With more than half of its residents born overseas, the City of Perth community is culturally and linguistically diverse.
People living in the city speak more than 56 languages and practice 28 religions, while 1.6 per cent of residents live with a disability and 11 per cent are within the LGTBQIA+ community.
To recognise our diverse community, the City of Perth Council last night adopted a new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Framework.
A comprehensive consultation was conducted with the community and five principles were determined for the framework:
- Actively embrace and celebrate diversity
- Engage in meaningful community consultation
- Address intersectionality
- Foster fair and equitable participation
- Model strong leadership and representation.
City of Perth Deputy Lord Mayor Sandy Anghie said she was proud of the great work the City was doing through the Disability Access and Inclusion Plan and the Reconciliation Action Plan, as well as the soon-to-be-completed LGBTQIA+ Plan and Equal Employment Opportunity Management Plan.
"We are committed to celebrating and valuing the strength of our diverse community. This framework means we champion equity to ensure everyone can participate in the City of Perth equally, creating meaningful inclusion and fostering a sense of belonging," Ms Anghie said.
At Tuesday night's Council meeting, Council also endorsed the City's new Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) 2021 – 2025, which is part of the Framework.
Following consultation with more than 200 people, the new plan identifies the City's outcomes to improve access and inclusion for people of all abilities. It outlines key actions for implementation to reduce and eliminate barriers within the city and to advocate for equity of access for all.
