Multicultural Committee

The Multicultural Committee provides us with advice and information on inclusion, access, equity and human rights issues facing multicultural communities. Challenges, barriers, opportunities and aspirations are of primary concern.

Read the full committee terms of reference(PDF, 242KB).

About this community

24% of our residents are born overseas.
22% use a language other than English at home.
Over 3,500 residents experience difficulty speaking English.

The top 5 non-English languages spoken at home in Banyule are Mandarin, Italian, Greek, Cantonese and Arabic.

9% of Victorian adults experience discrimination or unfair treatment because of their racial, ethnic, cultural or religious background.

Residents who speak a language other than English are more likely to have a Bachelor or higher degree, and experience higher rates of unemployment.

Lack of awareness and knowledge of services, complex systems, language barriers and cultural relevance are the main barriers to accessing local support.

This data has been sourced from Racism in Victoria Report (2017), Profile .id using ABS Census 2021 data and Affected communities: Multicultural and multi-faith communities 2020 (Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission.

Objectives

  • Provide feedback and advice on our policies, plans, services and projects that have an impact on multicultural communities.
  • Provide advice on government initiatives, programs and reviews that have an impact on multicultural communities.
  • Advocate for multicultural communities.
  • Help us promote the benefits of diversity and enhance understanding about the barriers to equality facing multicultural communities
  • Provide advice in relation to its communication, engagement and consultation with multicultural communities
  • monitor the implementation of our Inclusive Banyule Plan 2022-2026 (Easy English version is available)

Membership

The committee consists of:

  • up to 15 community and/or organisational members
  • 1 councillor
  • up to 5 agency, service provider and allied organisational members.

Representation on the committee will reflect the:

  • diverse range of interests and experience, providing a balance of perspectives
  • community demographics
  • geographic diversity of Banyule.

Our staff are not considered members of the committee, but a specific officer is assigned to the committee to provide executive support and will be the key contact for all members.

Community and organisational members

Committee positions are voluntary and may be held for a 2-year term. Representation will be sought from a recruitment process specified in the terms of reference.

The committee will consist of:

  • up to 10 residents who meet the selection criteria
  • up to 5 representatives from community organisations, agencies and service providers that focus on local multicultural communities.

Actions

This committee provides guidance on how to make our community more inclusive. Each year the committee agrees on what actions should be taken. These are the actions achieved in 2023-2024.

  • Investigated ways to connect newly arrived migrant residents to community supports and groups.
  • Continued to advocate for further funding for the Salhdig project, focusing on supports for Somali-Australian young people and their families.
  • Reviewed and updated the information on our website to ensure it is relevant and useful for multicultural communities.
  • Continued to monitor local refugee and asylum seeker arrivals and distributed our Welcome to Banyule for refugees and asylum seekers resources through local community organisations.
  • Promoted the use of translation and interpreter services in our services.
  • Promoted participation in cultural-based older adults groups in Banyule.
  • Participated in a research project with Victoria University to understand reporting barriers and support needs of people experiencing racism.
  • Convened bi-monthly committee meetings.
  • Continued to elevate visibility and awareness of multicultural communities through events, advocacy and days of celebration.
  • Reviewed the Inclusive Business Guides to support businesses to uplift inclusive practice for multicultural communities.
  • Promoted community food initiatives that connect the community and builds sustainability and capacity in food security and access.

Contact

For more information, contact Lisa King at Lisa.King@banyule.vic.gov.au

Find out more about the committee’s work from past meetings.

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