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.
