Our multicultural community
About
- Cardinia Shire Council recognises the importance of supporting diversity in our vibrant and growing communities. Our diversity is highly valued and a source of great strength and resilience.
- Promoting an inclusive shire that respects human rights, celebrates diversity and fosters participation in all aspects of community life is central to our goal of achieving better outcomes for every resident.
- All residents should feel valued, included, respected and able to access the range of services, programs and facilities we offer.
- Council has a range of policies, and events and initiatives to support our multicultural community.
- A number of local organisations support our culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community, including the CALD Network and Cardinia Interfaith Network.
Council has signed up to the 'Racism. It Stops With Me' campaign to raise awareness of the terrible impact of racist behaviour on those who experience it.
Visit the Taking a stand against racism page to access an online tool you can use to report racism that you personally experience or witness in the Cardinia Shire community.
Policies to support our multicultural community
View these policies to find out how we support diversity and inclusivity in Cardinia Shire.
Social Justice and Equity Policy 2019-23 Cultural Diversity Plan 2019-23
The Cultural Diversity Plan plan was informed by extensive consultation that took place at Cardinia Shire's first Multicultural Forum held in late-2018, and through engagement with Council's Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Advisory Committee, Cardinia Shire’s Interfaith Network, the CALD Network, and the feedback of community members and groups at consultation sessions and in a survey.
Events and initiatives to support our multicultural community
- Cardinia Shire is a Refugee Welcome Zone, an initiative of the Refugee Council of Australia. A Refugee Welcome Zone is a council area which has made a commitment in spirit to welcoming refugees and migrants from refugee backgrounds into the community, upholding the human rights of refugees, as we do for all of our residents, and enhancing cultural and religious diversity in the community.
- Every year, we host a Harmony Day celebration in partnership with Cardinia Shire’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Network.
- Cardinia Shire's first Walk Against Racism, which was to be held in March 2020, was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19.
Cardinia Shire Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Network
- The network is a group of community service organisations, community health services and Victorian and Australian government family support agencies.
- The network meets bi-monthly to share information and promote partnership opportunities and leads Cardinia Shire's annual Harmony Day celebrations.
Cardinia Shire Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee's role is to strengthen community partnerships on the challenges and issues affecting the Shire's recently arrived residents from culturally diverse backgrounds and provide advice to Council on its policies, plans and services that impact our multicultural communities.
Cardinia Interfaith Network
The network provides a forum for local faith communities to promote an inclusive community which respects religious diversity and acceptance of difference. It participates in and leads a range of activities including tours of places of worship and A Taste of Faith events.
Tours of places of worship
These tours are an opportunity for residents and schools to visit a range of worship places to better understand different faiths.
Languages spoken in Cardinia Shire
Apart from English, there are 11 other languages widely spoken in Cardinia Shire:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Dari
- Dutch
- Hindi
- Italian
- Sinhalese
- Spanish
- Sudanese Arabic
- Tagalog/Filipino
- Tamil