We are one Victoria and we must never be divided. That’s the message running throughout Victoria’s landmark Multicultural Review, released by Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ingrid Stitt today.
As part of its initial response to the review, the Allan Labor Government is implementing strong, immediate actions to support Victoria’s multicultural sector and uplift its communities as champions of unity and cohesion:
- A new statutory body – Multicultural Victoria – will be established, and a new Multicultural Coordinator General will be appointed to lead it. They will be supported by two Deputies, with one from regional Victoria, plus a five-member advisory council of commissioners
- This new organisation will combine the engagement role of the Victorian Multicultural Commission with the policy role of the Department. It will have new responsibilities including developing safety plans for communities affected by serious and distressing events
- The Premier will lead a new whole-of-government multicultural strategy to elevate community needs across all portfolios, and will require multicultural needs to be considered in all Cabinet decision-making
- Organisations applying for multicultural grants will be empowered to pilot a Social Cohesion Commitment, before it is rolled out in standard funding agreements across all Government portfolios
- A new $5 million fund will strengthen the capacity and sustainability of multicultural organisations to deliver for their communities and equip them to be leaders in resolving conflict and division.
In line with recommendations made in the Review, and a recommendation from the Anti-Hate Taskforce, an additional investment of $925,000 will support more people including children to visit Victoria’s multicultural museums, which are currently seeing reduced visitation.
This investment will mean our kids get to know and understand the multicultural and multifaith stories at the heart of our state, including at the Holocaust Museum, the Islamic Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Chinese Museum, the new Vietnamese Museum, the Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo, and more.
Both the full release of this Review’s report and our immediate actions are, above all, the Government’s chance to rebuild trust, re-engage with communities, and reset the multicultural agenda with a shared vision of a united Victoria right when we need it most.