Opportunities for Partnerships

Inaugural MAV Multicultural Policy

Development ForumFriday 12 September 2014

Wyndham City Civic Centre

Report

MyriaD ConsultantsDiversity Specialists

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MAV Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge Aboriginal people as the traditional owners of the land and we pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

We support local government’s capacity and knowledge to strengthen relationships with Victoria’s Aboriginal communities and for it to encourage greater unity, knowledge and respect for the first occupants of our land – through its strong community links and local representation.

AcknowledgementsThe MAV Multicultural Conference Planning Group would like to extend its gratitude and appreciation to all of our speakers and sponsors for their invaluable contribution and support over the course of the Conference. Particular thanks to Wyndham City Council for hosting the Conference.

We would also like to thank all of the delegates who attended this important and pioneering event. We hope you found the Conference delivered an exciting, motivating and stimulating program and provided you with the opportunity to network with colleagues.

Conference Planning GroupThe MAV Multicultural Conference Planning Group included:

Con Pagonis: MAV Multicultural Policy Adviser & VLGMIN Co-convenor Clifford Eberly: Team Leader Community Development, Leading Communities Wyndham City

Council Eugenia Grammatikakis: Social Policy and Program Coordinator, City of Monash and VLGMIN

Chairperson Eilis Hughes: Senior Policy and Planning Officer, Social Development, Wyndham City Council Kriss McKie: Leading Communities Coordinator, Social Development, Wyndham City Council Cr Kris Pavlidis: Councillor South West Ward, City of Whittlesea Dalal Smiley: Manager Community Planning & Customer Service, Community Planning and

Customer Service, City of Darebin John Smith: Coordinator Community Planning Unit, Community Planning & Development,

Brimbank City Council.

Publication InformationThis Report was compiled by MyriaD Consultants on behalf of the MAV Conference Organising Committee.

A webpage has been developed comprising conference resources that have been provided by presenters, including papers, PowerPoints, keynote addresses, etc.

See: http://www.mav.asn.au/policy-services/social-community/multicultural/Pages/opportunities-for-partnerships-conference.aspx

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© Municipal Association of Victoria 2014

Contents

Acronyms 4

Foreword 5

Forum Summary and key outcomes 7

About the forum Structure Key outcomes Ways forward

About the Inaugural MAV Multicultural Policy Development Forum 15

Introduction Background About the forum Purpose of the forum

16

Main Program 19

Welcome Keynote presentation Plenary presentations Key issues and discussion

Breakout sessions 34

Settlement Planning Session overview Summary of presentations Key issues and discussions Summary of recommendations / suggestions

35

Social Cohesion Session overview Summary of presentations Key issues and discussions Summary of recommendations / suggestions

41

Access and Equity Session overview Summary of presentations Key issues and discussions Summary of recommendations / suggestions

53

Forum Summary and Close 58

Post Forum feedback 60

Appendices 62

Program

Speaker Biographies

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List of Forum Delegates

Acronyms

ABS Australian Bureau of Statistics

ACELG Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government

AHRC Australian Human Rights Commission

ALGA Australian Local Government Association

AMEP Adult Migrant English Program

AMES Adult Multicultural Education Services

BVE Bridging Visa E

CALD Culturally and linguistically diverse

CMY Centre for Multicultural Youth

COAG Council of Australian Governments

CRAC CyberRacism and Community Resilience

DASSP Darebin Asylum Seeker Support Project

DIBP Department of Immigration and Border Protection

DSS Department of Social Services

ECCV Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria

FECCA Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia

HSS Humanitarian Settlement Services

LGA Local Government Area

LOTE Language other than English

LWB Life Without Barriers

MAP Multicultural Action Plan

MAV Municipal Association of Victoria

MCA Migration Council of Australia

MRC Migrant Resource Centre

NAATI National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters

NESB Non-English-speaking background

NGO Non-government organisation

OMAC Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship

RAP Reconciliation Action Plan

RDA Race Discrimination Act

SCOA Settlement Council of Australia

SGP Settlement Grants Program

SOSOG Senior Officials Settlement Outcomes Group

TIS National Translating and Interpreting Service

TPV Temporary Protection Visa

VEOHRC Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission

VLGMIN Victorian Local Government Multicultural Issues Network

VMC Victorian Multicultural Commission

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Foreword

On Friday 12 of September 2014, the Municipal Association of Victoria held its inaugural biennial multicultural policy development conference. The event was hosted by the City of Wyndham at their Werribee Civic Centre. MAV intends that this will be the first of a regular two-yearly event to progress sectoral deliberations on broader cultural diversity issues arising at the municipal level.

The event had its genesis in the deliberations of the MAV’s Multicultural Committee which is currently chaired by MAV Board member, Cr Peter Lockwood. Cr Lockwood chaired one of the breakout sessions on the day. The committee has previously developed the MAV’s current “Statement of Commitment to Cultural Diversity”, which I launched at our annual conference late in 2012. The document commits the MAV to provide leadership and support to local government through a range of actions including this conference series. These conferences have the objective of progressively enhancing the local government sector’s capacity to address cultural diversity issues.

For our inaugural conference in this series, we chose to develop themes around building stronger partnerships with the federal and state levels of government, and with the community sector; focusing on achieving better outcomes in three broad areas: access and equity, social cohesion and settlement planning.

We also chose to use the opportunity of this event to showcase an example of how another jurisdiction – New York City – has developed strategies to address these challenges and are very appreciative of the participation (via Skype) of our keynote speaker, Fatima Shama, the former Commissioner of the New Your City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. A video of Ms Shama’s conference address and related papers and presentations are now available on the MAV’s website.

We look forward to welcoming stakeholders to the second conference in this series in 2016.

Bill McArthurPresidentMunicipal Association of Victoria

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Forum summary and key outcomes

This Report provides a summary of proceedings of the Inaugural Biennial Multicultural Policy Development Forum for Local Government.

About the ForumThe Inaugural Biennial Multicultural Policy Development Forum for Local Government was hosted by the City of Wyndham on Friday 12 th September 2014. The forum was organised by the MAV Multicultural Conference Planning Group.

The focus of the forum was twofold:

Firstly, developing clearer common understanding across councils of the potential leadership role of local government in municipal settlement planning, CALD community relations and access & equity; and

Secondly, exploring opportunities for closer partnerships with other levels of government and the community sector.

Overall, the forum aimed to create significant space for dialogue and deliberation towards the development of a more cohesive cross-municipal sectoral framework and policy direction. The intent of this was to establish a collective voice in engagement with State and Federal governments in relation to settlement planning, CALD community relations and access and equity more generally.

While the forum was primarily designed for local council managers and officers, it attracted over 130 representatives across a range of sectors including federal and state government, not-for-profit and multicultural sector, police and peak ethnic bodies.

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StructureFollowing a welcome from the hosts, Wyndham City Council, the forum opened with a keynote presentation (via Skype) by Fatima Shama, former Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs works to promote and empower immigrant communities through civic engagement initiatives and awareness campaigns.

Ms Shama provided an international perspective on the role of local government in multicultural policy and shared some of the key learnings that emerged through her office’s strategy for connecting with and serving the city’s immigrant population.

Ms. Shama’s team published a set of documents known as Blueprints for Immigrant Integration. The Blueprints highlight successful practices in immigrant integration across a variety of program and policy areas, including language access, police and community engagement, economic development and entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and citizenship, and serve as detailed guides to support the replication of New York City models in working with immigrant communities. The New York’s Office of Immigrant Affairs has since become a prime resource, even a model, for cities around the world seeking to better accommodate and serve their increasingly diverse populations. More than 50 cities around the world are now using the blueprints to guide their work.

The remainder of the forum was structured in two key parts:

The first part took the form of a plenary session, gathering a range of representatives from local, state, federal and peak body contexts who shared their knowledge, insights and wisdom on the issue of partnerships and meaningful engagement. Plenary speakers included: Cr Bill McArthur, President, Municipal Association of Victoria Cr Intaj Khan, Wyndham City Council Bernadette Ryan, Victorian State Manager, Federal Department of Social Services Hakan Akyol, Director, Victorian Government Office of Multicultural Affairs and

Citizenship Dr Irene Bouzo, Acting Executive Officer, Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria. Lidia Thorpe, Aboriginal Employment Advisor MAV

Following the presentations, conference delegates had the opportunity to participate in a Question and Answer session with the panel.

The second part of the Conference provided participants with a choice of two out of three breakout sessions featuring various council case studies and related initiatives. The concurrent sessions were themed around partnerships in: Strategic settlement planning, Achieving social cohesion, and Effective access & equity strategies.

Presenters in each of the sessions set out their vision of the role and responsibilities of local councils and how other levels of government, and the community sector, can build more effective collaborative partnerships with councils and the wider local government sector.

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The forum closed with an entertaining and insightful performance by Abraham ‘Abe’ Nouk, a spoken-word poet, hip hop fanatic, MC and an author whose craft developed from the realisation of the freedom of speech.

Key OutcomesCHANGING DEMOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

Victoria has recently experienced its biggest increase in settlement by people from refugee backgrounds and asylum seekers in 30 years. The number of refugees settling in Victoria is currently around 4,000 people per annum in addition to the unprecedented increase in asylum seekers on bridging visas settling in the community, currently estimated at around 10,000 in Victoria.

Asylum seekers are among the most disadvantaged people living in Victoria, often receiving little or no Commonwealth government income support.

The cultural diversity of Australia’s youth has also changed dramatically over the last quarter century, particularly in Victoria. Yet the key issues remain resolutely the same – housing, education, employment and racism. Influenced by an increasingly globalised and interconnected world, the proportion of population born overseas could rise from a quarter to as much as a half over the next 25 years. How these changes effect policy development and service delivery are relevant considerations for local government.

OPPORTUNITIES

Overall, the forum was an enriching and rewarding gathering which identified a range of ways to achieve better coordination between the three tiers of government in working towards improved outcomes for diverse communities.

There was unanimous agreement across stakeholders from all spheres of government and from community organisations that to achieve the most effective community development outcomes, collaboration and partnerships with local government were essential.

Feedback from participants suggested that much opportunity exists following the foundations that have been established, to take the next step to move Victoria towards strong and sustainable social outcomes and enhanced community cohesion across the state.

The forum highlighted that strong evidence exists around the need for effective partnerships. Indeed multi-sectoral partnerships and collaboration continue to increase in response to rapidly our growing diverse population. Presentations throughout the forum were largely consistent in demonstrating how stakeholders were working together to address the ongoing social, economic and cultural challenges facing particular geographic areas and communities across Victoria.

Presentations also suggested that there exists a growing evidence-base of good practice making an impact in terms of real systemic and cultural change through partnerships and collaborative approaches that deal proactively and responsively with the needs of multicultural communities. They demonstrated that when we work in conjunction with each other in the same localities, we

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achieve sustainable community development and engagement. Breakout session discussions suggested that leveraging off capacity building in community organisations, the power of networking, awareness raising, and targeted research-based advocacy delivers outcomes and has impact.

Local councils, through their community development initiatives and the unique arrangement of social infrastructure their activities have created, can provide the foundation for inclusive partnerships, working in conjunction with a range of other commonwealth and state government agencies and programs as well as with local services, to bring about social change and deliver grassroots outcomes.

This forum has demonstrated that through the adoption of meaningful and genuine relationships, we can build on the foundations that have been laid and continue to expand those partnerships that are enhancing access and equity, social cohesion and contributing to the positive settlement experiences of new arrival communities.

The rewards of collaborative approaches and genuine efforts to work together are becoming increasingly evident where we see community harmony and the benefits that accrue from social infrastructure partnership initiatives have created.

CHALLENGES

Whilst the overall sentiment expressed in discussions throughout the forum was positive in terms of achievements that have resulted from partnerships, there were some ongoing challenges identified.

Many participants highlighted that where no cultural diversity advisory committee structures were in place, this minimised the potential for identifying emerging issues that could be addressed collaboratively and also the potential for local government to tap into existing resources and initiatives Councils would be well placed to value add around. However, it was also acknowledged that some Councils had similar structures in place such as social justice coalitions or were members of regional and local networks that enabled access to collaborative opportunities and contributions.

Overall, experience suggested that the most responsive Councils demonstrated a balance of formal engagement with the community through Council led committee structures together with Council representation and participation in local community networks and settlement planning committees.

“We need a range of ways of engaging and we don’t need to over-structure it in order for it to be effective.”Conference participant

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Ways ForwardThe following key outcomes emerged in relation to future directions resulting from the forum:

That local government, as a sector, should be positioning itself to play a stronger and more active role in developing partnerships with state and federal governments and the community sector around settlement planning, social cohesion and access and equity.

That representatives across local government who attended the forum actively contribute towards exposing the broader local government sector to good practice around how other jurisdictions such as New York City approach cultural diversity planning. The focus of these efforts should inspire innovative thinking that will make Victoria a leader in this area of work

That the MAV create a web page that serves as a clearing house for the breadth of ideas and research that emerged through the forum. This should include copies of conference power point presentations, the keynote speaker video and the forum report.

That an ongoing local government sector multicultural policy forum is established and held biennially. The next event should be scheduled for mid 2016.

LEADERSHIP ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local government is the level of government closest to the people and plays a significant role in influencing community relations at the local level. This forum highlighted the breadth of innovation and leadership being demonstrated by Councils across Victoria in settlement planning, social cohesion and access and equity for multicultural communities. It also highlighted the need for pathways that enable innovative practice to be shared, promoted and supported by state and federal governments.

Unless local government is fully engaged and integrated within the broader planning and settlement roles played by both the Federal, state and territory governments, its potential to contribute will be underutilised.

Role of local government in strategic settlement planning

Councils are increasingly adopting collaborative approaches with settlement service providers and other stakeholders to contribute to settlement outcomes. The forum showcased examples of local government contribution and participation in networks, working groups, collaborative programming and coordination of settlement data to inform service planning and limit the potential for duplication.

The range of best practice examples supporting local government to effectively contribute to settlement need to be documented and shared and promoted more widely across the local government sector.

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Role of Local Government in achieving social cohesion

The forum affirmed that local governments have an important role in racism and social cohesion and are very well placed to contribute to building social cohesion in each of the key domains identified in the Scanlon-Monash Index of Social Cohesion1: belonging; social justice and equity; participation: acceptance and rejection, and worth.

Local government is a key point of contact for multicultural communities and a key player in maintaining socially cohesive communities. The work of local governments are doing in this area was highlighted throughout the forum and should be commended as it is indispensable.

Forum discussions accentuated the need for local government leadership in developing a social cohesion framework on intercultural relations in a multicultural society.

Role of local government in effective access and equity strategies.

Improving access and equity in relation to the breadth of programs and services provided by local government is a key commitment of Councils across Victoria. Many Councils are taking a proactive approach in developing policies, strategies and programs that enhance access and equity for multicultural communities.

Forum discussions drew attention to issues that continued to challenge local government around access and equity including language services and other intersectional issues that impact on communities. The most obvious challenge emerging in the forum related to employment and in particular the role of local government in access to employment pathways.

There are an emerging number of innovative models being implemented by a small number of Councils to eliminate employment barriers by working with communities and employers and these are achieving sustainable outcomes. These also should be documented and shared and promoted more widely across the local government sector.

Opportunities for partnerships at federal government level

Opportunities for partnerships at the federal government level proposed by forum delegates included:

Exploring opportunities offered by Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) representation on the government’s Settlement Outcomes Senior Officers Group (SOSOG). A key role of SOSOG is to improve information sharing between the three tiers of government to facilitate appropriate planning and service delivery, and to ensure the effective use of resources across government.SOSOG offers a pathway to discuss the role of local government in relation to the implementation of the National Settlement Framework.

1 http://scanlonfoundation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/mapping-social-cohesion-national-report-2013.pdf

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Exploring opportunities through the reinvigoration of State and Territory Settlement Planning Outcomes Committees which will provide a single structure for action oriented settlement planning in each state and territory. They will provide an important forum through which all tiers of government, together with relevant non-government stakeholder can provide coordinated support for migrants and refugee in line with the key priority areas set out in the National Settlement Framework.

Opportunities for partnerships at state government level

The MAV has and continues to work closely with the State Government, for example through participation:

on the former Standing Committee on Local Government and Cultural Diversity chaired by the VMC;

on the former VMC Advisory Council; on the recently reconvened Translating and Interpreting External Advisory Group; on working groups organising previous VMC biennial local government and multiculturalism

conferences; and developing cultural competency professional development opportunities for local council

officers previously delivered by the VMC.

Local government as a sector, and individual local councils, are looking for a closer working partnership with the Victorian Government through the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship.

In addition to civics and community relations, local government has a key role to play in related areas such as the successful settlement of newly arrived migrants and refugees. It starts with welcoming new arrivals through orientation to the range of services it offers and ensuring these services are straightforward to access and useable for newly arrived people unaccustomed to living in our local communities.

Local Government is uniquely placed to partner more systemically with the Victorian Government on its civics agenda, on addressing related community relations issues arising from cultural diversity and on improving the related settlement experiences of newly arriving migrants and refugees.

There remain many gaps and challenges that need to be met, and can be met more effectively if there is a strong sectoral partnership with the Victorian Government through the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship and the MAV.

The Victorian Government needs to support local government more, and strengthen and further develop the role that can be played by peak bodies such as the MAV in facilitating a consistent state-wide response to cultural diversity.

Opportunities for Partnerships with Civil Society/NGOs

The MAV primarily engages with community sector service providers and advocates through: the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria who MAV collaborate closely with, particularly in

fostering better inter-sectorial working relationships in the delivery of aged care services, and in addressing the issue of CALD people’s participation in the workforce;

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and at the national level with:

• the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia; • the Settlement Council of Australia; and• the Refugee Council of Australia.

These relationships offer a breadth of opportunity to strengthen the role of local government fostering stronger relationships with civil society and partnering with service providers.

Opportunities for partnerships across local government

In 2011 the MAV Board established, for the first time, a Multicultural Committee to advise the Board on multicultural policy development. This Committee is chaired by an MAV Board member. Senior managers from both the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship have been invited to the committee’s early meetings and there has been discussion this year about how that committee’s role might be further developed, including strengthening its relationship with OMAC and the VMC.

The MAV Multicultural Committee brings together key stakeholders across Victorian Councils and is ideally placed in encouraging and leading partnerships across local government in Victoria. Councils have a clear legal obligation to take proactive and preventative measures to support their role in building inclusive and cohesive communities.

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About the Inaugural MAV

Multicultural Policy

Development Forum

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Introduction

Background

The communities represented by local government across Victoria are among the most culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse in Australia; a diversity embraced, nurtured and celebrated by the MAV and the seventy-nine Victorian local councils.

The idea for the forum emerged as a result of ongoing discussions by the MAV Multicultural Committee in relation to working towards an agreed and effective inter-governmental strategy that harnesses the potential of local government to a make consistent and planned sectoral contribution.

Although settlement planning and multicultural community relations strategies have historically adopted a top-down approach through leadership at federal level, much of the work on the ground has been undertaken at municipal level.

As the tier of government closest to the community, Local Councils are uniquely placed to provide leadership in addressing community issues arising from cultural diversity. They can foster social inclusion, social support and social engagement and facilitate inter-cultural and inter-faith dialogue. Councils have the opportunity to draw on all groups in the local community to contribute to the development of a shared identity and future. Local Councils are also being increasingly called on to provide inter-agency leadership in local planning and coordination for the settlement of newly arriving migrants and refugees.

MAV Multicultural Committee

Following the demise of Federal and State-led inter-governmental forums, the MAV Board decided in 2011 to establish its own Multicultural Committee, which now meets quarterly to advise the Board on multicultural policy development. The committee is chaired by an MAV Board member and has standing agenda items for Federal and State government representatives to engage and coordinate with local government.

Background to Forum

The Background Paper ‘The Role of Local Government in Settlement and Multiculturalism’ was prepared by Myriad Consultants following the VLGMIN annual forum held in September 2011 in partnership with the Municipal Association of Victoria. The VLGMIN had identified the need to consider the role of councils in the provision of settlement services to newly arrived migrants and refugees and their relationship with the other tiers of government in the context of changes by the Commonwealth to the way in which it manages the coordination of settlement services across Australia.

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Local Government is the level of government closest to Communities and plays a significant role in influencing economies and communities locally. Local Government is often the first port of call for many residents including recent arrivals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. VLGMIN has observed that councils have increasingly been providing services, support and programs to newly arrived migrants and refugees even though they are not funded to do so. The provision of settlement services is viewed as critical to the support of newly arrived migrants and refugees to successfully settle in the Australian community. The Background Paper built on the 2011 Forum which examined the roles of the three tiers of government in relation to settlement provision; systemic interagency coordination of settlement services; and the role of local government in managing community relations at the municipal level as issue arise from local diversity. It specifically drew attention to international, national, state and local policy environments regarding the provision of settlement services and would be a great resource for local councils and in particular Council Officers who manage multicultural policy development and service provision.

This discussion paper underpinned the MAV Multicultural Committee’s inaugural biennial multicultural policy development conference

As discussions increasingly highlighted the need for more systemic and coordinated partnerships with state and federal governments and the community sector, both the MAV and VLGMIN recognised that a broader dialogue involving stakeholders was needed.

Australia is experiencing a historic shift (i.e. unprecedented dis-engagement) from the Federal Government, notwithstanding the development of a new “National Settlement Framework”. Local government has concurrently experienced similar intergovernmental disengagement from the Victorian State Government over the past few years. The withdrawal of professional development investment, coordination and leadership from the other two tiers of government calls for a fundamental re-think of how the local government sector collectively work in this space.

About the Forum

The Inaugural Biennial Multicultural Policy Development Forum for Local Government was hosted by the City of Wyndham on Friday 12th September 2014.

While it was primarily designed for local council managers and officers, the forum attracted representatives across a range of sectors including federal and state government, not-for-profit and multicultural sector, police and peak ethnic bodies.

The forum was themed around opportunities for intergovernmental, NGO and community sector partnerships.

The forum program was developed to engage rural/regional municipalities, interface/growth councils and metropolitan local government areas and ultimately intended to support efforts by local councils

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to increase their capacity to deliver responsive and accessible local government to all, and to promote positive intercultural relations and social cohesion within their local areas.The breadth of participation in this full day event, together with the opportunity it afforded to showcase the extensive and innovative collaborations taking place at local government level across Victoria highlighted that by working together we can develop strong, inclusive and informed communities across Victoria where people feel connected, valued and supported to participate fully in all aspects of community life, regardless of their cultural, linguistic or religious backgrounds.

Purpose of Forum

The specific themes the forum aimed to address included:

Developing clearer common understandings across municipal authorities of the role and responsibilities of local government around -

o enhancing accessibility and equity of local government services; o potential for local government inter-agency/inter-governmental leadership in

settlement planning at the municipal level; and o municipal community relations leadership in achieving social cohesion.

Opportunities for partnership with other levels of government (federal and State) and civil society / community organisations.

The forum was attended by over 135 participants representing social policy managers and officers from 34 Councils and key stakeholders from the federal and state governments and community sector.

The forum focused on developing greater sectoral consensus on the role of local government in relation to migrant and refugee settlement planning, broader community social cohesion on issues arising from cultural diversity and access and equity in how local government deliver services. It also aimed to look at how to juxtaposition the local government sector with State and Federal Governments and civil society organisations (commonly referred to as the community sector).

Main themes covered in presentations included municipal leadership in migrant and refugee settlement planning and CALD community relations/social cohesion within the context of local government service design and delivery, access and equity issues and CALD social inclusion/participation across all council programs.

Multiculturalism is in Australia’s national interest and speaks to fairness and inclusion. This forum provided an important platform from which to explore opportunities for productive, creative and sustainable partnerships and collaborations between all levels of government and community/civil society within a multicultural context.

The forum created significant space for dialogue and deliberation towards the development of a more cohesive cross-municipal sectoral framework and policy direction to inform a collective voice in engagement with State and Federal governments. 

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Main Program

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Welcome

The forum was opened by the Mayor of the City of Wyndham, Councillor Bob Fairclough who acknowledged the Indigenous history of the area and the influence of the Italian community who began migrating to Wyndham in the 1930’s. Cr Fairclough highlighted that Council is committed to continuing to celebrate and support Wyndham’s increasing breadth of diversity.

Keynote Presentation

The keynote presentation for the forum was delivered (via Skype) by Fatima Sharma, former Commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. The office’s mandate is to serve as a bridge between the immigrant population and city government, providing policy analysis and recommendations to the mayor as well as improving immigrants’ access to city services.Ms Shama provided an international perspective on the role of local government in multicultural policy and shared some of the key learnings that emerged through her office’s strategy for connecting with and serving the city’s immigrant population.

The New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs promotes the well-being of immigrant communities by recommending policies and programs that facilitate the successful integration of immigrant New Yorkers into the civic, economic and cultural life of the City. Their municipal agenda includes four key components:

1. Ensuring and Enhancing Access by promoting use of city services and access to information and resources for immigrants

2. Building Partnerships by liaising with and promoting collaboration between city agencies and offices and immigrant communities

3. Providing technical assistance by serving as a key resource to other agencies and offices regarding immigrants

4. Celebrating contributions by coordinating programs celebrating immigrant contributions and supporting immigrant heritage.

Key achievements under Ms Sharma’s leadership of the Office of Immigrant Affairs included:

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Language access policy enshrined in legislation A citizenship in schools initiative where schools were used as a medium for engaging

migrant families and providing legal support A neighbourhood leadership institute and awards which produced strong community

advocates and leaders Establishment of a New Immigrant Outreach Unit in the New York Police force – this has

resulted in improved youth engagement with police and a pathway for young people from immigrant backgrounds to enter the NYPD.

Ms Sharma generously encouraged forum participants to access the Blueprints for Immigration Integration developed by the Mayor’s Office. These innovative strategies can be employed by local governments to foster economic, civic and cultural vibrancy by promoting the well-being and integration of immigrants.

The Blueprints2 cover twelve key areas: Creating a municipal immigrant

integration agenda Language access Citizenship Civic engagement Economic development Police and community Education Financial Empowerment Public Libraries Health. Family and Child Welfare Public Benefits

Commitment at the leadership level and a commitment to partnerships were the critical ingredients to what the Office of Immigrant Affairs were able to achieve.

Ms Sharma’s presentation offered a best practice case study that the local government sector should be aware of and that should inform thinking in how local government progress policy and program development in Victoria.

Following Ms Sharma’s presentation, participants were invited to ask questions or offer comments relating to the key issues raised.

Participants agreed that, as a sector, local government need to be collectively exposed to alternate local government perspectives from overseas as part of broader dialogue and deliberations and as part of the wider multicultural and settlement planning agenda.

Plenary Presentations

2 http://www.nyc.gov/html/imm/bii/html/home/home.shtml 21 | P a g e

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The plenary session involved a panel of speakers representing all three tiers of government as well as Victoria’s peak ethnic body who shared their extensive knowledge, insights and wisdom on the issue of partnerships and meaningful engagement.

They included:

Panel member TopicCr Bill McArthurPresidentMunicipal Association of Victoria

Local Government Sectoral View

Bernadette RyanState ManagerDepartment of Social Services

Federal Government Perspective: Settlement and Multicultural Affairs

Hakan AkyolDirectorOffice of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship

State Government Perspective: Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship

Dr Irene BouzoActing Director Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria

Community Sector View

Lidia ThorpeAboriginal Employment Advisor Municipal Association of Victoria

Koories in Council

Cr Intaj KhanWyndham City Council

Multicultural policy and planning at the municipal level

Full copies of plenary presentations can be accessed at http://www.mav.asn.au/policy-services/social-community/multicultural/Pages/opportunities-for-partnerships-conference.aspx

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Cr Bill McArthur, President, Municipal Association of Victoria

Councillor McArthur highlighted the forum as timely given the confluence of developments over the past few years that make it increasingly important for councils to come together to articulate how we collectively address issues arising from cultural diversity in Victorian municipalities.

Key points made by Cr McArthur included that:

The MAV is encouraged by on-going negotiations between the Federal and State Governments on the development of a new National Settlement Framework and look forward to a new phase of inter-governmental collaboration.

Local government are uniquely placed to deliver better social cohesion, settlement planning and access and equity outcomes locally for all Australian communities.

To do this effectively, strong partnerships with the other two levels of government are needed including better resourcing and stronger leadership.

Local government authorities need a higher level of commitment from State and Federal governments to re-establish an agreed framework for inter-governmental planning and coordination.

Local government also needs to forge strong partnerships with the community sector, both as individual councils, and sectorally.

The MAV has a strong and collegiate partnership with the ECCV and FECCA and actively collaborate across a range of policy areas including aged care services, workforce participation and settlement of new and emerging communities.

The MAV work closely with the Refugee Council of Australia to facilitate local government participation in Refugee Week and promote their Refugee Welcome Zone initiative. Thirty Victorian councils have now registered.

The MAV is advocating to the Federal Government on issues arising for councils on asylum seekers living in the community on bridging visas.

Cr McArthur concluded by highlighting that he hoped forum deliberations would explore the development of stronger partnerships to address cultural diversity in Victorian municipalities and result in good ideas for moving forward in this important area of social policy.

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Bernadette Ryan, State Manager, Department of Social Services

Ms Ryan thanked the MAV for the opportunity to participate in the conference and hoped that the occasion would mark the beginning of a new and reinvigorated relationship between local government and the Department of Social Services in Victoria. Her presentation focused on the opportunities that exist for productive partnerships, particularly for local government through the implementation of the forthcoming National Settlement Framework expected to be released late in 2014.

Ms Ryan provided an excellent summary of some of the relevant key developments that have taken place since the election of the Abbott Government, particularly the transfer of Settlement and Multicultural Affairs to the new Department of Social Services (DSS) in late 2013. She highlighted that the transfer of settlement and multicultural programmes to DSS provides an excellent opportunity to connect early settlement support with other mainstream programs.

She then outlined the range of activities undertaken by the Settlement and Multicultural Affairs Section which continues to manage the Humanitarian Settlement Services programme; the Settlement Grants Program; and the Diversity and Social Cohesion Program grants for Victoria. She also reiterated that the Department will continue to be focused on fostering a diverse and harmonious society by engaging directly with refugee and migrant communities and supporting their participation in a socially cohesive Australia.

Ms Ryan also reflected on the question of ‘What makes for successful settlement?’, stressing the importance of the Government’s vision of a society in which all Australians are valued and have the opportunity to fully participate.

She emphasised that the approach taken by Government recognises the important support that settlement services provide to newly arrived migrants and refugees as they adjust to a new life in Australia and as they start to contribute to Australia’s economic, social and cultural development. Settlement services, she explained aim to deliver services that assist eligible clients to become self-reliant and participate equitably in Australian society, with a focus on fostering social participation, economic well-being, independence, personal well-being and community connectedness.

Ms Ryan explained that successful settlement is a key commitment of the federal government with a particular emphasis on ‘the three E’s’ – English language, education and employment.

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Her presentation then turned to the important role that local government plays in supporting successful settlement. Whilst acknowledging that all three tiers of government work hard to improve the settlement experience of migrants and refugees and to support their economic, social and cultural engagement in Australia, she commended the unique and particular role of local government.

Local government she said, played a key role in providing services and infrastructure to the local community, including specialised services to encourage migrant settlement in local government areas. She also praised the work of the local settlement planning committees – of which there are some twenty five operating across metropolitan and regional Victoria – and encouraged participants to draw on local government’s unique position of being able to facilitate cross-community collaboration and partnerships.

The final part of Ms Ryan’s presentation related to the forthcoming National Settlement Framework expected to be released late in 2014. She explained that the Framework will provide for the effective and efficient use of existing resources for mainstream and targeted settlement services. It will also drive service delivery improvements by identifying and responding to gaps and barriers. Under the framework, the three tiers of government are committed to three focus areas:

Planning, by creating supportive and collaborative settlement planning structures and processes, including information-sharing.

Delivery, by supporting coordinated client-centric services eliminating gaps and duplications. Evaluation and Review, by developing a robust evidence base for assessing and better

understanding settlement service delivery and outcomes.

Effective planning will be facilitated by the new Senior Officials Settlement Outcomes Group (SOSOG) which is chaired by the Secretary of DSS and attended by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection officials, each State and Territory Government and the Australian Local Government Association.

She also stated that Settlement Planning will be supported by the reinvigoration of State and Territory Settlement Planning Outcomes Committees which will provide a single structure for action oriented settlement planning in each state and territory. Furthermore, they will provide an important forum through which all tiers of government, together with relevant non-government stakeholder can provide coordinated support for migrants and refugee in line with the key priority areas set out in the Settlement Framework.

Ms Ryan concluded her presentation with a strong statement of support for ongoing communication and engagement with local government to address the range of important issues related to the successful settlement of migrants and refugees in Victoria.

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Hakan Akyol: Director Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship

Mr Akyol’s presentation set the scene with an overview of Victoria’s cultural and linguistic and religious diversity, with Victorian citizens originating from more than 200 countries, speaking more than 200 languages and dialects and following more than 130 faiths. In setting out Victoria’s demographics, Mr Akyol highlighted that more than 26 per cent of Victorians are born overseas, and nearly 47 per cent of Victorians were born overseas or have one parent born overseas and approximately 23 per cent of Victorians speak a language other than English. He went on to stress that because our diversity delivers social, cultural and economic benefits to all Victorians, a strong and cohesive multicultural society will attract skilled migrants, international students, overseas tourists and of course the relocation of global companies to our great state. In turn this contributes to the economy through job creation, innovation and export activity.

Mr Akyol then went on to provide an overview of the policy and legislative framework informing the Victorian government’s approach to multiculturalism.

In March 2014, Victoria’s new multicultural affairs and citizenship policy, titled Victoria’s Advantage—Unity, Diversity, Opportunity was launched. The new policy outlines a plan to support social cohesion and citizenship, while reducing instances of racial and religious discrimination.

In the policy, the State Government commits to:

“building understanding and respect by enabling communities to come together in events across Victoria; support cross-cultural and Multifaith interactions and partnerships; build strong, sustainable community organisations; works with multicultural service providers and peak associations to better understand and respond to the needs of diverse communities; address specific complaints of discrimination and racial and religious vilification; and, gather data on the prevalence and experience of racism and discrimination”.

The Policy which was developed following community consultation, focuses on three major themes: Maximising the Benefits of our Diversity; Citizenship, Participation and Social Cohesion; and Responsive and Accessible Services.

Mr Akyol also highlighted that for the first time, the Policy contains a set of indictors which will be used to measure the State’s progress in multicultural affairs. The indicators will help provide a more

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comprehensive picture of progress in multicultural affairs and citizenship and will assist government to better identify trends in emerging issues. It will also monitor the rate of complaints made to human rights bodies on racial and religious vilification.

Mr Akyol then outlined some of the key programs and initiatives being undertaken by the Victorian Government to support multicultural affairs and citizenship. These included:

The Multicultural Language Services program aim to increase the supply of interpreters and translators in Victoria and optimise the use of language services by government service providers. This program includes scholarships and training. A key initiative included the OMAC Multilingual Government Information Online Project which involved the development of two booklets for the Victorian whole-of-government policy and procedures for Using Interpreting Services and Effective Translations.

New and Emerging Communities Leadership Program which will provide training to build the leadership skills and capacity of both existing and potential leaders form new and emerging communities across Victoria. The initiative also incorporates funding for the new Nelson Mandela Ubuntu Leadership Program, which extends the existing African Community Leadership Program, specifically assisting diverse African communities. The Program will run between 2015 and 2018 and will be delivered across metropolitan and regional Victoria.

The Peak Multicultural Organisations (PMO) Grants Program provides funding to peak multicultural organisations that play a critical role in assisting CALD communities, especially in regional and rural areas.

Multicultural Communities Infrastructure Fund, which will provide grants to maintain or build new community facilities and enhance Victoria’s vibrant cultural precincts. Enhancing our cultural precincts is an important way of preserving cultural heritage and acts as a draw card for tourism and stimulating business activity. The three long standing cultural precincts in the City of Melbourne consist of Chinatown in Little Bourke Street; the historic heartland of Melbourne’s Italian community in Lygon Street, Carlton; and Melbourne’s Greek precincts in parts of Lonsdale and Russell Streets.

The Victorian Government also supports the VMC through it grants to support, develop and sustain local ethnic and multicultural organisations and programs, especially new and emerging communities in the areas of:

Promoting Harmony: multifaith and interfaith Building and facilities improvement Multicultural festival sand events Round One and Two Community language schools program Strengthening multicultural communities Organisational support Multicultural senior citizen organisational support

Mr Akyol then provided an outline of the settlement coordination unit within OMAC which coordinates a whole-of-government response to the needs of new arrivals in policy development and

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service delivery. In 2013–14 the SCU has facilitated a strategic and coordinated approach across Victorian government, including via the multicultural services interdepartmental group and regional management forums, to support strong engagement with the commonwealth on issues of settlement needs and refugees and asylum seekers, and including my key departments—DEECD, Department of Health and Department of Human Services—and Victoria Police in preparing for cost recovery and memorandum of understanding negotiations with the commonwealth on asylum seeker matters.

In summary, Mr Akyol emphasised that as with any successful program or initiative, working in partnership is essential, as is collaboration.

Dr Irene Bouzo: Acting Director Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria

Dr Bouzo’s presentation titled: ‘Partnerships in the Multicultural Community Sector’ provided conference delegates with some important insights in relation to meaningful engagement and successful partnerships with multicultural not for profits.

Dr. Bouzo began her presentation with a brief overview of the Ethnic Communities Council (ECCV) and its role. As the state-wide peak advocacy body that advocates and lobbies all levels of government on behalf of Victoria’s multicultural communities

For over 30 years ECCV has remained the principal liaison point between ethnic communities, government and the wider community and has been a key player in building Victoria as a successful, harmonious and multicultural society.

ECCV has about 200 members representing Victoria’s ethnic and multicultural organisations and communities and regularly promotes relevant events and information to them.

She then went on to detail research undertaken by the ECCV in relation to better partnerships.

The best practice positive partnerships model presented by Dr Bouzo involved:

External influences Trusting Relationships Professional Capacity Organisational Capacity and Unequal Power

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Key partnership requirements that should be established at the project outset included:

Equal spread of obligations and responsibilities Equal power and financial responsibility Shared acknowledgment of expertise Equal balance of inputs and outputs Shared aims and shared workload Shared ownership

Lidia Thorpe: Aboriginal Employment Advisor MAV

Ms Thorpe began her presentation with an acknowledgement to Country. She introduced herself as a Gunnai and Gunditjmara woman from eastern and western Victoria and reflected on the critical role that Elders, community and family had played in her personal and professional journey.

Ms Thorpe then provided an overview of Victoria’s Aboriginal population which is young and growing. Children aged 0–14 years of age are approximately 36 per cent of the total Aboriginal population compared to 18 per cent of the non-Aboriginal population (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012). Of the Aboriginal population, 46.3 per cent live in metropolitan Melbourne, compared with 53.7 per cent in regional Victoria (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012).

The ABS estimates that the Indigenous population of Victoria will increase from the 22 600 people listed in the census in 1991 to between 47 700 and 48 200 people by 2021 - more than a doubling of the Indigenous population over the next 10 years. This is due to a range of factors, including increased numbers of people identifying as Aboriginal in the census, continued high birth rates and interstate migration to Victoria.

MS Thorpe stressed that these figures indicate that Aboriginal Victorians are potential employees for councils as their current workforce rapidly retires and departs over the next 10 - 15 years.

Ms Thorpe went on to emphasise that an integral part of local government responsibility is to serve all of their constituents, including Aboriginal communities.

She referred to the 2013-2018 Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework (VAAF) which guides the Victorian Government's approach to Aboriginal Affairs and sets targets for improved outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians. The VAAF acknowledges the pivotal role that local government plays over the course of Aboriginal people’s lives. She also noted the Victorian Government's Aboriginal Economic Strategy aimed at securing employment opportunities for Victorian Aboriginal people with career pathways and growing Aboriginal business enterprise and investment.

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Ms Thorpe then provided delegates with an overview of the MAV Aboriginal Employment Project and her role as the Aboriginal Employment Advisor at the MAV. The MAV is working towards increasing Aboriginal employment in the local government sector.

Some key activities undertaken to date include:

Aboriginal Employment Forum which was held late last year and conducted in partnership with the Department of Health, for human resource and home and community care program managers It focussed on using the “Karreeta Yirramboi” Toolkit developed by the Victorian Government and exploring how Aboriginal employment can be increased in councils’ Home and Community Care programs.

Presentation by Ms Thorpe at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment in Local Government Roundtable which provided an opportunity for Ms Thorpe to bring a Victorian perspective. The event was hosted by the Australian Centre for Excellence in Local Government.

As a result of the MAV Aboriginal employment project, the MAV State Council, which comprises representatives from all of Victoria’s 79 councils, has included Aboriginal employment as a priority in the MAV Strategic Plan for 2014-15.

Work is continuing on the Victorian Local Government Aboriginal Employment Framework, with the last few months taken up with preparing the materials and arranging the transition to a web-based format.

Ms Thorpe highlighted the importance of having a Reconciliation Action Plan and/or Aboriginal strategy lets potential Aboriginal job candidates know your council is somewhere they might like to work. The MAV Board have endorsed MAV developing its own Reconciliation Action Plan. A key component of the RAP is to invite Victorian Aboriginal community members to be part of a series of informal conversations on ideas and experiences for practical reconciliation.

Better relationships between Aboriginal and the wider community have been shown to be vital to achieving reconciliation and reducing the gap in social and economic indicators for Indigenous Australians. Local government in particular is ideally placed to strengthen participation of Aboriginal people in local communities.

Ms Thorpe highlighted that The MAV Aboriginal employment framework and the MAV RAP are aligned with the three key elements provided by Reconciliation Australia’s RAP program which include:

Respect Relationships Opportunities

Reconciliation Australia’s RAP program provides a common framework to develop plans that outline practical actions the organisation will take to build strong relationships and enhanced respect between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. Put simply, the RAP program is about working with organisations across Australia to turn their good intentions into real actions.

Ms Thorpe further highlighted some key points under each of the three core elements:

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Respect Councils understanding and acknowledging the unique place of Aboriginal people in their

local community is often the first step in councils becoming an employer of choice for Aboriginal people.

Having an informed stance about the Aboriginal community will better enable councils to take the actions that will result in Aboriginal people wanting to work in local government.

An example is Yarra Council's award winning project Follow in my Footsteps: Celebrating Aboriginal Culture in Gertrude St is an interactive community engagement and consultation project that combines traditional storytelling (Walking Tours) with digital media.

Relationships Organisations which have recruited and retained Aboriginal employees all say that having

meaningful relationships with the Aboriginal community is vital to success.

Opportunities for Partnership

There is a Victorian Aboriginal workforce ready and willing to work, but currently very few are employed in Victoria's 79 councils. She highlighted that ‘real engagement’ is vital.

Real engagement is not about engaging with one group Don’t assume Aboriginal people belong to one group Many Aboriginal people are not engaged with Aboriginal organisations Create opportunities for Aboriginal people to

As an example, Ms Thorpe referred to the Local Government Aboriginal Partnership Project aims to strengthen relationships between Aboriginal communities and local councils to provide a platform for positive change and advance reconciliation. In seeking to build positive change it acknowledges the hurt of the past as a result of the policies of all levels of government.

At its core, the Partnership Project is about recognising, celebrating and growing good practices across Victoria. It is also about valuing and leveraging the contribution that Aboriginal people, communities and organisations make to local life.

The Partnership Project seeks to promote greater participation of Aboriginal people in local council activity. It also seeks to build respect and recognition for Victoria’s First Peoples and our rich Aboriginal culture and heritage. The Project also seeks to achieve better coordination between the three tiers of government in working towards better outcomes for diverse communities.

Ms Thorpe concluded by highlighting that celebrating and sharing the good work that local government is doing will assist in connecting potential Aboriginal job candidates with the relevant council areas.

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Cr Intaj Khan, Wyndham City Council

Cr Khan began his presentation by stating that one of the reasons why Wyndham is such a dynamic, energetic and resilient community is because of its multicultural diversity. As Victoria’s fastest growing municipality, most new residents are largely from non-English speaking backgrounds. He highlighted that Wyndham has over 33.7 per cent of residents born overseas and over 100 languages spoken within the municipality This rapid pace of change was one of the many reasons Council felt compelled to develop a new Multicultural Policy and Action Plan. He stated that the development of the Policy and Plan demonstrates Wyndham City’s commitment to social justice, equity and human rights. It will be used, he said, to actively promote cultural diversity by supporting programs and events that foster understanding and help to celebrate the benefits of multiculturalism across the broader Wyndham community.

Key points made by Cr Khan included that:

Council’s partnerships, with community members, community groups, community service organisations, business and other levels of government are important in guiding Council’s multicultural planning efforts;

Council has established a Cultural Diversity Strategy and Policy Development Committee which has enabled Council to reach new communities;

Council benefit from partnerships with local service providers, especially through local networks such as the Wyndham Humanitarian Network, the Best Start network and the Wyndham Community Agencies Network;

Council is committed to building internal diversity capabilities and to contribute to creating pathways to civic participation and employment.

Cr Khan’s concluding comments focused on Council’s commitment to continuing to grow partnerships across all tiers of government and with peak state multicultural and ethno-specific bodies in order to strengthen responsiveness to Wyndham’s multicultural communities.

Cr Khan also highlighted the Emerge in Wyndham annual arts and culture festival celebrating cultural diversity as a highly successful example around partnerships and engagement that promote cultural diversity and social inclusion.

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Key Issues and Discussion

Key points that emerged through open discussion following presentations included:

The potential for collaboration with federal and state governments - how government works is not an absolute collaboration because of government systems and structures however where there exist similar objectives there is scope for collaborative approaches. These can be achieved in incremental ways however communities can become frustrated at the pace at which this occurs.

The confusion resulting from Councils adopting different titles for staff working on multicultural issues - engaging across all Councils to achieve consistency across these issues is a long process. There has been significant progress over the last decade and local government have come a long way. There are no solutions going forward and changes at state and federal government levels have an impact. Local government bodies deliver over one hundred services and some have a greater multicultural focus by nature of their demographics. The MAV have shown strong leadership through statements, policies and employment goals and are keen to continue to work across these commitments.

Addressing issues in relation to youth leadership, unemployment and engagement through partnerships - the National Settlement Framework covers nine priority areas including families and employment and emphasises a needs and outcomes oriented approach. Lots of needs are consistent across all age groups. DSS is currently processing a huge grants round to address gaps and ensure services are targeted where they are needed. The Department does not ignore areas of need but is very much reliant on feedback from civil society to identify where the gaps are.The ECCV advocates to all levels of government for the development of recruitment strategies targeting multicultural communities. They have also established a youth network in partnership with OMAC which is soon to deliver a youth leadership training program.

In summary, the plenary session highlighted:

The importance of collective impact That all sectors are operating in a complex environment That partnerships and ongoing dialogue opportunities such as the forum are offer pathways

for working together to achieve more responsive and sustainable outcomes.

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Breakout Sessions

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A. Settlement Planning

Session Overview

The Settlement Planning breakout session was facilitated by Eilis Hughes, Senior Policy and Planning Officer, Wyndham City Council and involved presentations from Brimbank City Council, City of Greater Geelong, Diversitat and the Wyndham Community and Education Centre.

This session offered an opportunity for participants to learn from best practice examples in settlement planning involving local government and settlement sector agencies.

Presenters TopicJohn Smith, Coordinator of Community Planning and PartnershipsTerri Soumilas, Community Planning & Engagement OfficerBrimbank City Council

Settlement Planning, local government and the West.Our journey so far..

Veema Mooniapah, Community Development OfficerCity of Greater Geelong

The City of Greater Geelong and Geelong Settlement Planning Committee -The Geelong Experience

Maureen O’Keeffe, Manager of Settlement and Community programsDiversitat

Diversitat promoting harmony, cultural diversity and social justice in our society

Jennie Barrera, CEOWyndham Community & Education CentreKriss McKieManager, Social DevelopmentWyndham City Council

Wyndham Humanitarian Network

Full copies of plenary presentations can be accessed at http://www.mav.asn.au/policy-services/social-community/multicultural/Pages/opportunities-for-partnerships-conference.aspx

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Summary of Presentations

John Smith, Coordinator of Community Planning and PartnershipsTerri Soumilas, Community Planning & Engagement OfficerBrimbank City Council

Brimbank Council’s settlement planning work focuses on international students, refugees, migrants and asylum sekeers. Council has identified four key roles it underakes in enhancing engagement and inclusion of these key groups. These incude:

Coordination (planning and system wide change). Council does this througho The Asylum Seeker Inter- Agency Response Networko The Western Region Management Forum on Meaningful Engagement of Asylum

Seekerso Brimbank Settlement Action Plan

Collaboration (partnership projects). Council does this througho The Brimbank Access to Justice Projecto Living in your Neighbourhoodo Service Directoryo Asylum Seeker Expoo Asylum Seeker Focus Groups and Forumo Employment Program for Young Asylum Seekers

Advocacy (speaking up as a tier of government). Council does this througho Social justice coalition

Service delivery (responding to community needs). Council does this througho Cultural Agility across all serviceso Children's serviceso Youth serviceso Aged Careo Librarieso Customer services / Language Link

The ultimate vision of Brimbank’s approach is to ensure that the target communities are welcomed, engaged, informed and included. The presenters spoke about the range of activities Brimbank has established to achieve this sense of belonging.

To ensure international students, refugees, migrants and asylum sekeers are included Council has adpoted the following:

A living in your neighbourhood program to connect people locally Refugee welcome zone Welcoming places and spaces Albion Soccer Hub Playgroups

To ensure international students, refugees, migrants and asylum sekeers are informed Council has implemented:

A service directory A social justice coalition

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A cultural ambassadors program Professional development forums An Asylum Seeker Inter- Agency Response Network. A Brimbank Access to Justice Project Cultural Diversity Week celebrations and activities

To ensure international students, refugees, migrants and asylum sekeers are engaged Council has implemented:

Asylum seekers focus groups A Western Region Asylum Seeker Expo A Leadership Training Program The Brimbank Access to Justice Project

The presenters closed by offering to share what they have learnt through their work at Brimbank with other Councils. They also expressed interest in collaborating to develop a regional action plan for working with new settlers.

Veema Mooniapah, Community Development OfficerCity of Greater Geelong

This presentation began with an overview of Geelong’s changing landscape which highlighted: A community that is made up of established migrants, newly arrived skilled migrants,

refugee and humanitarian entrants, international students and asylum seekers Around 35,000 of residents were born overseas and 16% of these arrived in Australia within

the last 5 years.

Ms Mooniapah then spoke about the stages involved in the development of Council’s Multicultural Action Plan (MAP) including a focus on community engagement. Council’s first MAP adopted four pillars for Council action including respect and recognition, Access and Equity, responsive services and support to community. Council also adopted a multi agency and cross divisional approach to implementation of the MAP.

A specific commitment under the MAP was supporting multicultural businesses. Council has achieved this by:

Pursuing a resourcing/partnership approach across the 3 tiers of government In partnership with key businesses and service agencies, promoting Geelong to all CALD

communities as a destination of choice highlighting its cultural diversity, benefits for skilled migration, international students and investment opportunities

Working with Family, Youth, Economic Development, Health and Local Laws, Sports and Recreation services to better engage CALD community and increase their participation in programs and services

Leading by example by offering work experience and Traineeship opportunities by and at Council

Maureen O’Keeffe, Manager of Settlement and Community programsDiversitat

The Geelong Ethnic Communities Council operated for 37 years before launching its new name ‘Diversitat’ in 2005 to reflect its growing diversity of services. The organization represents 50 cultural communities and operates across ten sites in Geelong and Colac with outreach services to Ballarat.

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Aged care Arts a radio program healthy eating employment settlement training youth programs

Key initiaves covered in the presentaion included:

The Northern Community Hub – a multi-purpose community and educational centre which opened in February 2011 and won the 2013 Settlement Innovation Award. The Centre offers services and programs for CALD and disadvantaged communities. Over 200 community members access services at the hub daily. Along with spaces for community group functions and activities the hub has a community garden being utilised by a broad number of community groups.

The Pako Festa - Australia’s biggest multicultural festival that has been running for over 30 years. The festival now involves over 30 multicultural communities and attracts over 110,000 people. The last festival included 60 performers over 8 stages and a Giant Pako parade with 80 floats.

Settlement Services and Community Programs – these include Community Assistance Support, Refugee Settlement, Settlement Grants Program, housing support, social enterprise, a Family Support Program, Mental Health Program, Multicultural Problem Gambling, Financial Counseling & Consumer Advocate Program, driver education and a volunteer tutor program.

Diversitat also leads the Geelong Settlement Planning Committee which has been operating for more than 10 years and involves 30 member agencies, state, local and federal government.

Jennie Barrera, CEO, Wyndham Community & Education CentreKriss McKie, Manager Social Development, Wyndham City Council

Wyndham Community & Education Centre (WCEC) was established in 1974 and now includes the following areas in its operations:

• Learn Local organisation• Neighbourhood House• Settlement Services provider• Senior Secondary provider• Skills for Education & Employment (SEE) provider • Registered Training Organisation (RTO)• Social Enterprise facilitator

WCEC operates in the third fastest growing local government area in Australia and provides services across 15 venues within Wyndham. The Centre’s clients come from 75 different countries and collectively speak over 68 languages.

This presentation highlighted two nationally awarded key networks auspiced and coordinated by WCEC:

Wyndham Humanitarian Network Wyndham Interfaith Network

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The Wyndham Humanitarian Network (WHN) is an innovative model for partnerships and collaboration originally established in 2005 when increasing numbers of refugees and humanitarian entrants were settling in Wyndham and there were no funded services to support them. Initial network partners included:

WCEC Wyndham City Council – Community Development Team AMES – Settlement and Education Centrelink – Multicultural Services Officers

The Network continued to evolve as membership grew to include education providers, police, community volunteers and other service providers. Today the Network has grown so impressively that it has been restructured to operate through a strategic group and 6 working groups that fopcus on different areas realted to settlement.

The WHN strategic group meets six-weekly with a focus on collaboration and coordination of interagency services. They identify issues at local level and undertake integrated local level planning. The success of the group relies on collective responsibility.

The WHN working groups meet monthly to six-weekly and also reflect multi stakeholder engagement. The six working groups are action oriented / activity based and guided by a Terms of Reference.

Wyndham Council continues to partner with WHN as this enables Council to:• have a deeper understanding than Census figures provide• engage with marginalised residents• plan and deliver more responsive Council services• promote inclusion through shared projects

Council’s continuing commitment to the WHN includes:• Co-ordination and planning • In-kind contributions to projects• Taking on advocacy on issues as required

This partnership also supports the following Wyndham Council multicultural policy commitments: Engagement Responsive services Working in partnership

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Key Issues and Discussion

Key points that emerged through open discussion following presentations included:

Examples of activities that demonstrated local government support to settlement service providers and newly arrived residents included networks and working groups, collaborative programming and coordination of settlement data.

The new operating environment for all stakeholders requires collaboration. Competition is outdated and does not result in best outcomes for communities.

To achieve extensive cooperation in collaborative approaches it is critical that all stakeholders place the community at the centre of what they do and at the heart of their objectives.

A genuine focus on best outcomes for clients needs to be evident to stakeholders so they know their involvement will result in genuine results.

Councils need to be working with their counterparts in the region through networks so that learnings and ideas can be shared.

In some local government areas there has been a rapid growth in service providers, support and volunteer groups which is resulting in a lot of duplication. Establishing networks can support coordinated approaches and reduce the gaps that resulted from concentrating resources in duplicated areas.

Recommendations/Suggestions:

That the MAV Multicultural Committee considers documenting best practice examples of regional networks that support local government to effectively contribute to settlement.

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B. Social Cohesion

Session Overview

The Social Cohesion breakout session was facilitated by Maria Dimopoulos, MyriaD Consultants and focused on the role of local government in achieving social cohesion.

The key question guiding discussions was ‘How does Local Government support the development of a community that values cultural diversity?’

Presenters TopicCr Gaetano Greco, MayorDarebin City Council

Darebin Council’s Approach to social cohesion and social inclusion.

Natalie Jacobson, Coordinator Inclusive CommunitiesCity of Greater Bendigo

City of Greater Bendigo Mosque Application Experience

Rivkah Nissim,Principal Adviser, Race Discrimination TeamAustralian Human Rights Commission

National Anti-Racism Strategy: local government and social cohesion project

Full copies of plenary presentations can be accessed at http://www.mav.asn.au/policy-services/social-community/multicultural/Pages/opportunities-for-partnerships-conference.aspx

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Summary of Presentations

Cr Gaetano Greco, MayorDarebin City Council

Diversity, social cohesion and anti-racism work is as serious a business for Councils as building a road...

Cr Greco opened his presentation with a number of overall comments relating to social inclusion and social cohesion:

The importance of belonging/the right to belong to a place and community It’s not about being tolerated but about being valued and respected as a member of the

community

He then proceeded to provide an overview of the demographics within the municipality highlighting that Darebin municipality is a culturally and religiously diverse community with 34% of residents born overseas, 39% of Darebin households speaking two or more languages, the second largest population of Indigenous people in metropolitan Melbourne and significant religious diversity.

The community of Darebin cherishes this diversity and values it as an important civic asset. Council plays a role in promoting, encouraging, fostering and harnessing this asset and giving it the opportunity to flourish and be celebrated, acknowledged and respected.

“We’re backed by a strong suite of policies to ensure that diversity is considered in everything we do, from arts programming to service provision”.

As a result of Darebin’s cultural diversity, Darebin City Council has undertaken significant work in the area of social cohesion and anti‐racism, which is demonstrated in key documents that guide Council work including the 2012‐2015 Equity and Inclusion Policy and the 2014‐2017 Community Health and Wellbeing Plan.

Cr Greco highlighted that the Equity and Inclusion Policy notably recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse residents are particularly at risk of exclusion because of racism and race‐based discrimination and that this is an issue Council should contribute to addressing.

Cr Greco also outlined that Council’s broader commitment to diversity is illustrated through its Multicultural Action Plan and a communication strategy that ensures people of CALD backgrounds can access the services and support they need.

Transparency, accountability, shared decision-making, respect for human rights; access, equity, inclusion and good governance are fundamental priorities for Darebin City Council. These values are reflected in the Darebin City Council’s adopted Charter of Good Governance.

Cr Greco spoke of how the Council celebrates diversity and social inclusion through colourful festivals and events – like Ganesh Charturi, a Community and Kite Festival, Diwali, a Homemade Food and Wine Festival and Chinese New Year.

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He provided participants with a summary of some of the key activities undertaken by Council in relation to promoting diversity and inclusion:

The Council’s calendar of events has everything from intercultural conversation nights to Greek film festivals, interfaith days and Arabic and English language classes.

The establishment of the Intercultural Centre which has become a lively hub for community gatherings. It’s a place where people share knowledge about each other’s cultures, and where newly arrived residents of all nationalities can feel at home – like those who visit the welcome room for asylum seekers to learn English and share stories.

DCC undertook a Racism Inquiry in 2012 that led to the 2012‐2015 Anti‐Racism Strategy, which guides local initiatives to address racism at interpersonal, organisational and systemic levels in the community. Through the Anti‐Racism Strategy, DCC has made a firm commitment to work towards a “racism‐free Darebin”. DCC is also an official supporter of the national “Racism. It Stops With Me.” campaign.

The establishment of the Islamic Museum of Australia within Darebin which is the first of its kind in Australia. The Museum was established in 2010 and aims to foster community harmony and facilitate an understanding of the values of Muslims and their contributions to Australian society.

Specific issues related to Asylum Seekers were also highlighted by Cr Greco, who emphasised the local government can play a strong and strategic advocacy role.

He referred to the Mayoral Forum on Asylum Seekers on BVEs which was held earlier this year and hosted by the City of Greater Dandenong. The forum provided an opportunity for Mayors, senior council staff, peak bodies and elected officials to share experiences, issues and concerns regarding the local impact of adequately meeting the needs of asylum seekers.

The Forum, he suggested was an excellent example of how Councils can create opportunities to achieve high level agreement on key elements of a joint/shared response to the Federal Government on increasing resourcing to meet this need. Mayors from nine Victorian councils have since joined Darebin in signing the Joint Statement in an effort to draw attention to the health and wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees, while advocating that they be treated with respect and dignity.

The event also signalled the implementation of Darebin’s Asylum Seekers Support Project and launched the Darebin Community Passport, developed in partnership with Darebin Ethnic Communities Council (DECC),to assist asylum seekers to access local services and facilities. Neighbourhood houses, leisure centres and health providers have signed on to the initiative. The Darebin Community Passport offers details of local services, places of worship, organisations and charities, while also entitling the holder to access a number of facilities for free or at discounted prices.

Developed by the council in partnership with Darebin Ethnic Communities Council (DECC), the initiative is also expected to give Darebin and indication of how many asylum seekers are living in the municipality through the registration of passports.

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Darebin Asylum Seeker Support Project, which launched last year, had helped more than 200 asylum seekers between October and December by assisting them with English skills, educating and providing information on systems of Australian life, and connecting them to the community.

Cr Greco emphasised the importance of partnership and meaningful engagement as key elements in the successful implementation of these activities. He cautioned however against the establishment of partnerships for the sake of appearing to be consultative. Partnerships particularly with civil society/multicultural communities needed to be grounded in principles of equality and respect.

He outlined the range of MOU’s that Council had developed with a number of external organisations and community groups:

MOU between Darebin Council and Darebin Ethnic Communities Council - DECC is an incorporated association that seeks to represent the views, interests and needs of Darebin’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities primarily to the Darebin City Council. Over 80 groups and associations from within the City of Darebin are affiliated with DECC as a peak body. The MOU commits the parties to work together to achieve responsive, effective and tangible outcomes that benefit Darebin’s culturally diverse communities. It has been reviewed and refined on a number of occasions to ensure currency and relevancy.

The most recent MOU aims to build Council’s reputation as an innovative Council in addressing the cultural diversity of its residents. It builds on the shared commitment and practical collaboration that has developed between the two organisations over the past ten years to further strengthen a whole-of-Council approach to the growing diversity of the city.

The MOUs have been instrumental in achieving the following: A dialogue at the most senior level of Council to raise and address significant issues

of concern to Darebin’s diverse communities; Regular consultation with DECC members; Innovation within Darebin Council to explore more effective ways to meet the needs

of its culturally diverse communities; A shared agenda and working commitment between members of Darebin’s culturally

diverse communities and Darebin Council; A ‘finger on the pulse’ on new and emerging issues through public forums and

responses.

The implementation of the MOU is monitored at regular meetings between DECC and the Council’s Executive Management Team.

MOU between Darebin City Council and Omar Bin Al Kattab Mosque - Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Islamic Society of Victoria (Preston Mosque) and the Darebin City Council was originally negotiated and signed in 2009. Council has actively engaged with the Omar Bin Al Kattab Mosque in Cramer Street, Preston since 2003 as part of the Cramer Street Neighbourhood Project which was a government funded Living in Harmony Project. At the time a Mosque and Council Project Reference Group was established to respond to community concerns about the Mosque’s activities and their impact on the neighbourhood. In August 2014, the MOU was reviewed and endorsed by Council.

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The MOU aims to guide the development of a robust relationship between the Council and the Mosque and formalised casual arrangements regarding local issues for the mutual benefit of residents and Mosque visitors. A commitment was also made by Council to re-establish the Council-Mosque Committee to hold discussions on ongoing and emerging issues at quarterly meetings with the participation of Mosque, Council, Victoria Police and neighbours.

Importantly, the working partnership between the Omar bin Al Kattab Mosque and the Darebin City Council is based on the following principles:

A respectful, collaborative and robust relationship Commitment to open dialogue for effective problem solving Obligation to community integration and positive neighbourhood relations Dedication to responding to the needs and issues of the Mosque, Council and the

wider community.

Embedding diversity within Council was also identified by Cr Greco as critical.

Cr Greco also emphasised his commitment to strengthening the council's relationship with Darebin's Aboriginal community, including exploring the possibility of a local treaty between the council and indigenous residents.

Key learnings

There is a need to invest long term in diversity and social cohesion rather than view it as a one off activity

Valuing diversity has to be seen as core business for Council Leadership around diversity and social cohesion A lot of councils feel ill-prepared and so don’t invest in activities promoting social inclusion.

This suggests the need to ensure sufficient support is provided in relation to building the capacity of local councils in relation to the successful design and implementation of social inclusion and anti-racism strategies.

Effective engagement with CALD communities is core to our business.

The existence of a robust relationship with civil society entitles Council to engage in the discussion of complex and emerging issues and to consider drivers perspectives and solutions

A proactive and prevention-oriented approach which allows a joint response to unanticipated human or community relations ‘disasters’ as a result of the impact of international and national events on the local community

The opportunity to influence perspectives and encourage interaction with the wider community, particularly for people who are newly arrived, refugees or are seeking asylum in Australia

Natalie Jacobson, Coordinator Inclusive CommunitiesCity of Greater Bendigo

Natalie Jacobson’s presentation focused on key learnings emerging from Bendigo’s recent experience of a planning application to build a Mosque.

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She began her presentation with some background information on the demographic makeup of Bendigo:

Greater Bendigo is becoming increasingly culturally diverse. The percentage of City of Greater Bendigo residents born overseas has risen to 7% of Bendigo's population, with 2% of households speaking a language other than English at home.

Over the past 10 years more than 300 Karen refugees have been welcomed to Greater Bendigo.

The Muslim community within Bendigo is estimated to be about 200 in a population of 110,000.

Ms Jacobson then provided participants with some background information in relation to the ‘Mosque Planning Application’. The proposal for the $3 million mosque, which includes two prayer rooms, a shop and a community sports hall, received more than 400 letters of objection, with more than half of them based on religious grounds.

Influence of other groups

Ms Jacobson explained that many Community leaders in Bendigo were of the view that much of the opposition at the meeting came from outsiders associated with anti-Muslim groups who travelled to Bendigo specifically to cause trouble. Locals also expressed concerns about anti-Islamic groups “hijacking” meetings that were supposed to discuss planning concerns.

Racist Targeting

Outside the council chamber Councillor Mark Weragoda received abuse linked to his Sri Lankan heritage with one spectator yelling ‘we don’t want you here’. His home and work have also been targeted with black balloons.

On January 11th, 2014, a Facebook page “Stop the Mosque in Bendigo” was created to oppose plans for the construction of the first Mosque in the Victorian city of Bendigo. Athis divisive social media page has subsequently been shut down by Facebook for violating its community standards.

COGB’s response

• Dealt with as “just another planning issue” - treating each submission on its merits. • Provide some guidance to customer service staff. • Liaised with the police re risk, protesters, and threatening emails to councillors. • Liaised closely with the applicant. • Internally focussed

Despite the orchestrated manipulation of the planning process, Councillors voted seven to two to support the $3 million development, which is funded by the Australian Islamic Mission.

Positive Community Responses

An initiative generated by a handful of locals concerned about the racism organised for hundreds of multi-coloured balloons across town, to send a message that "everyone is welcome in Bendigo". The group encouraged all people who supported inclusiveness to

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hang their own rainbow balloons around town to "push the tide of black and negativity and replace it with colourful and positivity.

In a further show of support, an online Change.org petition has attracted almost 1000 signatures and dozens of messages of support for the mosque and for diversity in Bendigo.

Bendigo Bank made the decision to close the account of the Stop the Mosque group. In a statement issued by the Bank it stated that the organisation values tolerance and inclusiveness, qualities which are an important part of a strong community and as such the bank would only do business with individuals and organisations that shares its values.

Launch of the Racism: It Stops With Me Campaign

Bendigo residents reject racism – The City of Greater Bendigo has become the 43rd Australian local council to sign-up to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s anti-racism campaign.

This campaign is designed to raise awareness and empower Australians to confront prejudice in their community. Greater Bendigo residents are proud and inclusive and I look forward to their full support...

Councillor Lyons – Mayor of City of Greater Bendigo

Ms Jacobson also outlined additional initiatives that are currently being undertaken by the Council, including the development of a cultural diversity strategy and an interfaith council. The City of Greater Bendigo also convene the Bendigo Local Settlement Planning Committee which has a strong partnership with a range of culturally and linguistically diverse organisations and community groups.

Lessons Learnt

Communication within the organisation and engaging different departments. Greater support to front line staff. Cannot be treated as “just another planning” issue due to social dimension and

consequently resource implications. Established position of the organisation and councillors regarding human rights related

issues. Point of contact with the police and protocol for gathering intelligence. Ongoing liaison but not responsibility placed on the Bendigo Islamic Association for

community education. Liaising with other stakeholders: police, La Trobe, community service organisations etc. Being more proactive to develop opportunities for the community to express a more

positive voice. Managing entry points to the organisation and communication flows / messages out Development of an internal strategy and protocol

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Rivkah Nissim, Principal Adviser, Race Discrimination Team Australian Human Rights Commission

Ms Nissim began her presentation with a brief overview of the National Anti-Racism Strategy, its origins, aims and objectives and some of the key campaigns involving local government engagement.

The aim of the Strategy is to promote a clear understanding in the Australian community of what racism is and how it can be prevented and reduced. The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is leading the implementation of the Strategy.

The Strategy focuses on public awareness, education resources and youth engagement. It is underpinned by research, consultation and evaluation. A key initiative of the Strategy is the 'Racism. It Stops with Me' campaign which currently has close to 300 organisational supporters including over 50 councils around Australia..

Ms Nissim then provided a comprehensive overview of the ‘Racism Stops with Me’ campaign. In keeping with Strategy’s focus on systemic change, the main focus of campaign is engaging organisations rather than individuals.

The campaign has been underpinned by key research findings which suggest that:

1 in 7 Australians say they experience discrimination because of their colour or background approximately 1 in 5 Australians say they have experienced race-hate talk, such as verbal

abuse, racial slur or name-calling around 1 in 10 Australians say they have experienced race-based exclusions in the

workplace or social events more than 1 in 20 Australians say they have been physically attacked because of their race.

Supporters commit to:• Endorse objectives of the campaign• Promote the campaign through their communications channels• Identify specific activities that their organisation can undertake over the life of the campaign

to support their stance against racism.

She provided an outline of the role of the Campaign secretariat at AHRC which includes:• Resources supporters – largely schools, councils, sporting clubs and local councils –

with materials and information • Sends monthly updates to supporters featuring good practice case studies and

promotes case studies on website.

Key resources developed to date include:• for government (unconscious bias training for service providers working with ATSI peoples)• for employers (Workplace Cultural Diversity Tool) • for education providers (curriculum resources)• Also support ARC CRaCR program (cyber-racism)

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The MAV has worked closely with the Commission to promote their “Racism. It Stops With Me” initiative to councils; and many councils are supporters of this campaign.

Ms Nissim then focused specifically on the area of local government engagement, highlighting some of the following case study examples:

CASE STUDY EXAMPLES

VicHealth LEAD projectThe Municipal Association of Victoria’s resource – Standing Up to Race-Based Discrimination, Local Government Continuing to Build Inclusive Communities was developed through Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) Localities Embracing and Accepting Diversity (LEAD) program funding.

City of WyndhamCouncil launched an event attended by 190 people where Wyndham Council signed on together with Werribee Football club. A guest speaker from North Melbourne Football Club highlighted the council’s commitment to the campaign.

Yarra City CouncilBefore signing on to “Racism. It Stops With Me” campaign Yarra Council’s youth ambassadors produced a you tube video talking about their experiences with racism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_c_4CRz_IQ

Hobson’s Bay CouncilTo support signing on to the campaign, Council implemented training by VEOHRC to staff, councillors, CEO, directors, managers, coordinators. They also sought individual staff pledges, added campaign logos to staff email signatures and undertook a workplace diversity assessment to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

City of MonashThe City of Monash have established various programs including ‘Let’s All Play’ for newly arrived migrants to participate in sport, Flavours Of Monash – sharing experiences and personal settlement journeys, digital stories project. The program engages CALD women to express their identity to the wider community through arts. These activities are not in direct response to the campaign but support Council’s commitment to the issue.

City of BendigoCouncil voted to join the campaign in July 2014 ’in light of recent events’ where the mayor invited residents to sign an anti-racism pledge at a community event, post a ‘selfie’ online or sign a pledge at council offices.

Darebin City CouncilDarebin City Council recently launched the ‘Say No to Racism’ project, which aims to encourage bystanders to take action when they witness racism. The project will create a training package, including a written manual and DVD, to help the Darebin community effectively respond to racism.

The training package will include:

An overview of racism and its impacts of the community

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Reasons why bystanders should take action Practical tools and skills that enable and empower people to take action The link between collective action and creating a culture where racism is not tolerated

City of Greater DandenongAt a Council meeting on 26 June 2013, Council unanimously pledged support for the campaign.Council’s pledge will further build on the existing work and initiatives such as community festivals, cultural and interfaith tours, Cultural Diversity and Refugee Week celebrations and various community projects.Council’s newly established project Racism. Get up. Speak Out. will play a significant role in advancing Councils position on the issue.In addition, Council:

endorsed the campaign by featuring the campaign logo on Council website is promoting the campaign widely is undertaking activities to support Council’s stance against racism.

Racism. Get Up. Speak Out. is a community project that encourages local people to speak out against racism. The experiences shared will contribute to a collection of anecdotes, stories and films that celebrate the positive action people take when they witness racist behaviour. This website features some of the stories of local people who are speaking out against racism.

In 2014 the City of Greater Dandenong (CGD) won a prestigious national award for its innovative project Racism. Get Up. Speak Out. The project was awarded in the ‘Multicultural Australia – strength in diversity’ category at the National Awards for Local Government held at Parliament House in Canberra. Announced by Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, the awards highlight innovative projects that deliver better outcomes for communities.

Under the Strategy, the Commission has prioritised development of a practical resource to support councils to respond to racism and strengthen social cohesion in their communities. Rivkah outlined a specific initiative that is currently being undertaken by the AHRC in relation to resourcing local government on issues related to the prevention and response of racism3.

The initiative specifically involves the development of an online resource to support local councils, in partnership with key stakeholders at the local level to:

• effectively prevent and respond to racism• manage inter-community conflict where it occurs, and • build cohesion between ethnically and culturally diverse communities (including

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and multicultural communities).

The resource will:

3 Since the presentation provided by AHRC, it has been announced that the ACELG have been appointed by the Commission to develop the online resource. The resource will be available on the ACELG website from July 2015.

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• articulate good practice principles or guidelines to guide local government engagement in this area and

• collate case studies demonstrating good practice in particular local government areas that may be of relevance to other councils.

Focus on areas including:• Effective prevention of, and responses to, racism and inter-community conflict• Partnerships and community governance models (involving, for example, councils,

police, non-government organisations, businesses, schools and/or community leaders); • Youth engagement and leadership, and• Adaptability to a range of communities and contexts.

Overall, the online resource will use evidence-based research, draw on best practice examples in Australia and overseas and provide practical tools and advice to strengthen social cohesion in diverse communities.

Ms Nissim concluded her presentation by emphasising the following key points:

research on international best practice in preventing racial discrimination highlights the importance of effective interventions at the community level.

local government is very well placed to contribute to building social cohesion in each of the key domains identified in the Scanlon-Monash Index of Social Cohesion: belonging; social justice and equity; participation: acceptance and rejection, and worth.

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Key Issues and Discussion

Key points that emerged through open discussion following presentations included:

Local governments have an important role in racism and social cohesion. Local government faces challenges in providing communities with effective leadership to

navigate through tensions that arise from time to time from cultural diversity in the community.

Local government is very well placed to contribute to building social cohesion in each of the key domains identified in the Scanlon-Monash Index of Social Cohesion: belonging; social justice and equity; participation: acceptance and rejection, and worth.

Engagement with stakeholders and collaboration across all levels of government is vital for enhancing Australia’s social cohesion and a vibrant community life.

Local government is a key point of contact for multicultural communities and a key player in maintaining socially cohesive communities.

Social tensions and conflicts do arise from time to time, and local government has a responsibility to monitor and respond appropriately.

The work of local governments on the ground in managing community tensions and the needs of communities should be commended - this work is indispensable.

Local government is very well placed to contribute to building social cohesion in each of the key domains identified in the Scanlon-Monash Index of Social Cohesion: belonging; social justice and equity; participation: acceptance and rejection, and worth.

The importance of local government linking into the Human Rights Charter in their planning processes.

That the outcomes of the LEAD project have not been adequately distributed and promoted across local government – some Councils have not been included in sharing learnings and resources that have emerged from LEAD.

Employment is a critical factor if social cohesion is to be translated into reality – local government has the lowest level of CALD representation across all three tiers of government.

Recommendations/Suggestions

That the MAV Multicultural Committee considers hosting a roundtable discussion aimed at developing a social cohesion framework for intercultural relations in a multicultural society.

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C. Access and Equity

Session Overview

The Access and Equity breakout session was facilitated by Cr Peter Lockwood, MAV Multicultural Committee Chairperson and involved presentations from Greater Shepparton City Council, City of Ballarat, Wodonga City Council and Gateway Health.

The key question guiding discussions was ‘How does Local Government ensure that its services and structures provide equal opportunity for participation?’

Presenters TopicKate Montgomery, Team Leader Community StrengtheningCharlene Norton, Cultural Development OfficerGreater Shepparton City Council

Working in partnership with Greater Shepparton’s Multicultural Community

Frances Salenga Coordinator Cultural DiversityIgor Zovko, Cultural Diversity AdvisorCity of Ballarat

City of Ballarat – Access and Equity

Brett Sanderson, Settlement OfficerWodonga CouncilDax Matthews, Project Coordinator for the Substance Misuse Service Delivery Grants FundGateway Health

Wodonga’s journey towards access & equity

Full copies of plenary presentations can be accessed at http://www.mav.asn.au/policy-services/social-community/multicultural/Pages/opportunities-for-partnerships-conference.aspx

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Summary of Presentations

Kate Montgomery, Team Leader Community Strengthening Charlene Norton, Cultural Development OfficerGreater Shepparton City Council

This presentation began with an overview of Greater Shepparton’s demographics and highlighted that 13.2% of the population in the region was born overseas. Ten percent of Shepparton’s residents come from a country where English is not the first language.

The Greater Shepparton City Council has implemented a range of initiatives to enhance its services and structures and thereby improve access and participation for local multicultural communities. Key initiatives covered in the presentation included:

Language services – Council uses pictorial communication boards and offers access to interpreters and a Multilingual Information Line Service

Festivals – Council partners with Multicultural Arts Victoria, the Shepparton English Language Centre, Bridge Youth Service, Yorta Yorta Nation and Uniting Care Cutting Edge to run an annual Emerge festival.

Greater Shepparton was also one of the two Councils that delivered the LEAD project. Initiatives that continue to operate as a result of the project include the Afghan Newsletter, LEAD Training for volunteer managers and staff, Respecting Differences Forums and the LEAD Art Project.

Future plans that Council is pursuing to enhance access and equity include partnership programs with:

Goulburn Murray AFL (to engage CALD youth)• A Reporting Racism Pilot with Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Victorian Equal Opportunity

and Human Rights Commission and Victoria Police• A Congolese Sewing Group• The Shepparton Fire Brigade (to promote fire safety to CALD communities)• Local Schools

Council is also working on developing Neighbourhood Plans which involve working with self-identifying neighbourhoods to build local capacity and engagement with newly arrived communities.

Frances Salenga Coordinator Cultural DiversityIgor Zovko, Cultural Diversity AdvisorCity of Ballarat

The City of Ballarat has adopted as its vision ‘an inclusive intercultural city’ and is increasingly attracting new arrival communities with 631 new migrants setting in the city in the last three years. The majority of new migrants arrived under the skilled migration stream and the family migration stream. A smaller number arrived under the humanitarian migration stream.

Council’s current Cultural Diversity strategy sets out four key priority areas including: Responsive service delivery Leadership and advocacy Sustaining an intercultural city Celebrating and valuing diversity

Key initiaves to support multicultural access and equity highighted in this presentation included:

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Establishing a multicultural information desk at the Ballarat Public Library. The desk is staffed by volunteers as a work experience opportunity and provides information on local services with a particular focus on settlement needs

The highly successful Multicultural Ambassador Program which serves as Council’s bridge to communities. Multicultural Ambassadors are active in the community delivering cultural awareness presentations at schools, businesses, local radio, etc.

The presentation also featured Council’s CALD careers program which emerged as a result of factors including:

A lack of formal assistance available to spouses of Skilled migrants A lack of employment services available to certain migrant groups Issues within existing Job Services Australia providers when dealing with migrants

Community and industry engagement were critical stages involved in setting up the program which so far has been completed by 100 participants. Of these, 46 have achieved ongoing employment outcomes. Council currently has 21 industry partners supporting the program and are continuing to engage with the corporate sector to grow the program.

Brett Sanderson, Settlement OfficerWodonga Council Dax Matthews, Project Coordinator for the Substance Misuse Service Delivery Grants FundGateway Health

The City of Wodonga has a population of around 38,000 with just under 10% of the resident population having been born overseas. More recently, around 1000 humanitarian entrants from Bhutan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo have settled in the city. The city is also home to a large skilled migrant and international student population.

This presentation covered some of the key challenges Council is facing in ensuring services and structures are accessible and inclusive of the participation of new arrival communities. These included:

• Access to interpreting services including limitations imposed by costs• A lack of information sharing between local services• A lack of settlement support programs particularly for skilled migrants• An inadequate referral system which results in clients going back and forth between service

providers• Eligibility limits for service access• Limited public transport• Capacity to respond to diverse needs• Impact of government policies• Community attitudes

Key initiatives Council is undertaking to address these issues include:• Establishing a Multicultural Interagency Network• Collaborating with the Albury Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council• Supporting cultural events and celebrations• Capacity building of service provider staff with a focus on using interpreters and cultural

awareness training• Taking an active advocacy role by engaging with media, business and government agencies

around the needs of new arrival communities• Leading community education programs through schools and art projects

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Wodonga Council is committed to strengthening its work in this area into the future by pursuing funding opportunities that will build social cohesion programs, expanding the use of interpreter services, targeted policies and action plans, staff training and recruitment strategies that will increasingly enable Council to reflect the community it serves.

A key partner organisation Council is working closely with is Gateway Health who are a leading local service provider in working with migrant communities. Gateway Health promote the service as a migrant welcome zone, employ a refugee health nurse and provide multilingual information and resources. The organisation delivers some settlement services and also offers on-site interpreters.

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Key Issues and Discussion

Key points that emerged through open discussion following presentations included:

Challenges for regional Councils using interpreters in situations involving small communities. This remains an ongoing issue more so when an on-site interpreter is required.

Some regional Councils are doing a lot of work with other local service providers to enhance understanding around when an interpreter needs to be accessed as well as issues related to working with interpreters.

Addressing family violence in CALD communities is increasingly being recognised as an issue in regional areas. Some Councils are using the ‘Settled and Safe’ program to raise the issue of family violence and impart information about Australian laws.

Shepparton Council also run a Culture Club program based on information provision for new arrival communities and bring in a guest speaker on the subject.

Councils are well placed to play a leadership role in employment initiatives for CALD communities, particularly around eliminating both perceived and actual barriers by working with communities and employers.

Youth unemployment continues to be a major issue in regional areas. Ballarat Council have achieved good outcomes in employment for migrant communities by

engaging local businesses to provide work experience opportunities. They run cultural awareness training for local businesses and train community members to apply for jobs. These initiatives have led to sustainable employment outcomes.

Recommendations/Suggestions:

That the MAV Multicultural Committee considers hosting a roundtable discussion around the role local government can play in supporting employment opportunities for migrant communities. This event could involve a series of good practice case studies by local government.

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Summary and Close

Following the break-out sessions, forum participants were invited to come together to reflect on the day’s learnings. This section sets out a summary of participant reflections.

The forum was inspiring in terms of highlighting that Councils are willing to come together to collaborate and achieve results. There is no sense of competition but rather a genuine desire for participation and working together to achieve results for the community.

Young people are intimidated about participating in forums such as this but local government need to do more to involve them in leadership activities and engage them to improve future prospects for this cohort.

In terms of partnerships it is important to recognise unequal power relations and larger organisations such as Councils should be making the first move in building relationships with the community sector.

Sharing is important – there is nothing to lose but much to gain by the local government sector in sharing ideas, resources, learnings etc.

Regional Councils are demonstrating remarkable innovation in working with humanitarian background communities. Forum participants were inspired by the examples of work being done.

There remain concerns around community voices that are not being heard. Councils need to do more work around accessing grassroots communities that may not necessarily be linked in to community services. This requires a more physical presence in the actual community.

Local government offers tremendous opportunity in relation to one of the biggest settlement challenges – employment. Councils need to be advocating more strongly in this area and pursuing partnerships or collaborations that address employment issues.

There is a need to document the evidence base around methodologies that are working. MAV could play a leadership role as a clearinghouse where this evidence base could be accessed.

Partnerships are also about engaging directly at grassroots and resourcing communities to be able to participate and contribute to planning and decision making processes.

We need to talk about social justice and recognise that it is instrumental to achieving social inclusion.

The Racism it stops with me campaign is an important and necessary one but does not address systemic racism which has a significant impact on settlement. Structural racism is most evident in unemployment rates amongst multicultural communities. Young people are seeing their elders unable to access jobs and this is influencing their perspective. Local government can do something about enthusiasm and entrepreneurship of young people.

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Councils who participated in the forum and who are doing very little will now have cultural diversity on their radar and hopefully actively pursue a response as part of their agenda

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Post Forum Feedback

“It was great to have the opportunity to recognise and learn from the initiatives and efforts of colleagues and to be able to realise just how much leadership local government really does show around social justice and inclusion”

Forum participants were also invited to contribute further feedback on the forum via email. This

section sets out a summary of responses across three areas:

key insights / learnings that emerged as a result of attending the forum

key outcomes that emerged as a result of discussions suggestions in proposing a way forward

Key insights / learnings that emerged as a result of attending the forum

The New York blueprints confirm that we are all on the right track. It is reassuring to see

what is happening overseas in a huge community is also happening in our back yard.

There are a number of best practice models achieving excellent outcomes but there are no

resources allocated to documenting and sharing these across local government.

Key outcomes that emerged as a result of discussions

Partnerships exist but are difficult to maintain due to funding requirements.

Information about the new settlement planning framework. Would have liked to hear more about how this will work practically and on the ground and how will it affect our work.

Hearing about the good work of other Councils.

The key outcome of conference was that the concept of 'partnerships' as a way of doing business in local government was put firmly on the table.  That can only be a good thing.

Suggestions in proposing a way forward

Local Government specific tools to help officers do their work effectively. Some Councils are doing really innovative work, but it is not being shared or picked up on by the peak bodies. For example the Diversity Capabilities Framework and other frameworks that can help advocate to improve knowledge transfer and commitment to the issue of diversity across local government using a consistent approach.

A greater focus on dialogue in the next forum. Question time is always “not enough time”. Speakers were too long, and in break-out sessions no time control.

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In terms of partnerships, funding is  a key element and so if there is no funding to facilitate partnerships it is difficult to have them, because each agency has its own agenda and needs to abide by funding requirements.

There was no mention of the Auditor General’s Report on Access and Equity released in May 2014. There are some alarming findings in the report that need to be considered and addressed.

The most difficult thing in this space has been making the cultural diversity agenda everyone’s business- this still is not happening. Knowledge transfer is obstructed by systems that create barriers to advancing the role. Local government officers work with a genuine desire to support the local community in their interests find themselves sidelined by Management structures that require copious reports rather than engaging in a discourse that allows us to find solutions. Everything must be done in ‘writing’ and in a particular way.

The forum was a very productive way of setting a positive agenda, and supporting local governments to set their own positive agendas - and that is the way forward.   

  

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Appendices

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Appendix 1: Program

8:45am Registration and Networking/Coffee

9.15am Overview of the Program and Housekeeping Maria Dimopoulos, Facilitator

9.25am Welcome to Wyndham City Cr Intaj KhanWyndham City CouncilMAV Multicultural Committee

9.30am Keynote Address: The Role of Local Government in Multicultural Policy – An International Perspective

Fatima ShamaFormer CommissionerNew York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs

10.10am Morning Tea

10.40am Local Government Sectoral View Cr Bill McArthurPresidentMunicipal Association of Victoria

10.50am Federal Government Perspective: Settlement and Multicultural Affairs

Bernadette RyanState ManagerDepartment of Social Services

11.00am State Government Perspective: Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship

Hakan AkyolDirectorOffice of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship

11.10am Community Sector View Dr Irene BouzoActing Director Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria

11.20am Koories in Council Lidia ThorpeAboriginal Employment Advisor Municipal Association of Victoria

11.30am Multicultural policy and planning at the municipal level

Cr Gautam GuptaChair, Cultural Diversity Strategy and Policy Development CommitteeWyndham City Council

11.40am Panel Discussion with all plenary presenters Maria DimopoulosFacilitator

12.30pm Lunch Break

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1.30pm Breakout Session 1

A. Settlement PlanningB. Social CohesionC. Access and Equity

See details below

2.30pm Afternoon Tea

2.45pm Breakout Session 2

A. Settlement PlanningB. Social CohesionC. Access and Equity

See details below

3.50pm Plenary performance Abe NoukPoet and spoken word artist

4.00pm Summing Up Maria DimopoulosFacilitator

4.15pm Forum Finishes

(with slippage this could go back to 5pm)

Breakout Sessions

A. Settlement Planning Council Chambers

Facilitator: Eilis HughesSenior Policy and Planning Officer, Wyndham City Council

Panellists:

John Smith & Terri SoumilasBrimbank City Council

Veema Mooniapah City of Greater GeelongMaureen O’KeefeDiversitat

Jennie BarreraWyndham Community & Education CentreKriss McKieWyndham City Council

B. Social Cohesion Function Room 1

Facilitator:Maria Dimopoulos Myriad Consultants

Panellists:

Cr Gaetano GrecoDarebin City Council

Natalie JacobsonCity of Greater Bendigo

Rivkah Nissim

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Australian Human Rights Commission

C. Access and Equity Function Rooms 2 & 3

Facilitator: Cr Peter LockwoodCity of KnoxMAV Multicultural Committee Chairperson

Panellists:

Kate Montgomery & Charlene NortonGreater Shepparton City Council

Frances Salenga & Igor ZovkoCity of Ballarat

Brett SandersonWodonga CouncilDax MatthewsGateway Health

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Appendix 2: Speakers

Plenary

Cr Intaj Khan moved to Wyndham in 2008 and is married with five children and lives in Truganina. He holds a business degree and is CEO of Western Technology. During his time in Wyndham Cr Khan has been actively involved in many community groups including Kindergarten Committees, a multicultural group and the Australian Council of Education Providers. Cr Khan Is Council's Economic Development portfolio holder, and he represents Wyndham on the MAV Multicultural Policy Committee.

Fatima Shama is the Vice President of Strategic Development and External Affairs at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. She was formerly the Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, a position she had held since 2009. Prior to that she served as Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s senior education policy advisor. Ms. Shama joined Mayor Bloomberg’s office in 2006 to work on a special initiative on the intersection between health care, language access and literacy. Before that, she was the executive director of the Greater Brooklyn Health Coalition. Ms. Shama earned a BA from Binghamton University and a Masters in Public Administration from Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs Executive Program. The daughter of a Brazilian mother and a Palestinian father, Ms. Shama speaks five languages. She works with the Center for Community and Ethnic Media on its Newsmaker Series, which offers opportunities for community and ethnic journalists to have direct contact with public officials.

Cr Bill McArthur will this year chalk up 23 years of service to local government. After relocating to the country hamlet of Haddon in 1981 to open a small business with his wife Lyn and two children, Bill discovered that he was well suited to the active community lifestyle that Golden Plains Shire is renowned for. Cr McArthur was a councillor at the former Shire of Grenville from 1991 to 1994, and has been a councillor with Golden Plains Shire since 1996.  He served as mayor for two terms in 2004 and 2005. Cr McArthur has been the President of the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) since 2009 and has been Golden Plains Shire Council’s MAV representative since 1996.  He was elected to the MAV Board by the Rural South Central Region in 2005, and has been a Director of the Australian Local Government Association since 2009. As MAV President, Bill has strived to represent the collective and influential voice of local government across Victoria responsibly, ethically and passionately. Bill is also a current White Ribbon ambassador.

Bernadette Ryan is currently the Victorian State Manager for the Department of Social Services. The Department of Social Services was created after the last federal election and brings together parts of four previous agencies: Health & Ageing; Families, Housing, Sport, Communities & Indigenous Affairs; Immigration; and Employment, Education & Workplace Relations. Prior to her return to federal government in 2001, Bernadette was with the Victorian Government and responsible for all marketing and communications strategy and implementation for the ministers and portfolios of Planning, Community Development, Local Government, Heritage Victoria, Sport and Recreation, Veterans Affairs, Office of Disability, Office for Youth, Office for Women, Indigenous Affairs and the Respect Agenda. Bernadette has over 20 years in the Commonwealth Public Service and has held various positions in the Australian Taxation Office, before moving to the Department of Human Services and also working on secondment to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Hakan Akyol has extensive experience in multicultural affairs having had various roles within the community, local government and state government. He is presently the Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship within the Victorian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet. His previous roles have included:

Interim Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission (2011) Deputy Chairperson and Director of the Victorian Multicultural Commission (2005-11)

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Deputy Director of the Victorian Office of Multicultural Affairs (2001-2005) Executive Officer of the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (1993-2001) HACC Ethnic Access & Equity Officer for Southern Metro Region (1989-1993, working across

seven local Governments and based at what was then the City of Moorabbin) Secretary of what was then called the Local Government Ethnic Services Group (civica 1990-

31) Bilingual Rehabilitation Coordinator (1989)

In his student days he also had brief stints as a mediator, houseparent, occupational therapy assistant, kitchen hand, pizza deliveries and as a taxi driver. He has had various roles on a range of committees of management as well as representation on Commonwealth and State advisory committees. He has a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Social Work.

Dr Irene Bouzo is the Senior Policy Officer at Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (ECCV) and currently the Acting Executive Officer. She has worked there for six years consulting with culturally diverse community groups and policy committees on a range of issues such as aged care, employment barriers and building partnerships in Victoria’s multicultural community.

Lidia Thorpe is MAV’s Aboriginal employment project adviser, a Gunnai / Gunditjmara woman from the South East and Western parts of Victoria. Lidia is well connected to Victorian Aboriginal communities she has worked in a number of Aboriginal organisations and in diverse rolls for all tiers of government, Lidia is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of her people and believes local government’s partnering with their Aboriginal communities is one very important element to addressing disadvantage amongst Aboriginal Victorians.

Cr Gautam Gupta is a healthcare professional in the field of Audiology, who lives and works in Hoppers Crossing. Cr Gupta has been involved in and supported a wide range of community groups and is currently Council's Cultural Diversity portfolio holder. Other areas of special focus for Cr Gupta are alignment between Council and community values, inclusive and accountable governance practices, the provision of infrastructure, such as the road network and access to public transport, in accordance with local requirements including population growth.

Settlement Planning

John Smith is the Coordinator, Community Planning and Partnerships at Brimbank City Council. He has had extensive experience in social planning and research and community engagement. Previous positions include: Principal researcher at Cedar Creek Consultancy Services; Manager Social Inclusion and Diversity at Darebin City Council, and Senior Project Manager at Aboriginal Affairs Victoria.

Terri Soumilas is the Community Planning & Engagement Officer in the Engagement Team at Brimbank. She currently is responsible for Brimbank’s CALD portfolio, where she has worked extensively with local organisations and service providers in developing programs and projects that respond to and address local needs and aspirations. More recently, Terri’s work at Brimbank has had a strong focus on the needs of refugees and asylum seekers. Terri has had extensive experience in working within the community sector, as well as in local government.

Veema Mooniapah works as community development officer at the City of Greater Geelong (CoGG), since 6 years. She developed CoGG first Diversity Policy and Multicultural Action Plan. Her main role includes implementing the MAP, by also coordinating a whole of Council approach to implementation. To this end she works closely with other local agencies like Diversitat, Minerva Community Services and Barwon Health. Within her role Veema also supports the Geelong Interfaith Network where she helped the group to be

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incorporated, create a monthly radio program called the “Voice of Interfaith” and develop a strategic plan, among others.

Maureen O’Keefe is an experienced broadcaster, trainer and manager with more than 15 years’ experience working with multilingual and multicultural communities. Maureen worked for 10 years as a broadcaster with the ABC before moving to Alice Springs where she managed the multilingual Aboriginal Radio Station, 8KIN FM. Maureen went on to manage Melbourne’s on 3ZZZ, Australia’s largest ethnic community ration station, with over 300 volunteers broadcasting in 57 different languages. Later she worked as the Training Manager for SBS radio in Melbourne before joining AMES to manage the establishment and ongoing operation of the Multicultural Hub, located opposite the Victoria Market. Earlier this year she returned to her home town of Geelong, where she is now manager of Settlement and Community programs at Diversitat, with a team of 40 providing a diverse range of services to migrant and refugee communities.

Jennie Barrera is the CEO of the Wyndham Community & Education Centre Inc a position she has held since 2007. She has worked with refugee and migrant communities for over 30 years.

Jennie is the chairperson of the Wyndham Humanitarian Network (WHN), established in 2005 to facilitate successful settlement of new arrivals in the city of Wyndham. In 2010, Wyndham CEC established the first Interfaith Network in Wyndham which Jennie chaired for two years.

In 2009, Jennie received a Victorian Multicultural Award for Excellence and a Julia Gillard MP, Above and Beyond Award for services to the community.  In 2012, she was selected as one of 40 People of Australia Ambassadors by the previous government to provide input to the Australian Multicultural Council.

Jennie is also a member of the North West Adult Community and Further Education Regional Council, Vice-Chair of the WynBay LLEN and a member of the Police and Community Multicultural Advisory Committee (PACMAC).

Kriss McKie is Manager, Social Development at Wyndham City Council.

Social Cohesion

Cr Gaetano Greco is currently Mayor of City of Darebin. Elected as a councillor in 2008, he has served on many social policy committees and has been an advocate for embedding cultural diversity in local government. In 2011 he was elected to the Municipal Association of Victoria’s (MAV) Board and became the first chair of the MAV Advisory Committee on Multiculturalism. Before becoming a Councillor Gaetano was a community activist campaigning on social justice issues associated with migrant and refugee communities. He has travelled widely and also volunteered for two international election monitoring missions. He has a degree in accounting and a graduate diploma in sociology and labour studies.

Natalie Jacobson is the Coordinator Inclusive Communities at City of Greater Bendigo. Natalie has a background in community development and social work, both internationally, including working in developing countries, and in Australia. She started at City of Greater Bendigo in January this year.

Rivkah Nissim is the manager of discrimination policy and research at the Australian Human Rights Commission and previously worked as principal adviser to the Race Discrimination Commissioner Dr Tim Soutphommasane. Rivkah came to the federal Commission from a senior policy advisory role at the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission. Rivkah’s background is in the non-government sector where she has worked in social policy and project management in areas including disability, emergency relief, family violence and housing. Rivkah has recently completed a Social Justice Fellowship at the University of Sydney with a research focus on racism and resilience.

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Access and Equity

Kate Montgomery is Team Leader for the Community Strengthening department at Greater Shepparton City Council.  Kate has a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Human Resources and Management, is a Fairley Leadership Program Fellow and has worked in the community services industry in Human Resource and Management positions for the last decade.  Kate’s current work sees her team work on many areas of community development, engagement and capacity building including the areas of Community & Neighbourhood Planning, Community Matching Grants, Volunteer Management, Community Safety, Municipal Health and Wellbeing, Aboriginal Partnerships and Cultural Development. 

Charlene Norton has been with Greater Shepparton City Council for a year where she began working on the Localities Embracing and Accepting Diversity (LEAD) project. She was then appointed as the Cultural Development Officer in January of this year.  Charlene’s role is driven largely by Greater Shepparton City Council’s Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action plan.  She sits on a number of local committees and advisory groups including Victorian Multicultural Commission’s Hume Regional Advisory Council, The Ethnic Council Shepparton & District’s Integrated Settlement Planning Committee and the Department of Justice’s Hume Region CALD Advisory Committee Shepparton.

Frances Salenga is Coordinator Cultural Diversity at the City of Ballarat, where she oversees the roll-out of the Council’s Cultural Diversity Strategy. Frances is very keen in promoting social inclusion, community engagement, participation and capacity building; particularly focusing on the needs of culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse groups. She has a BA in English Literature, and a Masters in Social and Development Studies with a major in Anthropology, Sociology and Development Management.

Igor Zovko is Cultural Diversity Advisor at the City of Ballarat after having served as a Multicultural Ambassador in 2012-14.  He is a Senior Manager with extensive experience in recruitment, executive search and talent acquisition projects operating within the Professional Services and Management Consulting industry sectors.  His passion is to help young people by inspiring them to dream big so one day they are able to achieve their goals.  He hopes to be part of the solution to the social, cultural and economic challenges that is facing the Western region.

Brett Sanderson is the Settlement Officer at the Wodonga Council, through the Settlement Grants Program, and the Project Coordinator for the Albury Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council. Brett has also worked with local Skilled Migrants, through the Regional Skilled Migration Program. He is passionate about supporting the overall well-being of his clients, and in tackling the issue of respect and responsiveness of services.

Dax Matthews is the Project Coordinator for the Substance Misuse Service Delivery Grants Fund at Gateway Health in Wodonga. Dax is heavily involved in capacity building to ensure Gateway Health and other local services are equipped to deliver culturally competent and responsive services to the Refugee, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities. Dax has experience in Complex Case delivery and is a Mental Health First Aid Instructor and a DRUMBEAT facilitator.

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Appendix 3: Conference Delegates

ORGANISATION POSITION TITLE FIRST LAST EMAILMoonee Valley City Council

Community Planning Officer Ms Sally Abbott sabbott@mvcc.vic.gov.au

Department of Social Services

Multicultural Community Liaison Officer

Mr Michael Abdilla michael.abdilla@dss.gov.au

Horn of Africa Communities Network Inc.

Executive Director Mr Terefe Aborete terefe@dodo.com.au

Community organisation

Chairperson, African Think Tank

Dr Berhan Ahmed b.ahmed@unimelb.edu.au

Stonnington City Council

Cultural Diversity Planner Mrs Aysin Akdendiz AAkdeniz@stonnington.vic.gov.au

Victorian Government Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship

Director Hakan Akyol

Frankston City Council Community Development Mr Wazed Ali Wazed.Ali@frankston.vic.gov.au

Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women's Coalition

Community Development and Partnership Officer Northwest

Ms Safa Almarhoun Safa.Almarhoun@virwc.org.au

Hume City Council Coord Community Capacity Building Southern

Ms Romany Amarasignham

romanya@hume.vic.gov.au

Hume City Council Access and Equity Planner Ms Julie Andrews juliea@hume.vic.gov.au

Kingston City Council Community Development Officer

Ms Timmah Ball timmah.ball@kingston.vic.gov.au

City of Melbourne Cultural Diversity Officer Ms Kara Barnett karbar@melbourne.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

CEO Ms Jennie Barrera jennieb@wyndhamcec.org.au

Victoria Police. Superintendent Mr Stuart Bateson stuart.bateson@police.vic.gov.au

Sports Without Borders

General Manager Mr Tarik Bayrakli tarik.bayrakli@sportswithoutborders.org

Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria

Acting Executive Officer Dr Irene Bouzo

Brimbank City Council Acting Manager Community Planning and Development

Ms Kath Brackett KathB@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Moonee Valley City Council

Deputy Vice President Mr Justin Bridgman jbjb@ymail.com

Hume City Council HACC Aboriginal Liaison Officer

Ms Leanne Brooke leanneb@hume.vic.gov.au

Greater Geelong City Council

Care Management Officer Mrs Louise Broom lbroom@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Team Leader Governance and Community Leadership

Mrs Sharon Brown sharon.brown@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Moreland City Council Diversity Officer Ms Nelum Buddhadasa Nbuddhadasa@moreland.vic.gov.au

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Whittlesea City Council

Multicultural Officer Ms Fotunata Maria

Callipari maria.callipari@whittlesea.viv.gov.au

Melton City Council Access and Support Outreach Officer

Mrs Lillian Campos lillianc@melton.vic.gov.au

Port Phillip City Council

Coordinator Access & Inclusion

Ms Laura Cattapan lcattapa@portphillip.vic.gov.au

Knox City Council Councillor Cr Joe Cossari joe.cossari@knox.vic.gov.au

Kingston City Council Community Development Coordinator

Ms Kate Daddo kate.daddo@kingsotn.vic.gov.au

ECCV Policy Officer Ms Sylvia Daravong sdaravong@eccv.org.au

Yarra City Council Community Planner Ms Cristina Del Frate cristina.delfrate@yarracity.vic.gov.au

Darebin City Council Multicultural Affairs Coordination

Mr Cesar Diaz cesar.diaz@darebin.vic.gov.au

Moonee Valley City Council

Treasurer Ms Nikki Donelan ndonelan@gmail.com

Victoria Police Multicultural Liaison Officer - VicPol

Mr Richard Dove richard.dove@police.vic.gov.au

OriginsInfo Researcher Mr Michael Dove michael@originsinfo.com.au

Greater Dandenong City Council

Coordinator Health & Wellbeing

Ms Rachael Duncombe Rachael.Duncombe@cgd.vic.gov.au

VICSEG New Futures Manager: Programs for Families, Children and Young people

Ms Janet Elefsiniotis jelefsiniotis@vicsegnewfutures.org.au

Darebin City Council Events and Marketing Projects Coordinator

Ms Deborah Equid deborah.equid@darebin.vic.gov.au

Ballarat City Council Acting Manager Community Development

Ms Jenny Fink jennyfink@ballarat.vic.gov.au

Stonnington City Council

Community Support and Divesity Coordinator

Ms Julie Fry jfry@stonnington.vic.gov.au

Brimbank City Council Community Services Officer Mrs Jenna Fuimaono jennafui@yahoo.comMoonee Valley City Council

CEO Mr Andrew Gason newcivilizationbuilders@gmail.com

Multicultural Arts Victoria

Project Officer Ms Robyn Gawenda youth@multiculturalarts.com.au

DHS Community Participation Mr Haileluel Gebre-selassie

haileluel.gebre-selassie@dhs.vic.gov.au

Cardinia Shire Council Community Planner Ms Glenda George g.george@cardinia.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Councillor Cr Peter Gibbons Jodie.Cowland@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Community Development Officer

Ms Kerrie Godbold Kerrie.Godbold@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Councillor Cr Glenn Goodfellow Jodie.Cowland@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Bayside City Council HACC Diversity Adviser SMR Ms Katie Goodrope kgoodrope@bayside.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Research Officer Ms Sibel Gradinscak sibel.gradinscak@wyndham.vic.gov.au

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Monash City Council Social Policy and Program Coordinator

Ms Eugenia Grammatikakis

eugeniag@monash.vic.gov.au

Casey City Council Manager Ms Janette Green jgreen@casey.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Director Community Development

Ms Kelly Grigsby kelly.grigsby@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Chairperson,Cultural Diversity Strategy

Cr Gautam Gupta

Wodonga City Council Settlement Assistance Coordinator

Ms Rachel Habgood rhabgood@wodonga.vic.gov.au

Monash City Council Multiculteral community Development officer

Mrs Amara Hamid amarah@monash.vic.gov.au

Maribyrnong City Council

Diversity Coordinator Ms Catherine

Hedley catherine.hedley@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women's Coalition

Community Development and Partnership Officer Southeast

Mrs Nga Hosking Nga.Hosking@virwc.org.au

Wyndham City Council

Senior Policy & Planning Officer

Ms Eilis Hughes eilis.hughes@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Ballarat City Council General Manager People & Communities

Mr Neville Ivey nevilleivey@ballarat.vic.gov.au

Greater Bendigo City Council

coordinator inclusive communities

Ms Natalie Jacobson natskye@hotmail.com

Wyndham City Council

Senior Policy and Planning Officer

Mr Alex Jarvis alex.jarvis@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Data Analyst Ms Victoria Kapke victoria.kapke@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre Inc

CEO Ms Rosemary

Kelada UrsulaV@spectrumvic.org.au

Greater Dandenong City Council

Community Development Officer

Ms Biljana Komnenovic bkomne@cgd.vic.gov.au

Migrant Resource Centre (New Hope Foundation)

Settlement Manager Ms Pamela Kosij pamelak@newhope.asn.au

Greater Geelong City Council

Care Management Officer Ms Laura Krastins Lkrastins@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women's Coalition

Community Development Officer- Frankston

Mrs Sarita Kulkarni Sarita@bbtcpl.com

Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission

Senior Adviser Education Ms Jane Lewis jane.lewis@veohrc.vic.gov.au

Darebin City Council Team Leader Equity and Diversity

Ms Karin Linden klinden@darebin.vic.gov.au

Knox City Council Councillor, MAV Board Member

Cr Peter Lockwood peter.lockwood@knox.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Community Development Officer

Mr James Lombe Simon james.simon@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Mornington Peninsula Shire Council

Community Access Planner Ms Xiaoli Ma maxiao@mornpen.vic.gov.au

Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women's Coalition

Executive Director Ms Melba Marginson Melba.Marginson@virwc.org.au

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Whittlesea City Council

Leisure Inclusion Officer Mrs Serena Marriott serena.marriott@whittlesea.vic.gov.au

Australian Red Cross National Coordinator Mrs Diana Mastrantuono

dmastrantuono@redcross.org.au

City of Melbourne Coordinator Community Infrastructure and Participation

Mr David Mazzotta davmav@melbourne.vic.gov.au

Municipal Association of Victoria

President Cr Bill McArthur

Moonee Valley City Council

Community Support and Development Officer

Ms Kate McClure kmcclure@mvcc.vic.gov.au

Port Phillip City Council

Multicultural Liaison Officer Mr Ciaran McCormack cmccorma@portphillip.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Leading Communities Coordinator

Ms Kriss McKie kriss.mckie@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Moira Shire Council Comunity Development Officer

Ms Annabelle

Mendoza amendoza@moira.vic.gov.au

Mitchell Shire Council Coordinator Community Development

Ms Geua Montana geua.montana@mitchellshire.vic.gov.au

Victorian Multicultural Commission

Director Mr Rudy Monteleone rudy.monteleone@vmc.vic.gov.au

Greater Shepparton City Council

Team Leader Community Strengthening

Mrs Kate Montgomery kate.montgomery@shepparton.vic.gov.au

Greater Geelong City Council

Community Development Officer

Ms Veema Mooniapah vmooniapah@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

Multicultural Arts Victoria

Chief Executive Officer Ms Jill Morgan eo@multiculturalarts.com.au

City of Melbourne Community Leader Mr Yasseen Musa parsu.sl@police.vic.gov.au

iEmpower CEO Mr Abeselom

Nega abeselom@iempower.com.au

Hume City Council Team Leader Youth Partnership

Ms Janice Nicholson janicen@hume.vic.gov.au

Hobsons Bay City Council

Coordinator Social Planning nad Development

Ms Jo Noesgaard jnoesgaard@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Community Development Officer

Ms Casey Northam casey.northam@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Greater Shepparton City Council

Cultural Development Officer

Ms Charlene Norton charlene.norton@shepparton.vic.gov.au

Whittlesea City Council

Multicultural Policy and Planning Coordinator

Mr Salvador Nunez salvador.nunez@whittlesea.vic.gov.au

Diversitat settlement and community support program

Settlement and Community Support Manager

Ms Maureen O’Keeffe maureen.okeeffe@diversitat.org.au

Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria

HACC Sectoral Development Officer

Ms ChenSu Ooi cooi@eccv.org.au

Whitehorse City Council

Community Development Officer

Ms Railey Orger railey.orger@whitehorse.vic.gov.au

Municipal Association of Victoria

Multicultural Policy Adviser Mr Con Pagonis cpagonis@mav.asn.au

Greater Geelong City Council

Youth Development Officer Mrs Danielle Parker dparker@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

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Whittlesea City Council

Councillor Cr Kris Pavlidis kris.pavlidis@whittlesea.vic.gov.au

Municipal Association of Victoria

Manager Workforce Mr Geoff Pawsey gpawsey@mav.asn.au

Wyndham City Council

Cultural Youth Development Officer

Marie Pewhairangi marie.pewhairangi@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Ballarat City Council Councillor Cr Cr John Philips johnphilips@ballarat.vic.gov.au

Melton City Council Consultant Ms Gail Price gailp@melton.vic.gov.au

Local Government Victoria

Manager Intergovernmental Relations

Ms Kathy Pryor Kathy.Pryor@dtpli.vic.gov.au

Boroondara City Council

Community Development Officer

Ms Theresa Rajah theresa.rajah@boroondara.vic.gov.au

Manningham City Council

Social Planning Ms Kirsten Reedy kirsten.reedy@manningham.vic.gov.au

Healthwest Project Officer Mrs Laura Ribarow laura.ribarow@healthwest.org.au

Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria

Policy Officer Aged Care Mr Nikolaus Rittinghausen nrittinghausen@eccv.org.au

Moorabool Shire Council

Living at home coordinator Mrs Jean Robinson jrob@moorabool.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Facilitator Mrs Helen Rodd Helen.Rodd@vu.edu.au

Centre for Multicultural Youth

Sector and Community Partnerships Manager

Ms Gabi Rosenstreich grosenstreich@cmy.net.au

Federal Department of Social Services

Victorian State Manager Bernadette

Ryan

Ballarat City Council Coordinator Cultural Diversity

Mrs Frances Salenga francessalenga@ballarat.vic.gov.au

Wodonga City Council Settlement Assistance Officer

Mr Brett Sanderson bsanderson@wodonga.vic.gov.au

Southern Migrant & Refugee Centre

CEO Ms Jenny Semple jennys@smrc.org.au

City of Melbourne President Mr Yadata Shaba parsu.sl@police.vic.gov.au

City of Melbourne New & emerging Communities Liaison Officer

Mr Parsu Sharma-Luital parsu.sl@police.vic.gov.au

Darebin City Council Diverse Communications Advisor

Ms Tharshini Sivarajah sash.sivarajah@gmail.com

Brimbank City Council Coordinator, Community Planning and Partnerships

Mr John Smith JohnS@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women's Coalition

Project Leader-Casey Mrs Elaine Smith Elaine.m.smith@bigpond.com

Brimbank City Council Community Engagement Ms Terri Soumilas terris@brminbak.vic.gov.au

Maroondah City Council

Immunisation Coordinator Ms Lisa Sparkes lisa.sparkes@maroondah.vic.gov.au

Moorabool Shire Council

living at home assessment officer

Ms Nicole Sparrow nsparr@moorabool.vic.gov.au

Maribyrnong City Diversity Planner Mr Petr Svoboda petr.svoboda@marib

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Council yrnong.vic.gov.auVicHealth Senior Project Officer,

Mental WellbeingMrs Tara Szafraniec tszafraniec@vichealt

h.vic.gov.auMunicipal Association of Victoria

Aboriginal Employment Advisor

Ms Lidia Thorpe lthorpe@mav.asn.au

Frankston City Council Social Policy Coordinator Ms Christine Tudor Christine.Tudor@frankston.vic.gov.au

Yarra City Council Commuity Grants Team Leader

Mr Michael Van Vliet michael.vanvliet@yarracity.vic.gov.au

Australian Red Cross National Manager Mrs Sonia Vignjevic svignjevic@redcross.org.au

Moonee Valley City Council

Vice President Mr Luke Virgona virgona_7@hotmail.com

Yarra City Council Community Planner Ms Katherine

Vrettas katherine.vrettas@yarracity.vic.gov.au

Hobsons Bay City Council

Intake officer and Project worker

Ms Lucy Vucic Lvucic@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

Hobsons Bay City Council

Multicultural Officer Ms Tatiana Walker twalker@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

Wyndham City Council

Researcher Dr Paula Wright paula.wright@wyndham.vic.gov.au

Department of Social Services

A/g Assistant Director, Multicultural Affairs & Settlement Services

Mr Jason Zaikos jason.zaikos@dss.gov.au

ECCV Project Officer Mrs Daniela Zatarakoska dzatarakoska@eccv.org.au

Ballarat City Council BRMC & CD Advisor Mr Igor Zovko igor.zovko@wedderburgconsulting.com.au

Wyndham City Council

Committee member Wyndham Cultural diversity strategy & policy development

Mrs Valeska Zuniga-Chondo

valeska.vzc@gmail.com

Migrant Resource Centre (New Hope Foundation)

Settlement Coordinator Ms Heidi Zwick heidiz@newhope.asn.au

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