More community security funding as fears grow about Nazi, Ustaše symbols

Jewish community leaders met with Serbian leaders recently over concern about the use of Ustaše symbols in Australia.

The federal Government is providing $40 million in new grants to faith-based communities to secure their premises in the face of growing far-Right activity.

The new community grants are broader than previously offered and will allow places of worship, schools and community organisations to apply for recurrent funding for security guards as well as infrastructure such as fencing, lighting and security cameras.

The previous round of grants only provided recurrent funding to schools.

The office of Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the Securing Faith-Based Places grants program will be an open, competitive, and merit-based program and would ensure people of faith can practice their beliefs free from violence and discrimination.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) co-CEO Peter Wertheim said he expected many Jewish organisations would apply for and be successful in receiving grants.

 “The ECAJ has been making representations to the government since last year about the community’s need for assistance with funding for our ever-growing security costs. Australia has not been immune from the global surge in antisemitic activity in recent years, so the announcement is timely,” he said.

The funding comes as concern about far-Right activity in Australia increases. Last weekend far-Right demonstrators were seen performing Hitler salutes in front of Victoria’s Parliament.

The ECAJ recently met with three representatives from the Serbian Council of Australia (SCA), who had expressed concerns about Nazi activity within the Croatian community, where it said there appears to be prominent support for the use of Ustaše symbols. The far-Right Croatian Ustaše movement collaborated with Nazism and was responsible for war crimes during World War II.