multicultural recognition is a Queensland-first

LOGAN City Council’s efforts to be a more welcoming and inclusive city have been recognised in a Queenslandfirst.

Council applied last August to join Welcoming Cities, a national initiative that provides a framework for local governments to achieve social cohesion objectives.

It has now become the first Queensland local government area to be assessed and accredited by Welcoming Cities.

City of Logan Mayor Darren Power said Council was proud to be recognised for the work it was doing with the City of Logan’s extensive multicultural community.

Cr Power said Council’s advanced accreditation level meant it was successfully implementing initiatives and policies to support the city’s 234 different multicultural communities.

“We are proud to be one of the most culturally diverse areas in Australia and look forward to liaising with Welcoming Cities and other key stakeholders to build further on our work in this area,” Cr Power said.

Welcoming Cities CEO Aleem Ali said Logan City Council was the third council in Australia to reach the advanced accreditation level.

“I especially congratulate them for becoming the first council accredited in Queensland as a Welcoming City,” Mr Ali said.

“The assessors were impressed by the examples of the city’s welcoming efforts and Welcoming Australia recognises and commends Council’s role in facilitating and supporting this work. and well-wishers turned up in full strength, reflecting the diversity and beauty of multicultural Australia. Their strong presence also reflects their interest in accelerating the bilateral relationship with India,” says Namrata Datt, AIBC’s Director – Strategy and Partnerships and a member of AIBC’s Queensland Committee.

“The city's accreditation at an advanced level positions Logan as a national leader and celebrates the collective contribution from diverse community stakeholders in fostering economic, social and cultural inclusion for all residents."

The City of Logan is home to an increasingly diverse population.

The latest (2021) data figures show approximately 27.9 per cent of the city’s 360,000 population, or 96,000 residents, were born overseas.

Council became the 70th Australian Local Government to join Welcoming Cities last year.

The Welcoming Cities network represents 10 million residents across Australia.

Also present at the occasion were Australian and Indian businesses such as AustralianSuper, Adani (Bravus), Mahindra, Westpac; university leaders representing the University of Queensland, Central Queensland University, Australian Catholic University, and Griffith University; professional services firms such as Rostron Carlyle Rojas Lawyers, Broadley Rees Hogan Lawyers and Remax; and leading agriculture industry players such as Parsram Group, Stahmann Webster, Australian Avocados and the Australian Macadamia Society.

In the Diwali spirit of giving, there was also a presentation by Ms Aishwarya Somal of Emerson Law seeking support for her initiative to prevent violence against women.

“We thank our many valued members representing medium and small businesses who came together to celebrate the festival of lights. It was the perfect setting to build relationships and to celebrate shared successes - many of whom have been sparked by ECTA and are expected to get a further boost with the upcoming Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, added Ms Datt of AIBC.

To know more about AIBC, visit aibc.org.au