Victorian Government Report in Multicultural Affairs
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VICTORIAN GO V ERNMENT R EPORT IN M ULTICULTURAL A FFAIRS 2013–14 VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT REPORT IN MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS 2013–14 CONTENTS Message from the Minister 3 List of tables Summary 4 Table 1 Composition of boards as at 30 June 2014 Reporting on departmental initiatives 5 (excluding school councils, committee of Crown land management and cemetery trust boards) 47 Reporting on cultural diversity planning 5 Table 2 Appointments to boards, including Additional reporting 5 re-appointments, in 2013-14 (excluding school Reporting on indicators 6 councils, committees of Crown land management Note on terminology 6 and cemetery trust boards) 47 List of Victorian Government departments 6 Table 3 Board members with CALD backgrounds List of abbreviations 6 as proportion of total appointments, by departments for 2012-13 and 2013-14 (excluding school councils, Introduction 7 committee of Crown land management and Victoria’s growing diversity 8 cemetery trust boards) 48 Victoria’s Whole-of-Government approach 9 Table 4 CALD campaign media expenditure as Cultural diversity plans 10 percentage of total campaign media expenditure Background 11 for departments and entities, 2005-06 to 2013-14 62 Cultural diversity plans: objectives and status 11 Table 5 CALD campaign media expenditure as Cultural competence training 14 percentage of total campaign media expenditure by departments (excluding entities) in 2012-13 Data use and program evaluation to enhance and 2013-14 63 service access 17 List of figures Maximising the benefits of our diversity 19 Figure 1 Victoria’s Whole-of-Government approach 9 Introduction 20 Overall initiatives 20 Citizenship, participation and social cohesion 25 Introduction 26 Overall initiatives 26 Targeted initiatives: youth, older persons, women and regional Victoria 36 Accessible and responsive services 37 Introduction 38 Overall initiatives 38 Targeted initiatives: youth, older persons, women and regional Victoria 43 Appendices 46 Appendix 1: CALD representation on government boards, authorities and committees 47 Appendix 2: Use of interpreting and translating services 49 Appendix 3: Multilingual publications and resources 54 Appendix 4: CALD media and advertising campaigns 62 Cover Image by John Palermo Photography Appendix 5: Measures to promote human rights 68 All other photography by Jorge de Araugo Appendix 6: Indicators 71 ISBN 978-1-922222-63-3 (pdf) MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER Victoria is a proudly multicultural, multilingual and multifaith society. Our multiculturalism is a global success story, and Victoria is a place where cultural and religious diversity is valued and cherished. The diversity brought to our state by successive waves of migrants has built on the vibrancy of the aboriginal cultures and traditions that first flourished in our country. The multiculturalism that we enjoy today has a long tradition and, by continuing to respect our differences and cultivate our cohesiveness, Victoria’s diversity will continue to be its greatest asset into the future. With our diversity comes the responsibility to make sure that community members from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, as well as people from all faiths, are meaningfully included in all aspects of our society. We understand the barriers faced by CALD communities as they seek to engage with society and government, in particular, and we are committed to ongoing consultations to ensure that their voices are heard. Ensuring that our migrant communities can contribute to, and shape, the future of the state is crucial to its social, cultural and economic success. In this regard, Victorians from CALD backgrounds deserve equitable access to government services. We can achieve this through cultural diversity planning and actively engaging with these communities on the issues that they face. The Victorian Government has a renewed commitment to cultural diversity plans and the inherent focus of providing government services that are responsive to the needs of CALD Victorians. This report showcases the work that Victorian Government departments and agencies undertook during 2013-14 to support and engage with CALD communities. It provides a useful overview of the many ongoing and new initiatives that have been carried out, and the successes achieved. It also shows that there is scope for departments and agencies to strengthen their cultural diversity plans into the future and thereby improve their service delivery. The Victorian Government is committed to continuing its strong relationship with CALD communities. We look forward to drawing on existing relationships anwd creating new links to further the discussion to achieve better outcomes for a culturally diverse and cohesive Victoria. Robin Scott MP Minister for Multicultural Affairs Minister for Finance Victorian Government Report in Multicultural Affairs 2013–14 3 SUMMARY 4 Victorian Government Report in Multicultural Affairs 2013–14 Summary Reporting on departmental initiatives Additional reporting This report fulfils a requirement of the Multicultural Victoria In addition to reporting on major improvements and initiatives, Act 2011, which mandates government departments to departments are required to report on a number of specific report annually to the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and to activities in multicultural affairs. Examples of these activities Victorian Parliament on their achievements in multicultural from individual departments are provided in the appendices. affairs over the previous financial year. CALD representation on government boards, The report reflects efforts to: authorities and committees » promote and support Victoria’s multicultural communities As at June 2014, 23 per cent of total appointees to Victorian and the benefits that diversity brings to Victoria’s economy Government boards, authorities and committees identified and society; themselves as having a culturally diverse background, » strengthen social cohesion and encourage all Victorians similar to the proportion in the previous year, 2012-13. to access opportunities and to participate in and New appointees, including re-appointees, in 2013-14 from contribute to the social, cultural, economic and political culturally diverse backgrounds accounted for 24 per cent life of the state; and of total new appointees, similar to that of 2012-13. » ensure that services are accessible and responsive to the needs of Victoria’s increasingly diverse communities. Use of interpreting and translating services Departments made a significant investment in interpreting The report outlines key activities and achievements in and translating (I and T) services to enable those with low multicultural affairs from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014 across English proficiency to better access government programs Victorian Government departments. The report does not and services. There was a total identified expenditure of intend to capture the full range of activities undertaken by $33,172.455 on interpreting and translating services departments and portfolio agencies. across departments and funded agencies, representing The initiatives, including programs and projects, have been a 6.3 per cent increase from $31,212,190 in 2012-13. grouped under the three themes of: Maximising the Benefits of Our Diversity; Citizenship, Participation and Social Multilingual publications and resources Cohesion; and Accessible and Responsive Services. The extensive nature of multilingual publications and resources The initiatives under each theme are also categorised as either by departments continues to demonstrate the government’s overall or general initiatives or targeted initiatives focusing on commitment to providing information on government programs CALD youth, older persons and women and CALD communities and services that are accessible to all Victorians in relevant in regional Victoria. The distinction is not absolute as many community languages. Many of these publications and initiatives are implemented across departments and agencies resources are available from departmental websites. and through partnerships; and delivered across the whole state. CALD media and advertising campaigns Departments would like to acknowledge the important role In 2013-14, the Victorian Government, including public entities of government partners, including local councils and service and statutory authorities, spent 5.8 per cent of total campaign agencies, in the delivery of programs and initiatives reflected expenditure on CALD media, which was higher than the in the report. minimum target of 5.0 per cent, achieved in 2012-13. Reporting on cultural diversity planning Measures to promote human rights This year’s report also highlights the emphasis placed on A number of measures were taken across departments in cultural diversity planning and cultural competence training 2013-14 to promote human rights for CALD communities in across departments. This is in response to a recommendation accordance with the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and of the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office Report (May 2014) Responsibilities Act 2006 (The Charter). on Accessibility of Government Services for Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers, which seeks to improve cultural diversity planning to enhance the delivery of accessible and responsive services to CALD communities. Departments reported on progress towards the development, implementation or review of their respective cultural diversity plans (CDPs) or equivalent; on the status of cultural competence training; and