The Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) online newsroom is gearing up for increased traffic from the media and visitors this Australia Day.

“The online newsroom has been hugely popular with large numbers not only from the media but also the general public coming to the website since it went live in December 2008,” a Department of Immigration and Citizenship spokesman said.

"The newsroom has recorded 711 000 hits in the past two years and this Australia Day we are expecting hundreds of visits to the material we will have up on the newsroom.

"In the lead-up to Australia Day we will be featuring a range of multi-media including interviews with the eight winners of the Local Hero awards and messages from the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans.

"We know from recent experience that the media will use the newsroom to download content for broadcast and publication but we also expect many people will view the free online newsroom.

“The advent of new media has dramatically changed the landscape of the way government delivers news and information to the community and websites such as our online newsroom have proved themselves to be highly popular in short space of time.”

Some of the other content that can be downloaded by registered media representatives or viewed on the newsroom include inspirational video of humanitarian and refugee programs, heart-warming stories from new arrivals to the country and compliance operations conducted by the department that have disrupted the activities of illegal workers and their employers.

“We see the online newsroom as a crucial tool in maintaining a dialogue with and informing the community and those thinking about coming to Australia,” the spokesman said.

“There are many activities that the department is involved with that the general public does not hear about very often, and many happy stories to tell of the thousands who arrive and call Australia home each year; the online newsroom gives us the means to tell their stories.”