Kaldor Centre’s Jane McAdam AO appointed to new NSW Settlement Advisory Council

UNSW expert joins landmark advisory body.

Scientia Professor Jane McAdam AO has been named as an inaugural member of the NSW Settlement Advisory Council, a formal advisory body to the NSW Minister for Multiculturalism. 

Prof. McAdam is one of the five Council members, along with the Chair Professor Peter Shergold AC. Together, they will provide expert advice and policy support to strengthen settlement services across the state.

“I am truly honoured to have been appointed to the NSW Settlement Advisory Council. It provides a significant opportunity to showcase the invaluable contribution made by refugees to our state, and to ensure that NSW’s legal and policy settings enable people to thrive,” Prof. McAdam said.

Prof. McAdam is internationally recognised for her work on refugee law and human rights. As Founding Director of the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW, she has shaped global conversations on displacement, authored leading texts on the protection of displaced people and advised governments and international bodies on policy reform. She is now the Director of the Kaldor Centre’s Evacuations Research Hub, under a prestigious Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship.

Prof. McAdam has been working with the state and federal governments to ensure that refugees have timely access to support services which respond to their needs and respect their rights. This can be a challenge when people flee humanitarian crises but are not necessarily granted refugee visas – as has been the case for some people from Palestine, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Sudan, for instance.

That is why Prof. McAdam, together with co-author, Regina Jefferies, has called for Australia to establish a new humanitarian emergency framework to provide a streamlined, equitable, predictable and effective response to assist people caught up in crises.

Dean of UNSW Law & Justice, Professor Andrew Lynch, praised the appointment, noting its significance for the state and the rights of displaced people.

“This is a well-deserved recognition of Jane’s leadership and expertise in refugee law and policy,” said Prof. Lynch. “Her contribution will help ensure that settlement strategies in NSW are informed by evidence and grounded in respect for human rights.”

About the NSW Settlement Advisory Council

The NSW Settlement Advisory Council was created to improve the settlement experience for people from refugee and refugee-like backgrounds living across NSW. It aims to put refugees at the heart of policy and process, ensuring better access to services and stronger community connections.

Professor Peter Shergold AC, who chairs the Council, said: “I am hugely impressed by the calibre of every NSW Settlement Advisory Council member and grateful for their demonstrated passion for improving outcomes for people from refugee and refugee-like backgrounds.” 

NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper added: “I am so proud of the establishment of the council, a state first, and the incredible calibre of expertise across the inaugural members. This significant body and initiative showcase the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing commitment to making NSW a home to all.”

The members of the NSW Settlement Advisory Council are:

• Professor Peter Shergold AC:  A former Chancellor of Western Sydney University, Prof. Shergold has been NSW Coordinator General for Settlement since 2015. He has a background of leadership in the public sector, academia and not-for-profit governance.
• The Hon Mr Nick Greiner AC: Former Premier and Treasurer of New South Wales between 1988 and 1992, Mr Greiner is also a board member of the Refugee Council of Australia.
• Scientia Professor Jane McAdam AO: Founding Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW, Prof. McAdam is an international authority on refugee law.
• Mr Jorge Aroche: Mr Aroche is a clinical psychologist and the Chief Executive Officer of the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) (since 1997).
•  Dr Anyier Yuol: A South Sudanese Australian advocate, speaker and researcher, Dr Yuol was the former Chair of the Australian National Committee on Refugee Women (ANCORW). She is currently the Corporate Partnerships Manager for  Australia for UNHCR.
• Mr Mark Morey: With a background in social work and Secretary of Unions NSW since 2016, Mr Morey is leading the organisation to establish numerous programs to support migrant communities, including the NSW Migrant Workers Hub.