State award for cultural diversity

Promoting cultural diversity has earned Greater Dandenong Council a state award.
It won the Local Government Award at the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence at Government House on Thursday 18 October.
Its work with refugees and asylum seekers received particular mention.
The council’s community services director, Mark Doubleday, said the award was testament to its commitment to ensuring everyone in the city felt valued and respected.
“We are committed to ensuring we actively engage our community on issues which impact our multicultural, refugee and asylum seeker communities,” he said.
“The council has a long and proud reputation of successfully working to promote and support diverse communities.”
Mr Doubleday said diversity was one of Greater Dandenong’s greatest strengths and that through diversity, people felt connected.
“This award formally acknowledges initiatives undertaken by the council to support diverse communities through its planning, policy development and service delivery,” he said.
“Winning this award demonstrates to all Greater Dandenong residents, as well as the wider Victorian community, that diversity is something that should be celebrated, embraced and respected.”