Dec. 31 – Melbourne is home to the largest Italian community in Australia, with 51.000 AIRE members and – according to the 2011 census – 327.000 people of Italian descent. In 2014, 2571 passports were issued, 500 more than in 2013 (2045); in the first five months of 2014, the number of citizenship practices was equal to that of all similar practices treated in 2013. This according to the Consulate General of Italy in Melbourne, a reference point for the Italian community in the Australian city. The result is reflected in the 66% growth in income from related costs. These results are even more significant considering that the number of practices had been in steady decline since 2010. From an operational point of view, two projects were initiated in 2014 that can yield results in the medium term: an agreement for the outsourcing of visa with the private company Vfs, which started December 1; and the commissioning of a website on which users can self assess their status civitatis, which could facilitate the reconstruction of citizenship. This second project will be completed in early 2015. (Caf)
