Victorian Government report on multicultural affairs 2022-23

Victoria's current population represents more than 300 ancestries, speaks 290 languages, and follows almost 200 faiths.

This report is a snapshot of the Victorian Government's commitment to support multicultural and faith communities and to progress multiculturalism across the state.

Legal and policy frameworks underpinning this report

This report fulfils the Victorian Government's requirement of the Multicultural Victoria Act 2011 (Vic). The Act requires government departments to report annually to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and to the Victorian Parliament on programs and initiatives that support Victoria’s multicultural community.

Table 1 lists legislative and policy documents that guide the government's mission to build an inclusive, engaged, and cohesive Victoria.

Working to achieve positive outcomes

The Multicultural Affairs Outcomes Framework outlines the Victorian Government’s approach to multiculturalism. The framework is included in the Victorian Multicultural policy statement.

Programs and initiatives are grouped under the framework’s five goals.

This report does not capture the full range of activities Victorian government departments and portfolio agencies have undertaken. Instead, it provides a snapshot of activities and achievements supporting multicultural and multifaith communities between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023 across the Victorian Government. Included case studies highlight the positive impact of initiatives on local communities.

Terminology, abbreviations and frequently used terms

Language statement

Language is important and can change over time. Words can have different meanings for different people.

We recognise the diversity of First Peoples, communities and culture throughout Victoria. While the terms 'Koorie' or 'Koori' are commonly used to describe First Peoples of southeast Australia, we have used the terms 'First Peoples' and 'Aboriginal' to include all people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who live in Victoria.

The term 'multicultural community' refers to the vast number of diverse cultural and ethnic groups in Victoria.

The term 'multifaith community' refers to the diverse faith groups in Victoria.

The words 'our' and 'we' in this document refer to the Victorian Government.

The phrase 'racism and discrimination' in this document includes all forms of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, cultural background, country of origin and faith.

List of government departments

On 1 January 2023:

Department of Education and Training became the Department of Education.

Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning became the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Department of Government Services was established as a new department.

Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions became the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions.

Department of Transport (DoT) became the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP).

I am proud to share the Victorian Government Report on Multicultural Affairs 2022–23. This report highlights our commitment to embracing and celebrating Victoria’s unique cultural diversity and ability to create a respectful, dynamic, and inclusive society for all.

This report also demonstrates our commitment to transparency and accountability, providing an overview on government spending and outcomes against government policies and initiatives. Most importantly, this document outlines how the Victorian Government has worked with multicultural communities to deliver meaningful programs that have supported multicultural Victorians.

I would like to acknowledge The Hon Ros Spence MP who served as Minister for Multicultural Affairs from March 2020 to December 2022. Minister Spence was critical in leading the government response to support Victoria’s multicultural communities at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I would also like to acknowledge the leadership of The Hon Colin Brooks MP, who served as Minister for Multicultural Affairs from December 2022 to October 2023. During his time, Minister Brooks worked tirelessly to support Victoria’s multicultural communities as the state recovered from the pandemic and significant flooding in October 2022.

In 2022–23 the Victorian Government committed $63.3 million for programs, initiatives and communications activities that support our multicultural and faith communities. This included $6.4 million for culturally significant infrastructure upgrades so communities can enjoy culturally safe spaces.

A $3.3 million investment was committed to support Victoria’s newly arrived migrant communities and people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds to improve settlement outcomes. As well, $4.4 million was committed to continue delivering the Victorian African Communities Action Plan to help address the social and economic needs of Victorians of African heritage.

Victorians were also supported to celebrate cultural festivals and traditions through a $2.8 million investment in the Multicultural Festivals and Events program.

I would like to thank all government departments and staff who have contributed to this report. I would also like to sincerely thank our multicultural community members. Your commitment and leadership supporting your communities is deeply appreciated and I cannot thank you enough for the important work that you do.

I am dedicated to working closely with Victoria’s multicultural communities to continue delivering our commitments. I look forward to continuing our shared work in driving meaningful outcomes for all communities.

Ingrid Stitt MP
Minister for Multicultural Affairs

Flood Recovery Clean-Up Program

Led by Emergency Recovery Victoria, the Flood Recovery Clean-Up Program supported local councils in flood-impacted areas to clean up flood debris and collect waste (DJCS and Australian Government: $95.00m in 2022–23). As part of this program, Emergency Recovery Victoria provided free all-hazards structural assessments for residents. Residents with a severely flood-damaged home were also able to get the structure demolished for free.

Flood Response for Multicultural Communities

The Flood Response for Multicultural Communities activated emergency funding for households impacted by floods and included targeted funding for multicultural communities in flood-impacted areas (DFFH: $2.35m in 2022–23).

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) partnered with community organisations to deliver:

• on-ground support to multicultural communities during and after the floods
• almost 25,000 culturally appropriate food packages
• more than 4,500 emergency supplies such as mosquito repellent
• tailored in-language information
• referrals to support services
• community information sessions and forums.

Multicultural Regional Emergency Management Preparedness, Response and Recovery Program

The Multicultural Regional Emergency Management Preparedness, Response and Recovery Program provided immediate funding to the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria and seven regional ethnic communities’ councils to deliver immediate relief to community members affected by the October 2022 floods (DFFH: $0.80m in 2022–23).

These organisations:

• delivered more than 80 information sessions tailored to multicultural communities
• developed 24 in-language videos and brochures
• supported more than 570 people to access the Personal Hardship Assistance Program and other emergency support payments
• provided culturally appropriate food to more than 390 families
• offered outreach support and referrals to more than 2,000 community members
• delivered 148 information and care packs on mosquito-borne viruses.

LanguageLoop interpreters

LanguageLoop interpreters representing five languages spent 10 days at the Shepparton Relief Centre to ensure community access to information and resources (DFFH: $0.20m in 2022–23). These interpreters answered questions and enabled community members to receive critical and timely assistance in their preferred language.

Tenancy Stress Victoria Pilot

The Tenancy Stress Victoria Pilot program was established to support Victorian renters in flood-affected areas of Western Melbourne, Loddon and Goulburn ($0.25m in 2022–23). This pilot program supported about 150 renters to maintain viable tenancies through access to integrated legal, social work and financial counselling assistance and through negotiating positive outcomes for renters.

Mental Health Uplift COVID-19 Package

The Mental Health Uplift COVID-19 Package provided funding for Cabrini Outreach, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, and Foundation House to continue supporting people seeking asylum and refugees with essential community services through a range of initiatives (DH: $2.70m over two years).

Cabrini Outreach continued its operations at The Hub facility, which provides specialised mental health services to people seeking asylum with or without a Medicare Card. In 2022–23 The Hub assisted 200 people from multicultural backgrounds who faced social isolation and psychological distress through a multidisciplinary approach. This incorporated services such as triage, psychiatric assessment and management, therapeutic intervention, counselling, referrals, and support.

Funding also allowed the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre to deliver the Homelessness and Basic Needs Response Program. This program addressed issues faced by people seeking asylum who were experiencing or were at risk of homelessness due to financial hardship. In 2022–23 the program supported 58 people and 21 households with rent assistance and 96 people and 57 households with short-term accommodation.

This funding also enabled Foundation House to provide more than 11,000 hours of specialist psychiatric and counselling services for people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds who had experienced torture and trauma.

Priority Response for Multicultural Communities grants program

The Priority Response for Multicultural Communities grants program supported multicultural community organisations to grow, recover and strengthen from the COVID-19 pandemic (DFFH: $2.40m in 2022–23). In 2022–23, 77 multicultural and faith organisations received funding to strengthen their workforce through professional development programs and jobs training. This program was established in August 2020 to respond to the increasing need for community-led support beyond the immediate emergency response to the pandemic.

COVID-19 Community Grants Program

The Department of Health’s (DH) COVID-19 Community Grants Program funded 51 community organisations in 2022–23 to support their communities with information about testing, vaccinations, and access to COVID-19 medication (DH: $1.42m in 2022–23). These organisations successfully reached 31 priority language groups and encouraged behaviour change towards COVID-19 vaccinations, testing and safe social engagement. The program also increased third-dose vaccination rates in 30 out of 31 priority language groups. Eighty per cent of community leaders who took part in program activities reported feeling more confident in their COVID-19 vaccination and protection knowledge.

Northern Community Support Group

Located in the northern suburbs of metropolitan Melbourne, the Northern Community Support Group distributed accurate COVID-19 messaging consistent with the government’s public health advice to address common misinformation and vaccine hesitancy (DJCS: $1.50m in 2022–23). Through its two project sites at the Multicultural Youth Centre and Preston Mosque, the group also ensured the community remained connected through providing emergency food relief.

CALD Outreach Initiative

The CALD Outreach Initiative funded the Municipal Association of Victoria and 19 local councils to employ multicultural outreach workers to work directly with culturally diverse families and Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services (DE: $1.48m in 2022–23). Outreach workers focused on addressing barriers to participation in kindergarten that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. They supported families and young children to take part in early childhood services and to transition to school. Outreach workers also supported families with kindergarten registration and enrolment, provided advice to ECEC educators, and increased awareness about eligibility for Early Start Kindergarten for children from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.

Small Business Victoria CALD and Aboriginal Engagement

The Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions’ (DJSIR) Small Business Victoria CALD and Aboriginal Engagement team provided a dedicated service to improve access and uptake of government business services, supports and programs by Victoria’s multicultural businesses (DJSIR: $0.90m in 2022–23). In 2022–23 the team engaged with 1,774 multicultural small businesses and 207 business organisations, delivering 52 in-person and virtual business forums in six languages. The forums attracted 53,292 views online.

Family Learning Support Program

The Department of Education (DE) funded the Brotherhood of St Laurence to continue delivering the Family Learning Support Program. This program offers intensive outreach support to families and children with culturally diverse backgrounds living in public housing sites (DE: $0.40m in 2022–23). The program employed bicultural workers to apply their cultural knowledge, language skills, lived experience and community connections to link these families with ECEC services and to support transitions to school. They also circulated key COVID-19 health and vaccination messages and helped facilitate social connectedness in the community to reduce COVID-related stress and isolation.

International Education Resilience Fund

The International Education Resilience Fund supported 10 Victorian universities to maintain their international education programs and support their international students following significant disruption to the international education sector (DJSIR: $0.20m in 2022–23). In 2022–23 the fund provided enhanced mental health and employment support for students most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding also supported international students through rising cost-of-living pressures by providing emergency aid bursaries and food vouchers.

TAC L2P Program

The Department of Transport and Planning’s (DTP) TAC L2P Program supports all Victorian learner drivers to complete the mandatory 120 hours of supervised driving required to qualify for a driver’s licence (DTP: $8.64m in 2022–23). Local councils and not-for-profit community agencies deliver the program. In 2022–23 the program supported 50 women from culturally diverse backgrounds over the age of 23 through the WomenCan initiative to get a driver’s licence. Community organisations across metropolitan and regional local government areas also actively promoted the TAC L2P Program within their networks. For example, the City of Casey held an L2P presentation at the general meeting of the Sri Lankan Elders Welfare Association and displayed L2P flyers in simple English at council-managed community centres.

South Sudanese Australian Youth Justice Expert Working Group

The South Sudanese Australian Youth Justice Expert Working Group was established to address the over-representation of young South Sudanese Australians in the Victorian youth justice system (DJCS: $1.66m in 2022–23). Prominent South Sudanese Australian community leader Dr Santino A Deng was appointed chair of the Expert Working Group in September 2022. The project was run in partnership with the Commission for Children and Young People. In 2022–23 the project:

• established an advisory group with community and expert representatives to support the Expert Working Group
• consulted with South Sudanese Australian community members, including children and young people, about challenges facing the community
• developed a quantitative evidence base on the experiences of South Sudanese Australians in the Victorian criminal justice system
• reviewed case files of African Australians under youth justice supervision to understand the drivers of contact with the system, identify protective factors and determine prevention and early intervention opportunities
• funded community-led projects aimed at supporting South Sudanese Australian children and young people.

Springvale Snow Fest

Staff from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s (DEECA) Port Phillip Forest and Fire Planning Unit attended the Springvale Snow Fest community event in Springvale to engage the local community in ways to manage bushfires and forests (DEECA: $0.03m in 2022–23). The unit organised bilingual speakers from within the department to attend and offered a forest values survey to better understand the community’s needs. Before the event, translators prepared the survey in a range of languages. Of the 156 surveys completed, 24 were completed in Chinese, Vietnamese, Hindi, or Khmer.

Empowering Victorian Renters Project

Delivered by Tenants Victoria, the Empowering Victorian Renters Project provided targeted education for multicultural renters to strengthen community capacity and knowledge of rental rights and responsibilities (DGS: $0.33m in 2022–23).

In 2022–23 this project:

• developed new multilingual digital resources including videos, animations, and in-language factsheets to demystify the Residential Tenancies Act 1997
• held three online forums for 100 attendees in partnership with the Victorian Multicultural Commission to cover renters’ rights, scams and preparations for moving into a rental property
• held 10 interactive sessions for 101 attendees to educate newly arrived migrant and refugee communities on rental rights, rental discrimination, the functions of VCAT and supporting renters living with disability, family violence.

Between February and March 2023, Consumer Affairs Victoria ran a communications campaign on international students’ accommodation and renting rights for Chinese students. The campaign leveraged website content, social media, translated factsheets and regular Mandarin SBS Radio programs to help Chinese students and key stakeholders understand renting and accommodation rights and responsibilities.

Power Saving Bonus

The $250 Power Saving Bonus Community Outreach Program assisted vulnerable Victorian households to access the $250 Power Saving Bonus Program (DEECA: $5.70m in 2022–23). The program provided a $250 payment to help ease cost-of-living pressures and encouraged households to compare energy prices and save money. The program worked in partnership with trusted community and not-for-profit organisations to deliver targeted assistance to households experiencing vulnerability including culturally diverse Victorians. Between July 2022 and March 2023, the program supported more than 52,000 Victorians to apply for the $250 payment. Of these people, seven per cent reported speaking a language other than English as their primary language. Between March and August 2023, the program supported more than 67,000 households to apply for the payment. Of these, nine per cent reported speaking a language other than English as their primary language.

Energy Assistance Program

DEECA’s Energy Assistance Program provided tailored, one-on-one assistance to people experiencing financial hardship to navigate the energy market and save money on their energy bills (DEECA: $0.90m in 2022–23). Program partners have strong relationships with multicultural organisations in their networks to ensure tailored phone support and translations are available when needed. In 2022–23, 2,993 households received support through the program. Of these households, more than 20 per cent reported speaking a language other than English as their primary language.

Equal access to health and wellbeing

Priority Primary Care Centres

Through the Priority Primary Care Centres initiative, DH set up 29 Priority Primary Care Centres across Victoria to alleviate the burden on emergency departments (DH: $47.60m in 2022–23). In 2022–23 the centres provided free GP-led care to more than 15,000 culturally and linguistically diverse people without Medicare cards such as people seeking asylum and international students who needed urgent care but not an emergency response.

Life! program

The Life! program developed a three-year culturally and linguistically diverse program reform strategy to increase program uptake in multicultural communities (DH: $5.20m in 2022–23). The program helps Victorians to reduce their risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease through free group courses and telephone health coaching to adults.

In 2022–23 the program:

• engaged 74 multicultural groups, including people from Chinese, Vietnamese and Arabic-speaking backgrounds, to provide nutrition, stress management and physical health supports
• engaged health professionals, interpreters and bilingual facilitators to deliver 14 evidence-based and culturally relevant Healthy Living sessions addressing health risks and healthy behaviours for multicultural communities
• partnered with 12 community-led organisations to establish culturally responsive referral pathways for patients from multicultural backgrounds to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Reengaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Clients for a Breast Screen

BreastScreen Victoria re-engaged with clients from non–English speaking backgrounds through the Reengaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Clients for a Breast Screen initiative to address lower rates of breast screening among women with multicultural backgrounds.

In 2022–23 the initiative successfully:

• contacted 1,775 clients, of which 88 per cent attended screening
• reached 5,033 lapsed clients from 15 language groups through in-language SMS and 3,314 through outbound in-language calls
• screened 223 new clients through 26 language group bookings with in-person interpreters
• provided 6,032 clients with multilingual resources and translated materials via SMS.

Mental Health Practitioners Initiative

Through the Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) Initiative, the Victorian Government provided funding for MHPs in specialist schools with secondary-aged enrolments (DE: $5.00m in 2022–23). In 2022–23 MHPs supported 4,336 English as an Additional Language students and 2,736 students from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds to increase mental health promotion and prevention strategies. DE also partnered with the national centre of excellence in youth mental health, Orygen, to develop a practice resource for MHPs to support the mental health and wellbeing of culturally diverse young people in Victoria.

Gambler’s Help Multicultural Program

The Gambler’s Help Multicultural Program provided culturally appropriate services to minimise community and individual personal, health, social and financial harm that arises from gambling (DJCS: $1.10m in 2022–23). Seven partner organisations were funded to deliver services focused on counselling and community engagement initiatives.

Key activities included:

• therapeutic counselling and financial support services that engaged about 460 people across Victoria
• community development, education and awareness raising including in-language resources that reached 70,000 people through community engagement efforts
• providing small grants to community organisations to develop creative approaches to encourage community conversations around gambling harm.

Communicating with Victoria's multicultural communities

Culturally competent communication is critical for programs and initiatives to create meaningful outcomes for communities. Effective communication is key to:

• breaking down barriers
• improving access to services
• better outcomes for Victoria’s multicultural and multifaith communities.
  

In 2022–23 DFFH supported state-owned language services provider LanguageLoop to implement its transition from a contractor-based model to an employment-based model. The transition will support a high-quality, professional, and sustainable interpreting and translating sector in Victoria to ensure culturally and linguistically diverse Victorians can access essential language services.

* $83,651 of the total provided above covers expenditure over the first half of the financial year (1 Jul 2022 – 30 Dec 2022) prior to the Department of Government Services being established.

Campaign expenditure

In 2022-23, the Victorian Government committed that departments and agencies spend at least five per cent of campaign advertising budget on multicultural media (Tables 4 and 5).

Notes:

• These figures represent campaign advertising only and exclude expenditure on interstate and international advertising. Figures include campaign advertising undertaken via all channels, including both digital and non-digital.
• No 2021–22 data is available for the Department of Government Services because it was established on 1 January 2023.

CALD communities use of public transport research

The Empowering Victorian CALD Communities to confidently use public transport research project was undertaken in partnership with Bastion Insights to better understand the behaviours, needs, challenges and pain points of Victoria’s multicultural communities accessing public transport (DTP: $0.23m in 2022–23). Research included in-depth interviews with South Asian, Chinese-speaking diaspora, Greek, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, and African groups to develop a best practice Marketing Playbook for future communication campaigns.

Advertising for multicultural events and celebrations

DPC conducted paid advertising for multicultural events and celebrations to mark significant community celebrations and encourage community members to gather in COVID-safe ways. Advertising was designed specifically for each event and featured in-language and English content across radio, print and social media channels. Advertised events included:

• the birth of Guru Nanak in November 2022 (Hindi, Punjabi)
• Indian Independence Day (English, Punjabi, Tamil, Bengali)
• Afghan Independence Day (Dari)
• Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival (Chinese, Vietnamese)
• Rosh Hashanah (English, Russian)
• Yom Kippur (English, Russian)
• Sukkot (English, Russian)
• Dussehra/Vijayadashami (Hindi, Nepalese, Burmese, Bhutan)
• Turkish Republic Day (Turkish)
• Diwali/Deepavali (English, Hindi, Tamil, Nepali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu, Sinhalese)
• Hanukkah/Chanukah (English)
• Christmas (Greek, Italian)
• Eid al-Adha (Arabic, Farsi, Indonesian, Turkish).

From 2023, all three- and four-year-old children from refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds have been able access a free or low-cost kindergarten program through DE.

Free Kinder

Free Kinder was available in 97 per cent of funded kindergarten services. This allowed children to attend kindergarten for free or at a reduced cost for:

• between five to 15 hours per week for Three-Year-Old Kindergarten
• 15 hours per week for Four-Year-Old Kindergarten.

Kindergarten subsidies

The Kindergarten Fee Subsidy allowed access to a free or low-cost kindergarten program for eligible families in Four-Year-Old Kindergarten programs. Also, Early Start Kindergarten supported eligible three-year-old children to access up to 15 hours of free or low-cost kindergarten per week. DE’s Pre-Purchased Kindergarten Places reserved places for children experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage to enrol outside of normal enrolment periods.

Early Childhood Language Program

The Early Childhood Language Program supported around 7,000 four-year-old children in funded kindergartens to learn a language other than English (DE: $5.38m in 2022–23). Around 190 kindergartens offered learning in-language three hours per week, and 10 kindergartens offered learning in-language for 12 hours per week. The program employs about 200 language teachers and is delivered in 22 languages including six different Aboriginal languages, Arabic, Auslan, Cantonese, Mandarin, Chin Hakha, French, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Karen, Punjabi, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Early Years Program

DE funded Foundation House to deliver the Early Years Program with expanded activities to support new arrivals from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Myanmar/Burma. This included a series of videos on transitions from kindergarten to school in Afghan community languages such as Dari, Pashto and Hazaragi. These videos were co-designed with communities from Afghanistan to increase understanding of the importance of early years education and to help with the transition to school.

Refugee Education Support Initiative

The Refugee Education Support Initiative helped build the capacity of schools to meet the education and wellbeing needs of students and families from refugee backgrounds (DE: $2.60m in 2022–23).

There were three initiatives delivered under this program:

• The Refugee Education Support Program, delivered by Foundation House and the Centre for Multicultural Youth, supported 35 schools across five government and non-government school clusters to support the achievement, engagement, and wellbeing of students from refugee backgrounds.
• The Schools Support Program delivered professional development sessions to more than 2,000 school staff across Victoria.
• Learning Beyond the Bell supported more than 200 homework clubs and established 12 new clubs with resources, advice and training for coordinators and volunteer tutors.

Place-based partnertships

DE’s Place Based Partnerships to Support School Engagement and Completion Initiative funded 26 school communities with high populations of students from African and Pasifika backgrounds to co-design and deliver place-based approaches to increase school participation and completion (DE: $2.00m in 2022–23). DE partnered with North Melbourne Football Club (the Huddle), Mushroom Group and Melbourne Victory to deliver tailored face-to-face school holiday programs for culturally diverse young people.

Victorian African Communities Action Plan

DE also funded 24 school communities with high populations of students with African backgrounds as part of their commitment to the Victorian African Communities Action Plan (DE: $2.60m in 2022–23). DE recruited an African heritage school community liaison officer to coordinate activities aimed at boosting educational engagement among African heritage students and their parents. DE also funded 14 African-led community organisations to deliver extra tuition in a culturally safe space for young people of African heritage who need extra support.

CareerSeekers Internship

The CareerSeekers Internship initiative supported people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds to undertake professional work-readiness training by partnering with Major Roads Projects Victoria and the Level Crossing Removal Project (DTP: $0.15m in 2022–23). This targeted recruitment approach supported four interns to complete a 12-week paid internship through Major Roads Projects Victoria’s Internship and Graduate Program and four interns to undertake a six-month internship with the Level Crossing Removal Project from October 2022 to April 2023.

Engineering Pathways Industry Cadetship

Delivered by Major Roads Projects Victoria, the 2022–23 Engineering Pathways Industry Cadetship program supported 20 participants from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds to gain industry experience to improve employment opportunities (DTP: $0.15m in 2022–23). Participants gained experience in the civil construction industry through placements on major civil construction projects with qualified engineers to guide and mentor them. The 2022–23 cadetship program received the Refugee Advocacy Award at the Victorian Multicultural Commission’s 2022 Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence.

Women Leading Locally

The Women Leading Locally initiative supported 21 culturally and linguistically diverse women to undertake 10 masterclasses with optional supplementary classes to build leadership capabilities and experience (DGS: $0.27m in 2022–23). The Institute of Community Directors Australia delivers the initiative in partnership with Women for Election and Politics in Colour. Participants also received mentoring sessions and a Certificate in Community Leadership and Governance (Local Government) on graduation.

DTF Diversity Scholarship

DTF’s Diversity Scholarship 2022–23 supported two scholarship recipients to undertake tertiary study. These scholarships provide mentoring, financial support, and an opportunity to take part in a work placement with DTF.

Skilled and Business Migration Program

The Victorian Skilled and Business Migration Program supported skilled and business migrants and newly arrived qualified professionals with visa nomination services, market outreach, Commonwealth policy advocacy and free overseas qualifications assessments. These services were also provided to humanitarian visa holders.

Jobs Victoria Program

The Jobs Victoria Program provided targeted mentoring and support for culturally diverse Victorians who faced challenges finding work. In 2022–23 the program delivered free employment services in 70 languages. Participants from multicultural backgrounds represented 53.9 per cent of total job placements.

Digital Jobs program

The Digital Jobs program is developing a new talent pool by reskilling mid-career workers to help them transition into digital and technology-related careers. In 2022–23 program participants completed 12 weeks of industry-backed training and received career coaching, employability support and opportunities to apply their new digital skills in paid 12-week work placements within a variety of businesses. Participants from multicultural backgrounds represented 64 per cent of total program enrolments.

Multicultural festivals and events

The Multicultural Festivals and Events Program funded 458 multicultural community organisations in metropolitan and regional Victoria to help them deliver culturally significant festivals and events (DFFH: $2.80m in 2022–23). The program supports Victorians to celebrate, preserve and share traditions and is an opportunity for the broader community to further understand and participate in shared cultures and traditions.

Multicultural Seniors Support Program

The Multicultural Seniors Support Program supported more than 990 multicultural seniors organisations to foster connection and reduce social isolation (DFFH: $2.00m in 2022–23). The program funded organisations to:

• deliver social and cultural activities
• improve digital accessibility and literacy
• provide practical support
• purchase essential equipment and resources for members.

Youth Engagement Grants

The Youth Engagement Grants supported small multicultural organisations with funding up to $50,000 over two years to deliver activities for children and young people to increase community connections (DJCS: $0.85m in 2022–23). These grants helped 34 organisations to deliver projects that use cultural connection, sport, arts, music, and other creative activities to engage more than 3,000 children and young people.

Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund

The Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund supported 32 community organisations to create and maintain their culturally significant spaces and facilities (DFFH: $6.40m in 2022–23). The program recognises that multicultural communities need safe, accessible and culturally accessible spaces to increase community connectedness and share cultural understanding.

DTP Community Funds Initiative

DTP’s Community Funds Initiative supported community projects and groups in areas affected by the North East Link Program and the West Gate Tunnel Project.

In 2022–23 the following grants were awarded to multicultural community organisations:

• The InPlace Inc Project was funded $100,000 to support redevelopment of the Garambi Baan/Laughing Waters residency centre through the North East Community Fund.
• Australian Multicultural Community Services Inc was funded $500,000 to upgrade the Millennium House into a multicultural community hub in Footscray through the West Gate Neighbourhood Fund.
• The East African Women’s Foundation Inc was funded $70,000 in 2022–23 to upgrade its premises to include space for social and cultural gatherings through the West Gate Neighbourhood Fund.

Case study

Nepali Community Centre upgrades

The Nepali community is considered ‘emerging’ because they are still a growing community in Victoria. While the community had an existing facility for religious and cultural celebrations, it was not equipped to handle larger events due to limited access to amenities such as temple rooms, toilets, a kitchen, and parking.

Through the 2022–23 Multicultural Community Infrastructure program, the Australian Nepalese Multicultural Centre received $281,587 to deliver building upgrades to the centre. Renovations started in July 2022 and included new temple rooms, a peaceful meditation room, functional office space, upgraded toilets and a fit-for-purpose kitchen. Large parking facilities and specially designed disability accessible toilets were also constructed to improve accessibility. A large space at the rear of the main building was revamped to provide an outdoor area for hosting events.

The facility has now become a vibrant hub for celebrating cultural and religious events. The project has also provided a space for community members to practise their faith, meditation, and yoga. The project has strengthened community bonds by providing a shared space for community members to connect, build relationships and share experiences. This project has also enabled the Nepalese community to maintain their traditions for future generations while fostering interfaith dialogue between different religions.

Swastika Education and Awareness Campaign

The Swastika Education and Awareness Campaign was co-designed with peak Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Jewish community organisations to deliver an awareness campaign when the Victorian Government banned publicly displaying the Nazi Hakenkreuz symbol in December 2022. The campaign focused on educating communities about the distinction between the Nazi Hakenkreuz and the sacred Swastika symbols. It also raised awareness on specific exemptions including for genuine religious, cultural and education purposes. DFFH, DJCS, DE, the Victorian Multicultural Commission and Victoria Police worked in partnership to embed community-designed messaging in government policies, procedures, and online resources accessible to the broader community. Victoria Police also worked with community leaders to train frontline officers across metropolitan, regional, and rural Victoria. The campaign included factsheets, posters, in-language information sessions, translated resources and newsletters for the wider community, and specific policy advice to schools.

Delivering the Victorian African Communities Action Plan

Launched in 2018, the Delivering the Victorian African Communities Action Plan is a 10-year plan developed in partnership with African communities to improve social and economic outcomes. In 2022–23 the following initiatives were delivered under the plan (DFFH: $4.43m in 2022–23):

• The Victorian African Communities Committee was established with 13 community members to advise the Victorian Government on the design and delivery of action plan initiatives ($0.13m in 2022–23).
• The Employment Brokers program assisted more than 400 jobseekers to access support and training and more than 110 people into employment ($1.04m in 2022–23).
• The Alcohol and Other Drugs initiative ‘Project Sunrise’ employed bicultural workers to provide specialist services to 95 African young people. It also engaged more than 3,000 people through training, education, and events to improve awareness of substance abuse ($0.63m in 2022–23).

The Victorian Government is committed to building multicultural capacity in our departments and embedding human rights knowledge and practices at every level of government.

All Victorian government departments have contributed to and participated in the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC)-led Charter Education program. The program supports education initiatives that build a culture of human rights across the Victorian public service (VPS).

Initiatives undertaken in individual departments are outlined below.

Department of Education

In 2022–23 DE promoted Human Rights Week and Human Rights Day to staff through its Corporate News. DE encouraged staff to take action and celebrate these events among their teams including taking part in the A week of action for human rights campaign. Also, a personal message from a Deputy Secretary in the department was circulated to recognise these observances and encourage reflection among staff on implementing the Charter in their work.

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action

DEECA delivered tailored cultural training to managers, supervisors and staff including:

• an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety workshop for managers, supervisors, and team leaders through Koorie Heritage Trust
• Levels of Racism and Anti-racism training from VEOHRC.

The cultural safety workshop was a four-hour program where participants explored aspects of cultural safety and how it applies to them and their workplace.

VEOHRC also provided training to executive-level staff to build capability and understanding of human rights obligations, applying the Charter, managing risk and compliance including understanding frameworks for embedding human right through role modelling, systems, and processes.

Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

DFFH’s mandatory induction training includes the e-learning module on the Charter. DFFH acknowledges key events annually that celebrate human rights including:

• Cultural Diversity Week
• Harmony Day
• Human Rights Day
• International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
• International Day of People with Disability
• International Women’s Day
• NAIDOC Week
• Reconciliation Week.

Also, Fairer Victoria is leading and influencing policy and program development for diversity and inclusion across the Victorian Government.

All initiatives and policies consider the Charter through design and implementation.

Department of Government Services

All staff at DGS undertake training modules to understand their obligations as Victorian public sector staff under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006.

Also, DGS’ Women Leading Locally initiative directly responds to and supports the right under the Act to take part in public life. It does this by supporting eligible women in Victoria to have the opportunity to participate in the conduct of public affairs, and to have the opportunity to be elected at municipal elections.

Department of Health

Every DH employee has a vital role in promoting a human rights culture in their daily work for the advancement of Victorian communities. Throughout 2022–23 the department remained dedicated to its mandatory human rights e-learn training, focusing on the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.

Developed by the VEOHRC, this training is compulsory for new staff and as a refresher every two years. The course aims to help employees understand their obligations under the Charter and to integrate a human rights culture into their routine work, contributing to improved outcomes for diverse Victorian communities. In 2022–23, 2,780 staff completed the training.

Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions

DJSIR is committed to upholding the principles enshrined in the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities by actively implementing, promoting, and supporting human rights, including for multicultural communities.

DJSIR supports team members to increase their capacity to make decisions and provide advice consistent with the Charter through tailored learning guides, events, and activities.

To better understand the Charter, DJSIR encourages all staff to complete the first three modules in the VEOHRC online education program:

• Introducing the Charter
• Rights and Obligations under the Charter
• Embedding a Human Rights Culture in Victoria.

The Charter Guide for Public Sector Workers is available on the intranet as a resource to aid team members in understanding their responsibilities under the Charter and how to implement human rights in their work.

The department also acknowledges key events that celebrate human rights including Cultural Diversity Week, Harmony Day, Human Rights Week, and the International Day of Human Rights annually.

Department of Justice and Community Safety

Training on the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act is provided to all Youth Justice operational staff as part of their induction to ensure they understand the rights of children and young people. All training and practice instructions also reflect the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Human Rights Location Leads Group (HRLLG) was established in 2022 to help develop and implement human rights initiatives in Victoria’s public prisons. The HRLLG influences how the Charter of Human Rights is applied to prison operations. It fosters engagement and collaboration across prisons to develop best practice in human rights application and to support staff in their decision making. The HRLLG also promotes a culture of continuous improvement and professional development by reviewing processes through a human rights lens. The group focuses on initiatives and actions that members are responsible for implementing, embedding and overseeing in their respective locations. The HRLLG oversees local human rights action plans to ensure each prison effectively considers human rights in local decision making in the custodial setting.

The Human Rights Network was established in 2021 to consider and collaborate on human rights issues that have an impact on the adult custodial corrections system. The objective of the Human Rights Network is to support HRLLG members in implementing human rights location action plans and increasing awareness and education of human rights among Corrections Victoria staff. The network comprises representatives from across Corrections Victoria who act as human rights champions across the state.

Department of Premier and Cabinet

DPC’s mandatory induction training includes the e-learning module on the Charter. DPC also acknowledges key annual events that celebrate human rights including:

• Cultural Diversity Week
• Harmony Day
• Human Rights Day
• International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
• International Day of People with Disability
• International Women’s Day
• NAIDOC Week
• Reconciliation Week.

Department of Transport and Planning

All staff are required to complete e-learning modules on the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities. This includes a specific module for people leaders in the organisation. Also, in 2022–23, two in-person Charter Education Program sessions were provided to the Legal and Governance Division and the Inclusion and Diversity Branch.

DTP acknowledges key annual events that celebrate human rights including:

• International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
• International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• International Day of People with Disability
• International Women’s Day
• NAIDOC Week.

Department of Treasury and Finance

Commitment to the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities forms part of the VPS values and is highlighted for all new staff during the department’s corporate induction.

DTF continues to include the Charter learning modules as part of its mandatory induction and compliance training. The online Charter training is mandatory for new starters, and refresher training is required every two years for all employees. During 2022–23, 286 employees completed the online training. The online training is complemented with VEOHRC-facilitated interactive training.

In 2022–23 DTF promoted Human Rights Week during the week beginning 3 December.

Cultural diversity plans help Victorian government departments provide more inclusive, accessible, and responsive services to multicultural and multifaith communities.

Note: The Department of Government Services was established on 1 January 2023 following machinery of government changes that brought together employees from four different departments: DJSIR, DJCS, DPC and DTF. For the 2022–23 reporting period a memorandum of understanding was signed and DGS staff were covered by their originating department’s CDPs.

Frequently used abbreviations in this section

• CLS: community language schools
• ESB: English-speaking background
• LBOTE: language background other than English
• MESC: main English-speaking country
• NESB: non–English speaking background
• NMESC: non-main English-speaking country.

Note: The Australian Bureau of Statistics uses the term NMESC to represent non-main English-speaking countries, while MESC represents main English-speaking countries. MESC are the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and South Africa. NMESC covers all other countries of birth. Where appropriate and specifically relevant, some departments and agencies use the term NESB to stand for non–English speaking background and ESB to stand for English-speaking background. LBOTE stands for language background other than English, while LOTE is for language other than English.

Boards

Appointments and reappointments to boards

Proportion of appointments with culturally diverse backgrounds

Department of Government Services: no data is available for the 2021–22 period because the department was established on 1 January 2023.

Notes

Data for tables 7 to 9 provided by VPSC. Data exclude cemeteries, school councils and small committees of Crown Land Management. Where the Public Administration Act 2004 status is neither public entity nor special body, and where DPC classification is not applicable, the data is not reported. Figures may differ to previously published data for prior years due to ongoing remediation, increased completeness of data or an appointee’s decision to disclose or no longer disclose additional characteristics. Data include machinery of government changes, which can affect departmental figures compared with numbers in publications and reports in previous years.