself and members of your community.
Please feel free to share content from this newsletter with members of your community, but in the interests of ensuring the information remains accurate, please do not make any alterations to the content.
In this fortnight’s edition, you can find information on the following:
News & Updates
· Planned Public Rallies and Community Support
· Are you interested in a career as a TIS National interpreter?
· Special Benefit Information Available in 12 Languages
· New taskforce launched to tackle gambling scams (scambling)
· Working Together to Protect Migrant Workers
· New Fair Work Minimum Standards order
Upcoming events
· Webinar: Hiring International Graduates: Visa pathway options – 10 September 2026
Other information
· Useful information in your language
· Contact Us
· Other useful links
Planned Public Rallies and Community Support
A number of public rallies and related gatherings are expected to take place across Australia on Sunday, 30 August 2026, including in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra. Community members may notice increased public discussion and media coverage in the lead up to these events. As always, communities are encouraged to stay informed through trusted sources and continue fostering respectful and constructive conversations.
This is an opportunity for communities to continue demonstrating the values that help make Australia strong: respect, inclusion, understanding and support for one another. Community leaders and local organisations play an important role in helping community members stay informed, connected and supported, particularly during periods of increased public discussion and differing viewpoints.
The Department of Home Affairs’ Addressing Hate resources page provide practical information on recognising and responding to hate, reporting pathways, and support services available to individuals and communities.
The Department remains committed to supporting community cohesion, respectful engagement and the wellbeing of all Australians. Together, we can continue to foster safe, inclusive and resilient communities and celebrate the diversity that strengthens our nation.
Are you interested in a career as a TIS National interpreter?
The Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) is a language service provided by the Department of Home Affairs. Our clients include government agencies, non-government organisations and businesses.
TIS National offers phone, video and on-site interpreting services Australia wide. Services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.
Interpreting offers a flexible and rewarding career. As a TIS National interpreter you can choose your own working hours, whilst providing an essential service to Australia’s multilingual communities.
TIS National contracts interpreters in more than 160 languages and is currently appointing new service providers for high demand languages.
Our priority is to appoint NAATI credentialed interpreters. However, due to current demand we are considering appointing suitably skilled and experienced interpreters who are interested in building a career in interpreting and obtaining NAATI credentials in the future. Applicants will be required to provide evidence of interpreting experience and reference letters.
If you are interested in joining our interpreter panel and would like more information, please visit the TIS National website.
If you have any enquiries, please contact our Language Practitioner Liaison team on 1300 132 621.
Special Benefit Information Available in 12 Languages
Services Australia has updated its translated Special Benefit factsheet. The factsheet includes information about:
· Eligibility for Special Benefit
· How to make a claim
· Mutual obligation and reporting requirements
· Changes you need to tell Services Australia about.
The factsheet is available in 12 languages: Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (Simplified), Dari, Hazaragi, Persian (Farsi), Punjabi, Tamil, Thai, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese.
To access the factsheet, visit
servicesaustralia.gov.au/special-benefit-translation
More translated resources are available at
servicesaustralia.gov.au/yourlanguage
New taskforce launched to tackle gambling scams (scambling)
On 8 July, the National Anti-Scam Centre launched its fourth fusion cell*, which for the first time will focus on an emerging scam threat, known as scambling (scam gambling).
These scams involve fake online pokies or casino-style games, designed to steal money and personal information. Scammers use bonuses, small early wins or referral rewards to make the game seem genuine and incentivise people to proliferate with friends, family or community members. Some victims are also misled into allowing their personal accounts to be used on behalf of the scammers to launder funds stolen from other victims, which can result in debanking.
The scambling fusion cell will bring together law enforcement, government agencies and regulators, digital platforms, banks, telecommunications providers and frontline community services.
The scambling fusion cell is scheduled to run until 9 December 2026. A report on the outcomes of the fusion cell will be published in 2027.
*Fusion cells are time-limited public-private taskforces that focus on identifying actions to target specific scam problems. Their goal is to focus industry and government effort on a particularly damaging scam problem so we can trial and accelerate disruption activities. To learn more, see: Fusion cells | National Anti-Scam Centre
Working Together to Protect Migrant Workers
The Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force (ABF) take worker exploitation seriously and continue to work closely with partner agencies to protect vulnerable and migrant workers and uphold Australia’s workplace and migration laws.
Recent joint operations in Far North Queensland and South-East Queensland brought together the ABF and the Fair Work Ombudsman to identify potential exploitation, ensure employers are meeting their obligations, and detect visa or workplace law breaches.
These coordinated activities reinforce the Australian Government’s commitment to targeting non-compliance, supporting lawful employment practices, and safeguarding the integrity of Australia’s migration system.
Read more about these initiatives: Joint operation targets migrant worker exploitation in Far North Queensland and Fair Work Ombudsman and Border Force target South-East Queensland in joint inspections
More information can be found here: Migrant worker protections
You can report employers who are not following workplace laws to the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO). This includes:
· pay and wages
· leave and other entitlements
· discrimination.
Visit Border Watch to report people who:
· take migrants’ passports
· use a migrant’s visa situation to threaten or force them to work
· force migrants to live in overcrowded and unsafe housing.
You do not need to give your name when you make a report.
New Fair Work Minimum Standards order
The Fair Work Commission has made its first minimum standards order (order) for employee-like workers who are engaged through a website or app to perform on-demand delivery work.
The order covers employee-like workers who are engaged to mainly pick up food, drinks, alcohol or groceries from a business and deliver them to the customer as soon as possible. The order also covers the digital labour platform operators that engage these workers.
Find more information about who the order covers and what it includes at New minimum standards for on-demand delivery workers.
Webinar: Hiring International Graduates – Visa pathway options – 10 September 2026
The Department of Home Affairs’ Business, Industry and Regional Outreach (BIRO) network invites businesses to a free webinar designed to help employers better understand how to employ international student graduates in Australia, as well as skilled visa options available to businesses seeking to hire or sponsor overseas workers in Australia.
The session will cover information on employing Temporary Graduate Visa holders and visa sponsorship options available to extend their employment with your business.
The session will include information on:
· Temporary Graduate visa
· Employer sponsored visas
· General Skilled Migration
· Visa Entitlement Verification Online
· Check twice, submit once campaign
· Migrant worker reforms
The webinar will be held on Thursday 10 September 2026, from 11AM -12PM (AEST).
Book now. The event link will be emailed to you once you register.
