By Casey Neill
Greater Dandenong residents can champion multicultural causes on a new committee.
Mayor Jim Memeti said the council wanted a group to raise awareness about the key issues impacting people from multicultural backgrounds.
He said the committee would provide advice to help shape council policies and service.
“More than half of our 140,000 residents are born overseas and many who arrive in our city are refugees or asylum seekers,” he said.
“Council has established itself as a leader in this field and part of our success can be attributed to the collaborative approach we have taken in this area.
“If you are a voice for multicultural communities and feel you could provide valuable insights into the key issues facing these communities, we would love to hear from you.”
Cr Heang Tak proposed the committee during his time as mayor, in July.
He said the idea followed a mayoral forum at Dandenong Civic Centre on 24 June titled Social Cohesion – Celebrating Multiculturalism in Greater Dandenong.
“The forum successfully promoted engagement and collaboration across multicultural communities to improve community wellbeing, harmony and prosperity,” he said.
Cr Tak said about 100 multicultural leaders and guests attended.
“Feedback received at the forum was overwhelmingly positive with the majority of participants responding that they would like to build on this success and continue to take part in ongoing dialogue with council,” he said.
“To continue this momentum, I request that consideration be given to the establishment of a Greater Dandenong Multicultural Network to enable ongoing dialogue by council with multicultural groups and community leaders.”
Cr Tak said the structure could be similar to the Greater Dandenong Interfaith Network, a group of diverse cultural and religious faiths established in 1989 to work with the council to promote peace and harmony within the municipality.
The Multicultural Advisory Committee will include a maximum of five representatives from service providers, community organisations and agencies, and five community members.
Councillors will also be represented.
Nominations for the Multicultural Advisory Committee close on 22 December.
Visit www.greaterdandenong.com or call 8571 1000 for more information or to submit a nomination form.
