The City of Greater Geelong
has made a submission to the state government’s Victorian Multicultural Review.
The initiative aims to
enhance social cohesion and community harmony. It focuses on addressing racism
and discrimination, promoting interfaith dialogue and engagement, and
strengthening multicultural policies.
Geelong is a multicultural
city, with nearly 18 per
cent of our total population born overseas. The top five most common
countries of origin are the United Kingdom, India, New Zealand, Philippines and
China. Additionally, there has been a noticeable increase in humanitarian
arrivals from countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, South Sudan, Congo and
Myanmar, reflecting more recent global migration trends.
Our submission outlines the
City's commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive community and highlights
our initiatives and programs that work well to support multiculturalism. They
include financial support for multicultural festivals and events such as Pako
Festa, partnerships with multicultural organisations, promotional materials in
multiple languages and workshops to gather feedback from non-English speaking
residents.
We’ve made several recommendations for improvement to enhance the
effectiveness of multicultural policies and programs, including:
- Inclusivity and equity: Ensuring that all planning and service provision across education,
employment, housing, health, and transport focus on inclusivity and
equity.
- Capacity building: Providing support
in areas such as employment, education, and leadership to build the
capacity of multicultural communities and government staff.
- Health and wellbeing: Continuing to promote the health and wellbeing of Victorians from diverse
multicultural backgrounds, including food equity.
- Collaboration: Encouraging
collaboration between various agencies, community groups, and advisory
committees to address barriers to participation and promote inclusivity.
- Community feedback: Continuing to
actively seek feedback from the community to guide the development of
multicultural policies and plans.
- Accessibility and language support: Ensuring that all communication channels offer translation
services and develop resources in community languages.
- Anti-racism stance: Continuing a
strong, public stance against racism and discrimination to promote social
cohesion and educate the public on inclusive actions.
- Barriers to participation: Developing
culturally sensitive services that are designed with input from the
communities they serve.
Greater Geelong Mayor
Stretch Kontelj OAM
Council is committed to creating a welcoming and
inclusive environment for all residents.
The region’s diverse
communities bring a wealth of perspectives, traditions, and innovation.
By fostering inclusion, we
ensure a future where every voice is heard and valued.
As a child of Slovenian
migrants, I can personally attest to the importance of breaking through
barriers and effectively engaging with multicultural residents.
Councillor Andrew Katos
Council is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to
the Victorian Government’s Multicultural Review.
As a son of Greek migrants, I believe multiculturalism enriches
our local community and contributes to its social and economic vitality.
We’ve made recommendations
to the state that will benefit not only Geelong but Victoria as a whole, such
as providing translation services in multiple languages across communication
channels and continuing a strong, public stance against racism and discrimination.
Addressing these issues
requires a collaborative approach involving community consultation, inclusive
planning, and targeted support services that recognise local context.
Submissions have closed on
the Victorian Multicultural Review. For more information, visit vic.gov.au/victorias-multicultural-review