This Thursday 21 February, the City of Greater Geelong launched the Multicultural Action Plan 2018-2022 which was developed in consultation with local community groups and agencies.
Geelong is home to large
numbers of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who
have helped to shape the cultural and economic fabrics of our city for decades.
Our culturally diverse communities form 16.2% of our total population of
245,751, not including recent arrivals who are mainly from Syria, Iraq,
Afghanistan and Burma.
Diversity has many proven
benefits and Geelong is a settlement region of choice for many skilled migrants
and their families who invest in businesses and fill our skill shortages in
many areas including health. Our international students from various countries
including India, China and Malaysia are an integral part of our diverse
community and international education contributes $35 billion to the Australian
economy and the economic benefit to Geelong is $62Million.
The Multicultural Action Plan is a great reflection of the Council Plan 2018-2022 which has a focus
on putting our community first and the aspirations for a clever and creative
future as outlined in our community’s 30-year vision. To this end, the plan’s
focus is to address real community needs and build community capacity in the
areas of employment, celebration of cultures and identity, leadership and
social cohesion.
The plan will further guide
us in ensuring that our programs and services are reflective of our diverse
community and is keeping pace with good practice models and international
standards.
Mayor Bruce Harwood says:
Part of our clever and creative
vision is for Greater Geelong to continue to be a welcoming place for everyone.
We have a long and proud history of welcoming new residents from all around the
world, and they’ve each made a unique contribution to our region. The many
different cultures and backgrounds that make up our community are part of what
makes this such a fantastic place to live.
The Multicultural Action Plan aims to make sure we take every opportunity to
embrace our diversity and create an environment where everyone feels welcome
and included.
Cr Kylie Grzybek, Chair, Multicultural Action Plan
Advisory Committee says:
Throughout Geelong’s
history we’ve consistently welcomed migrants and refugees from different
cultural backgrounds, and 16 per cent of our current population was born
overseas. With more than 50 different cultural communities in our region, we’re
an extremely diverse city. That’s something we rightly celebrate throughout the
year, with this weekend’s Pako Festa being the largest and most famous example.
Our new Multicultural Action Plan will guide us in connecting with and
listening to each of these communities, as we work to make sure we’re
delivering the services and programs they need. We want every person in Geelong
to feel included and valued