DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

HUME CITY COUNCIL Supporting Diverse Communities

As one of Australia's fastest growing and most culturally diverse communities, Hume City Council is home to just over 258,000 residents. Almost 40 per cent of Hume residents were born overseas, coming from 156 different countries, and speaking over 150 languages. The Supporting Diverse Communities project was developed to ensure culturally and linguistically diverse community members were afforded equitable access to COVID-19 response and recovery information and resources.

Over its 18-month lifespan, the project evolved to deliver a range of supports and activities, including in-language pandemic-related resources and information sessions, community engagement, vaccination promotion and testing, and household isolation activities. With representation of the top three languages other than English spoken in the municipality, the project played an integral role in keeping diverse community members informed, connected, and engaged.

The project shone a spotlight on the value of Cultural Liaison Officers. These officers were critical to the project’s success, playing a vital role in translating and interpreting, engagement with individuals and community groups, and providing intelligence and insights to inform the delivery of targeted and accessible information and programs. As a result of the project, there has since been increased recognition across the council that the cultural experiences, connections, and understandings that people of diverse background possess are of equal value to technical and professional skills.

The project and the professionals behind it personified the mindset of ‘progress, not perfection’ with a flexibility mindset that allowed them to navigate the rapidly changing pandemic environment characterised by changing orders, restrictions, health advice, and treatments with innovation. This way of working allowed them to tackle complex and rapidly changing challenges and needs within the community in a paradigm applicable to all other areas of council business.