The new plan will outline the council’s multicultural strategies, aimed at supporting and promoting Greater Shepparton’s multicultural communities.
“Greater Shepparton has a large multicultural community, with 15 per cent of the region’s population born overseas,” Mayor Shane Sali said.
“We are very proud of our long migration history, which has resulted in Greater Shepparton being a large, culturally diverse community.
“Considering this, it is important council highlights its commitment to cultural diversity by continuing to develop a strategy that has a direct focus on multiculturalism.”
The new action plan would see the mayor issue a greeting message to the respective multicultural communities in Greater Shepparton on the day of key culturally significant festivals.
Development of the action plan will involve community consultation, expected to begin in February.
As part of the 2019-2022 multicultural strategy, council continued support for Converge on the Goulburn and St George’s Rd Food Festival, formed new partnerships including with the Friendship Café and provided funding to St Paul’s African House for the Taste of African Culture event.
According to the council report, council officers have also been working with multicultural agencies and communities in response to the October floods.
Keeping with the themes of the multicultural strategy, these efforts include supporting multicultural food relief, sandbag initiatives, incorporating translators at relief centres and bilingual workers accompanying emergency service agencies during door knocking.
During the discussion at council’s December meeting, Cr Anthony Brophy acknowledged the impact of the recent flood event on multicultural communities.
“We still have a long way to go in the interaction and engagement with some sections of the new migrant population, as evidenced in the recent flood event,” Cr Brophy said.
“These can be positive learnings and from these we can build and become a better, more inclusive and diverse community.”
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