The Greater Bendigo City Council has adopted a new Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Plan (CDIP) 2021-2025 and has acknowledged and thanked the community for helping develop the plan.
The CDIP focuses on seven key areas, Leadership, Social and Cultural Inclusion, Economic Development, Learning and Skills Development, Civic Participation, Spaces and Places and Health and Wellbeing.
City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said the plan provides a framework for the City to further advance cultural diversity and inclusion, support multicultural communities, and progress the City's status as an accredited Welcoming City with the Welcoming Australia Network.
"It sets out how the City, partner agencies and groups in the community can work together over the next four years to build on the work and success of the City's first CDIP which was delivered from 2016-2019," Cr Metcalf said.
"The CDIP was developed following an extensive evaluation and community engagement process involving residents from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, agency partners and City services.
"The process included preparing a Report Card to highlight the achievements of the previous CDIP, evaluation report findings, and consultation through interviews, surveys, focus groups, staff forums and a stakeholder workshop and the City would like to thank everyone who has been involved.
"It's important for our multicultural community to feel welcomed, safe, connected and like they belong in the Greater Bendigo community and the plan aims to advance the City's commitments to social justice, human rights and responsibilities and community participation in decision making by aligning with the vision and goals of the City's other strategic plans.
"It's important for Greater Bendigo to continue to be a welcoming, inclusive and diverse community where people of all cultural backgrounds belong and participate equally in the City's social, political, and economic life."
The CDIP is available on the City's website www.bendigo.vic.gov.au
