The Department of Home Affairs has quietly updated its website to confirm funding for 25 additional Community Hubs, lifting the national network from 100 to 125 sites. The announcement, posted on 22 July 2026, extends the National Community Hubs Program into Tasmania and the Northern Territory for the first time and increases coverage in regional Queensland. Community Hubs are school-based centres that connect newly arrived migrants – especially women and young families – with English-language classes, employment pathways and local support services. They have become a backbone of Australia’s human-services response as annual permanent-migration intakes rebound to 195,000 places and humanitarian arrivals top 20,000 per year. For employers relocating staff to Australia, the expanded footprint means greater access to settlement support outside the traditional metropolitan gateways. HR teams are being encouraged to include Hub locations in pre-departure briefings so spouses can tap language and social networks earlier, improving retention on assignment. The additional Hubs are funded through the $42 million Multicultural Affairs Settlement Package in the May 2026 Budget and will be delivered by not-for-profit Community Hubs Australia. A new digital referral platform will allow migration agents and global-mobility providers to book clients into orientation sessions before arrival. Home Affairs says it will publish a full list of the new sites – expected to include Darwin, Launceston and Townsville – by September. Meanwhile, existing Hubs have been allocated extra resources to pilot childcare drop-in services and employment mentoring for professionally qualified migrants awaiting skills recognition.
Source: Department of Home Affairs
