$1.7 Million To Strengthen Multicultural Communities And Bolster Social Cohesion

• Applications open for the Crisafulli Government's Strengthening Communities Multicultural Grants program.
• Eligible projects will engage multicultural Queenslanders and create more inclusive, resilient and cohesive communities.
• A total of $1.7 million in funding will be shared, with successful community-led projects eligible for up to $100,000 each.
• The Crisafulli Government is supporting multicultural communities after Labor treated them as a box-ticking exercise during a decade of decline.

The Crisafulli Government has opened applications for a $1.7 million funding pool for community-led projects which bolster social cohesion across Queensland.

Strengthening Communities Multicultural Grants help foster inclusion, connection and opportunity for culturally and linguistically diverse communities across the State to fully participate economically and socially.

The Crisafulli Government has injected $1.5 million to support the work of Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland, supported cultural events across the State during Multicultural Month, and celebrated the contributions of the Queensland multicultural community with a special Parliamentary reception.

In stark contrast, the Labor treated multicultural communities as nothing more than a box-ticking exercise, summarised by the former Government's outdated policies and abandonment of multicultural groups in regional areas.

The Crisafulli Government's Strengthening Communities Multicultural Grants program will provide up to $100,000 to each successful project.

The program places fresh emphasis on initiatives which engage young people in multicultural communities, boost economic participation and social cohesion, and increase community capacity.

The funding pool consists of two categories - Empowering Multicultural Community projects, as well as Youth and Community Connection projects.

Minister for Multiculturalism Fiona Simpson said the grants were a key initiative to forge strong partnerships with multicultural communities and create a brighter future.

"Our Strengthening Communities Multicultural Grants program is a key feature of the response of the Crisafulli Government to ensure we continue to support the social cohesion that our communities need," Minister Simpson said.

"Through this program, we're investing in initiatives that celebrate diversity, foster greater understanding, and strengthen connections - boosting social and economic participation and access to the opportunities.

"Whether it is ensuring that our multicultural youth are positively engaged, succeeding in their studies, and gaining the skills to enter the workforce and build a career – this program will help them to fulfill their potential.

"The Crisafulli Government is backing our diverse communities to celebrate their heritage and embrace our shared future building a better Queensland, after a decade of decline under the former Labor Government when our culturally and linguistically diverse groups were not valued or supported."